In what is shapping up to be another example of the back and forth one-upsmanship between companies, Apple and Palm are fighting over access to the iTunes music store.
Palm started the action when the new Palm Pre could access directly into iTunes, as though it were a iPod or iPhone device. Apple promptly updated iTunes to disallow this action. Palm responded with a software update of their own, in which the Palm Pre spoofs itself to appear as a iPod in iTunes. This will certainly go back and forth a few more times, as Apple is agreesively insistant in keeping the iTunes/iPod vertical a locked experience.
On one hand this is typical Apple behavior, but in this case there is a more important factor to consider. Apple generates very little income, if any, from the iTunes store (most of that goes to the record companies). Apple cashes in from the sale of devices that interface with the store, so it's even more important for them to keep the store "locked".
I have no idea what the actual end game will be, but I think Apple could be in a nice position if they would licence out limited connectivity to certain companies, before Amazon gets the obvious idea of specialized store front for their music offerings.
