I don't think they'll be too upset. It just serves to reinforce their "iTunes p0wns teh wurld" strategy. B0rking Pre compatibility would only have the effect of pissing off Pre owners, causing them to export everything, remove iTunes, bugger off and buy their digital music elsewhere in future. I know I would if I were placed in this situation and it would take the moon on a stick from Apple to get me to move back. I like to bear a grudge when companies piss me off.

As for the hardware side, anyone taken with the Pre's iTunes compatibility will probably already have an iPod anyway, which is why they have their stuff in iTunes and thus give a shit about it. Anyone else'll probably keep using Windoze Media Mangler or whatever floats their boat.

that would actually be interesting. Scratch that. Proper iTunes Sync is a great feature that I wholeheartedly welcome in every device whose maker is interested in my money.

All for nothing though, since I will not buy a Eurp-Pre if it cometh locked to a single provider.

There is no way I would ever part with money for a Palm product ever again. The hardware might be great, but the company is a bunch of bumbling backstabbing fools. They make the RIAA almost look good.

"not to mention all those bit-torrented tunes imported into Apple's media player"

Did you really have to mention this?