Bits & Pieces

I don’t have an iPhone. I’ve never even used one.

– Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein.  So he has never even used his biggest competitor’s product? Is that good management? Could he have a bigger ego than Steve Jobs himself?

Update: At least one other person seems to share my concern.

I wrote earlier about Palm using Apple USB codes to cause its Pre smartphone to sync with iTunes. Apple blocked that attempt and Palm appealed to the group that administers the USB specification. That group smacked Palm down, ruling that Palm was wrong to impersonate Apple for this purpose.

Well, Palm is back. They have done it again. Apple will certainly block them. Again. And again. And again.

Palm released software that would connect to Apple’s iTunes software. Apple issued a software update that broke the connection.

So Palm went to the group that controls USB technology, USB-IF, arguing that Apple’s block of the Palm Pre’s access to iTunes violated their rules. And Palm went on to say they were planning to issue a software update that would identify Palm Pre’s to iTunes using Apple’s unique, registered USB ID. The reaction of the USB regulatory group: No way, Palm.

But the USB-IF finding goes further. Much further. “However,” the body writes to Palm, “your letter also states that: ‘Palm will shortly issue an update of its WebOS operating system that uses Apple’s Vendor ID number for the sole purpose of restoring the Palm media sync functionality.” In other words, Palm is telling the USB-IF, We’re putting you on notice that we are taking the technological steps to continue our questionable practice of technology trespassing anyway. Just lettin’ you know!

The USB-IF responds: “Under the Policy, Palm may only use the single Vendor ID issued to Palm for Palm’s usage. Usage of any other company’s Vendor ID is specifically precluded. Palm’s expressed intent to use Apple’s VID appears to violate the attached policy. Please clarify Palm’s intent and respond to this potential violation within seven days.”

This is the right result. Nothing stops Palm from developing a music management/player application like iTunes, one that Palm can ship or offer via download to Pre users. Apple has spent a large fortune developing iTunes and Apple has the right to control its use by competitors.

Fake Steve Jobs jumps on this with relish.

Disclosure: I am long in AAPL.

Well, after giving a warning a few weeks ago, Apple has released a new version of iTunes (8.2.1) which, among other things, blocks the Palm Pre from syncing to iTunes. So much for that feature on the Pre. I suspect that Apple is within their rights to do this, although I hasten to note that I am not schooled in anti-trust law.  This type of problem will always continue when one company tries to leverage another’s services without permission.  More coverage at BusinessWeek.

Well, the iPhone software 3.0 upgrade is out. Reaction: it really really rocks.

Now compare and contrast to the latest news on the Pre. Not so much. Apparently a number of users are reporting that screen cracks on the Pre are rapidly developing, less than a week after its release.

We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.

- Ed Collagen, deposed CEO of Palm, in November, 2006. He was replaced as CEO by former Apple iPod executive John Rubinstein yesterday.

There are a growing number of reports regarding screen problems caused by over-heating. We’ll see.

It is getting some good, solid reviews. This is good competition for the iPhone.

The video below is its startup video that runs when the user turns on his or her Pre for the first time. Nicely done.

Video from the WSJ All Things Digital D7 conference:

My prediction: the Pre will, after an initial flurry of interest, be a failure along the lines of the Blackberry Storm.

Today, Palm’s share price dropped about 8%.  Some attribute this to the remarks of Tim Cook, current de facto leader of Apple during yesterday’s Apple earning call with analysts. Here is what Tim Cook said:

“We are watching the landscape.  We like competition as long as they don’t rip off our intellectual property. And if they do, we’re going to go after anybody that does. I don’t want to talk about any specific company. I’m just making a general statement that we think competition is good. It makes us all better and we’re ready to suit up and go up against anyone. However, we will not stand for having our intellectual property ripped off and we’ll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal.”

Cook did not identify any particular company. But if that wasn’t enough, MacDailyNews points to this quote:

We’ve been pushing the state-of-the-art in every facet of design… We’ve been innovating like crazy for the last few years on this and we’ve filed for over 200 patents for all of the inventions in iPhone. And we intend to protect them. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiling iPhone, January 9, 2007

Disclosure: I am long in Apple stock.