"One reason that the iPod/iPhone and iTunes have been successful is that they work so well together." So wouldn't it follow, therefore, that a competitor would

"One reason that the iPod/iPhone and iTunes have been successful is that they work so well together." So wouldn't it follow, therefore, that a competitor would be less successful if their product didn't work as well with iTunes? In this light, Palm's strategy makes perfect sense. All a user has to understand is "it works with iTunes." Forcing people to install a separate sync app makes for a more confusing experience for a good segment of customers, and regardless is an extra hassle that Palm has removed through their sync approach.