Palm webOS 1.1 Brings Back That Syncing Feeling

Game on: Palm's webOS 1.1 update restores iTunes syncing for Palm Pre owners.

You’ve got to give Palm—and all the ex-Apple employees working there, including newly-installed CEO Jon Rubenstein—some credit: they seem to be willing to go toe-to-toe with the folks in Cupertino. Palm has released version 1.1 of its webOS operating system for its Palm Pre device, and in addition to enhancements to Exchange ActiveSync for business and enterprise users, the 1.1 update re-enables media synchronization with Apple’s iTunes media management software.

Before launching the Palm Pre smartphone, the company demonstrated the phone’s ability to sync with iTunes; the Apple software recognized the Pre and treated it like an iPod, enabling users to transfer and synchronize music, photos, video, and other material via iTunes. Apple didn’t comment directly, but instead issued a note indicating that it doesn’t test iTunes syncing with third party products, and wouldn’t guarantee any third party syncing solutions would keep working…then last week, like magic, iTunes 8.2.1 somehow managed to break the Palm Pre’s synchronization capability.

The question now is whether Apple will fire back…again. With re-enabling iTunes synchronization with webOS 1.1, Palm is apparently saying it is willing to engage in a blow-by-blow arms race with Apple over iTunes synchronization. Assuming the fight doesn’t shift to a courtroom, such battles may get the companies involved a lot of attention, but they also generate a good deal of ill-will and inconvenience for customers. In this case, most of the customers impacted by the battle will be Palm’s, since iPod and iPhone owners are unaffected—which may not be a great way to sustain the launch of a new phone and mobile platform the company hopes can take on Apple and RIM.