Palm's latest 38MB update from webOS 1.2.0 to 1.2.1 this weekend addresses several issues, including fixes to Exchange support, media sync and media streaming. Particularly, they fixed the broken iTunes sync yet again (previously disabled and then patched in webOS 1.1, and promised as a feature on the Palm Pixi). This is despite the USB-IF previously siding with Apple. "Usage of any other company's Vendor ID...appears to violate the attached policy", they state. So how does the Pre accomplish this? Precentral notes that Palm set the Manufacturer ID to read as Apple, and possibly modifying the serial number and USB Product ID to match an iPod Video. What your computer sees is:
USB Product ID: 0x1209
USB Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple, Inc)
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Palm drew heated responses from both critics and supporters of their recent efforts to overcome the iTunes hurdle. For example, I4U News suggests that Apple should just leave the syncing capability intact, as it gives Palm undeserved publicity. And with the popularity of webOS rising this may be the best solution, rather than continuing to shut out webOS or trying to sue Palm and possibly hurt their image. They note that the Blackberry media sync is perfectly acceptable, as it uses the iTunes music XML file on the customer's computer to sync up content.
Other sites such as RWW suggest that Palm's best route should be to focus entirely on their Amazon MP3 Store (recently updated to allow OTA downloads). With more affordable albums (starting at $4.99) they could start from the ground-up to offer a viable alternative to iTunes. As for new software to house the content, Wired suggests that Palm could buy and improve DVD Jon's DoubleTwist software, which is an established app that already syncs with iTunes and is Amazon MP3-friendly. What do you think of the latest back-and-forth between Palm and Apple?
Full 1.2.1 changelog after the break.
webOS 1.2.1
Version information
- Version: webOS 1.2.1
- Release date: 2 October 2009
New applications
- NONE
Feature changes to existing applications
- Resolved an issue where after installing the 1.2.0 webOS update some customers running Exchange 2007 could no longer synchronize with their Exchange account for Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks.
System
- Resolves an issue preventing media sync from working with latest version of iTunes (9.0.1).
- Media sync now synchronizes photo albums, maintaining the album structure in the Photos app.
- Media sync now allows for synchronizing photos without requiring the full-resolution originals. This provides faster display of high-quality full-screen images and enables users to store more photos on the phone.
Web
Resolved an issue where if a user tried to play streaming music or video, the media stream might drop out or have a long delay before starting.
Security
This release implements several security fixes, including the following:
- Addresses a security issue encountered by webkit developers. This issue did not impact end users.
Individuals interested in contacting Palm to report suspected security issues can find more information at palm.com/security
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