Actually, if you upgraded to Lion, Apple did. When you installed the new OS, Apple decided to delete Apple software that wasn’t part of the Lion distribution. It’s left a lot of hacked off customers who were using iSync with some older phones to sync contacts and calendars. iSync still functions just fine under Lion, but if you didn’t preserve it, Apple reached into your hard drive and obliterated it. It’s not just iSync that has gone to the world of Apple discontinued software.
Front Row is also a goner, probably because Apple would love to sell you an Apple TV. Front Row will work under Lion, if you can get a copy via a Time Machine install for example, though it’s a less-than-optimal experience now that iTunes support has been pulled. Apple has posted a download link for a Front Row update, but not the whole app. Or follow this advice.
It’s a bit hard to understand why Apple does this. If they don’t want to support a piece of software, that’s surely up to them. It’s quite another thing, however, to erase perfectly functional software from your computer. Sure iSync is pretty long in the tooth, and I expect the majority of Apple owners also have iPhones. But if you were syncing to an old Nokia or some other ancient phone, you’re pretty much out of luck.
Of course if you have Time Machine running, or some other back up you can get the software that way. Or find someone who hasn’t upgraded and hit them up for a copy. If you are really in the weeds you could look at some paid alternatives to iSync, like Missing Sync, which works with some phones but not all under Lion. As for Front Row, there is software like Plex which is free and Media Central from Equinux which isn’t.
This issue is a little different from the tightening specs that have messed up Apple Mail for some, and created problems for network attached storage drives.
What do you think? Is Apple being a bit too proactive for you at deleting working software?
iSync: Who stole my software? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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