Rivalry Between Apple and Palm Intensifies

The Palm Pre has a large touch screen, slide-out keyboard and fast Web browsing. Palm also likes to point out that another selling point is the smartphone's ability to link to iTunes, Apple's music and media store. Trouble is, Apple wants to make sure the iPhone is the only cellphone that can do that. So it changed its software to block the Pre's access to iTunes. Now Palm is calling foul and is trying to rally the consumer electronics industry to its defense. Palm says that Apple, which allows only its own devices to connect directly with iTunes software, is misusing the standards put in place to foster interoperability between computers and devices using a USB connection. Palm has filed a complaint with the U.S.B. Implementers Forum, an industry group established by technology companies that developed the technology that links computers to other electronic devices, claiming Apple is restraining trade. Predicting the outcome of this particular filing is tricky.