Comments on: RealNetworks seeks musical alliance with Apple

RealNetworks made a direct appeal to Apple Computer, suggesting that the two companies form a common front against Microsoft in the digital music business.
The New York Times

[slapmaxwell]

Forget Real Networks

Sorry, REAL can take a hike. I quit using their lousy product a couple of years ago, when it used to hijack my media settings, constantly try to "phone home", etc. Hopefully Apple will instruct them p*** up a rope.

[J Al Anderson]

Easy there Slap

Lots of companies acted in ways that irritated the consumer
especially in 1999 when Real was flying high.

Very easy to sign up for Real's service, notoriously hard to sign-
off.

That said, obviously Real gets a lot from this deal, and it is
debatable what Apple gets. The iTunes music store has been a
way to sell iPods.

Does a deal with Real sell any more iPods?

Or can lucre be made licensing patents, and warehousing digital
tunes.

It just seems that Real is late to the party and only after
Rhapsody fell flat did they want a seat at another table. I
understand Steve not talking to Rob, but hopefully they can
make a deal that benefits customers. (without a monthly fee)

[smkatz]

Listen, Apple!

You can't host every song by every artist. Real's partnership would improve the selection of music available in commercial AAC format. You said yourself you don't make money from songs.

It would expand your prescence.

Most importantly, it will eliminate much confusion in the marketplace.

As to Real's software, it is better now. It still takes over associations.. but the Message Center never pops up without your consent.

To change defaults in Windows 2000 SP3 or higher:
Go to Start-->Control Panel-->Add/Remove-->Set Program Access and Defaults.

Program manufacturers voluntarily register to be on that list. Microsoft's products that are "middleware" must be on that list as part of a legal agreement. iTunes and Realplayer, along with Winamp, are all on that list if you install their most recent versions. Expect to see more of this in the future. Musicmatch is not yet on that list; I uninstalled it--by default, it doesn't even ask you before taking back associations, you have to ask it to ask you (in Preferences).

--Sam