Even more reason for Palm not to rely on it and a sure sign that they could obviously make something much better. Of course there's the flip-side, which is that no one in the software industry has made anything better yet.

So yeah, I agree it does have some sucky bits, but it's the least sucky program of its kind.

And for Peter, yeah, more proof that software patents should simply not exist. I actually have prior art (myself) which predates anything iTunes is based on, including the work done by the guys that pressured Apple into paying them a settlement for patent violations involving iTunes and some software they never actually created, but supposedly showed off ideas for at a tradeshow.

I should probably contact Apple to see if they want to reverse that and get their money and royalties back - I shopped my idea around on the net in the very early 90's, including sending descriptions and artwork to a number of prospective partners. I'm not saying definitively that this other company based all their designs on mine, but it's certainly in the realm of possibility and at least as plausible as Apple having copied them for iTunes.