Comments on: Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs

RealNetworks' chief says refusal to make iPod compatible with music services other than iTunes was "pigheadedness."

[edgedesign]

Who would really benefit??

Only Apple's competitors would benefit from an open iPod/
iTunes Store. Consumers wouldn't necessarily benefit as it would
surely bring confusion, inconsistancies and problems. Apple has
been hugely successful because it has control over the 'iPod
experience' from usage to purchasing and that conrol offers
value. iTunes pricing is reasonable and the selection is fairly
large plus you can buy and (legally) rip most anything else you
may want.

I don't think many iPod owners are complaining they cannot use
Real or any other competing service. It's mostly people with
competing players or stores who wish things were different.

$$$$$$$$

If they where to open itunes or ipod then apple would be forced to
raise the price on every thing music to including the songs. in
stead of them being 99¢ they would be like $1.50 or cds instead of
them being about $9.99 they would be about $14.99 or more!!!

[drblank1]

Pegheadedness

Rob Glaser is just being arrogant, selfish, egotistical, and above all,
a sore LOSER. He is doing whatever he can to gain markershare,
even if to put down a superior technology and market leader.
Obviously, the reason is that AAC is a much better format and the
others don't support it. AAC is part of the MPEG4 format. If the
others would fully support the same format, maybe things might be
different. REAL is on their way downhill fast and Rob Glaser knows
it and he is trying to save face with the shareholders and end losers
that use Real.

[rslc]

BEWARE if you buy songs via iTunes/Apple

If you buy songs from itunes/apple,
you will be stuck with ipod forever,
as the songs cannot be played on other mp3 players!

If your next mp3 player is an from sony or nokia
that adopts open standard DRM,
all your itunes purchase will be down the drain!!

I wonder how many users know this.

[drblank1]

BEWARE if you buy songs via iTunes/Apple

Being stuck with a better audio format? Hmmmmm.... MP3 is
older, lesser quality audio format for compressed audio. For
those that didn't know this, RIC, you can put mp3's on the iPod,
just not with these other music player DRM crap.

Get over it. iPod is superior product and they have
approximately 80% marketshare of the player market. Notice I
didn't say "mp3" player market. BTW, you can now play high
quality videos with H.264 on the later generation iPods.

Don't be a sore end loser. :-)

[GGGlen]

We all know it

When I bought my iPod, I, like everyone I know that owns one
(and dozens of my friends own iPods), did some research.
I, and all my friends, preferred the SOUND QUALITY of Dolby
Labs AAC encoding over that of MS's proprietary CODEC.
I know that the Dell/Sony/Insert Name of All Other Failed
Competitor's Here sycophants can't believe this, but the elitist
attitudes that they hold when venting anti iPod garbage is
exactly that. Garbage.
Every iPod purchaser I know (including my poor, non technical
mother), read the boxes, read the reviews, went to stores,
listened, looked, touched and used an iPod (along with whatever
else that was on the shelf), then purchased the iPod.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's terribly arrogant of you to
assume that you're smarter than the people who disagree with
your conclusions.
Carry on,

[sunergeos]

Export as MP3's

Obviously you are on the outside banging to get it because your
claims are false. Here, I'll walk you through it....

Start iTunes and open your preferences. On Mac it is Safari-
>Preferences and on Windows it is Edit->Preferences.

Select the Advanced tab.

Change the Import Using field to MP3 Encoder.

Close your preferences.

Now, right click any song in your library and select to Convert to
MP3.

You now have a version of that song that can be used on any
MP3 player.

Really, you should start making it a habit of reading the help
files before you enbarrass yourself in public.

[grossph]

you don't get it

Do you think 80% of the market cares? the iPod is the number one selling MP3 player. No other player has come close, I think something like 90% or more of the iPod owneres who buy another MP3 player, buy another iPod.

So why would they want to open up there system...think in terms of balancing business vs consumer. most people are thinking in one term or the other but not a balance

[Awesomebase]

Not true

If you buy songs from iTunes/Apple, you will be stuck with "iTunes" forever. Even that isn't true because there are people who make MP3s from the protected AACs.
It is the subscription services that put your money down the drain. Once you stop, you loose the rights to your music. How is that better? If I don't want to purchase a single song on iTunes, I can still listen to everything that I've already paid for, either on any of my stereos (using Airport Express), my iPod(s), or my computer systems (Macs and PCs). How is this a restriction?

[moonbeard]

No need to "beware" folks

The brilliant individual who posted "Beware if You buy songs via iTunes....", obviously isn't familiar enough with the iTunes software. If you prefer to have all of your purchased music in MP3 format, you're not stuck with the AAC format (MP4). Every song I have paid for & downloaded from the iTunes Music Store, resides on my computer as MP3 because I prefer the flexibility of non-DRM files. Every song I have ripped from my personal CD collection via iTunes is also in MP3 format. AND everything I've seen Real Networks come up with, Realy sux. DUH...!

You have no clue. Apple DRM is transferable

It's called Hymn, or JHymn, or other names under Windows. It creates a completely DRM free copy, same audio quality of the file. Which means you no longer need to worry about the DRM. Which means you cna play the song anywhere, on any player.

And besides, when's the last tiem soemone else put out aplayer that's even close to Apple's Caliber? They haven't. So why worry?

[Thomas, David]

BEWARE WHAT?!! COMPLETELY FALSE!

"If you buy songs from itunes/apple, you will be stuck with ipod
forever, ..."

Where in the world did you come up with THAT crap! An audio
file, is an audio file. I can create an audio CD composed of any
of music in my iTunes library. ANY.

Given that simple, straight-forward fact. That means it can be
converted, and played back in ANY format I desire.

EITHER YOU ARE VERY STUPID, OR A CLASS OF DISHONEST
SCUM-BAG WHOM EVERY ONE HATES.

[moonbeard]

I can't believe there are still people spreading misinformation

This guy doesn't use iTunes AND doesn't know what he's talking about. Every song I've ever downloaded from Apple has been converted to an MP3. I share them with my wife (we consider it "family music") and she plays them on her SanDisk Cruzer MP3 player. "Look Ma - no hands!"

[HWMBO]

Incorrect

Your assertion is not correct. While the AAC files will not play on
MP3 players, Apple allows you to burn them to CD, which you
can then rip BACK to MP3, and play anywhere.

Some services/filetypes do or can have such restrictive DRM that
you cannot burn the songs to a CD. I can't burn my WMA files
then rip them back to AAC for my iPod, but I can burn my iTMS
AAC files to CD then rip them back to WMA or MP3. I wonder if
people ripping their OWN CDs to a format that cannot be burned
to CD know this.

Sounds to me like Apple is a much more open and reusable
choice. Crisis averted, village saved.

[drblank1]

REAL Losing?

Real is losing, hence Rob Glaser is being a Real Loser. He should
probably step down, take his money and RUN.

[Earl Benser]

Glaser turning wrath on Apple....

... is about the same as the little kid who craps his pants to show
you how mad he is.

[R. U. Sirius]

LOL

The mental picture of Glaser crapping his pants to show Steve Jobs a thing or two is hilarious.

Better? Worse? Who Cares

I think the whole point of this is obvious, Glacer has no problem when his software is compatible, or available to people. And when it isn't. He whines. He did it with MS, and they cracked.
If this guy seriously wanted to make a name for himself, he'd go out and either find another MP3 player that is compatible with RP (Which there is)or pay someone to get his own.
At the end of the day, he knows that RealNetworks just isn't worth the hassle for most people. It isn't as popular any more and thats what's ticking him off.
Jealousy is a B***** aint it?.

[Geir Werner Hagen]

Asshole

What a moron Glaser is. He´s talking about opening up, but what
about his crappy Rhapsody ? Uisng a Mac ? Sorry no Rhapsody for
you... Can someone please send him some testicles ? He MUST have
lost his own ( yeah, yeah, I know I´m out of line - but he IS an
idiot )

Rhapsody pails to Yahoo music!

I've tried both, there are 3 big problems with Real:
A. half of the songs can only be streamed, which means you can't take them anywhere but home.
B. Only 5 days in sync with PC, meaning you can take them on a long trip.
C. Price is higher then Yahoo.
I do like the looks of the interface and the catalog seems to be more organized, but even Christy Brickly gets old.

[Earl Benser]

As a nit to pick....

... the word is 'pales', not 'pails', except that since Rhapsody is
nothing but a bucket of junk, maybe you are right...... ;-)

Well RN Sucks, thats the problem

You don't need Wharton to know that RealNetworks sucks. The media, the crap they install, it's bloated and it isn't on anything else.

Phooey and I call Jobs brilliant for now.

Apple took it in the shorts because they flopped on interoperability.

[protagonistic]

Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs

Does anyone here seriously believe that If Glaser and Job's
positions were reversed that he would be willing to open it up? If
he wants to challenge Jobs he might want to think about
providing a quality service instead of whining about it.

I get most of my music from Magnatune and I don't have a
problem playing it on my iPod. I can even preview the entire
album without buying it.

Note to Glaser: If you want your music to play on the iPod dump
the DRM... You and I both know it is not possible to devise a
DRM scheme that can't be circumvented. (Steve may want to
make a not of this also).

[mcthingy2]

Yawn

Two rich middle-aged white techies have a fight in public -- and
you losers get your knickers in a twist. Pathetic.

[Earl Benser]

Seems like it's....

...one sort-of rich middle-aged white techie who has his knickers
in a massive twist all by himself. I don't think that Jobs cares much
one way or the other, tho Glaser's pathetic whining might make
Jobs chuckle a little.

[Conspiracy Therorist]

Don't Sleep Too Long

They're steering this issue. While everyone argues about which format or source we want to use for RENTED music THEY just want to DELETE our option to BUY music on a CD.

[Thomas, David]

LMAO .... Que!?

Run that one by us all again.

Shut up Glaser

Glaser is an idiot. Yes Itunes is lame, but Apple shouldn't have to open it up for anyone. If you want to beat the Ipod, make a better product and stop whining. Why did he even get money from MS anyway, not their fault RealPlayer is a smoking pile of crap and no one would use it over WMP. He should just take his money from MS and not talk anymore.

As far as Itunes being the best player, it is only good for buying music, WMP is much better, as is WinAmp.

[techguy83]

MS probably saved a little money

He probably would have gotten money anyway, and MS is probably likely to save money with the settlement now than having to pay lawyers for the next 2 years to fight REAL.

But yes, REAL does suck.

[jasonbeam]

I wouldn't want that crap on my iPod anyway

I think Mr. Glaser is overestimating the value of his product. I've
tried Real-everything on six different Macs for over 8 years - it's
crap. It's buggy. It doesn't work right. Steve Jobs has standards,
and Glaser's company doesn't live up to it.

[blznsky]

Go Glaser!

Business needs a few more of Glaser. Real has in doing audio/video streaming and such long before crApple and iJunk.

[Earl Benser]

Really?????

How come nobody noticed?????

[Musica360.com]

Jerk

Yes they've been in the Audio business before Apple and
Microsft, and the fact that they're losing says what???

[bmh129]

Boo Hoo--Get over it

If you want a player that supports your DRM-only crap, then make a player yourself, like Apple did. You have the money now.

And don't act like Apple's iPod cuts anybody out. It can play mp3 just fine, thank you. If you think consumers would rather pay a higher licensing fee for a player that uses more worthless DRM codecs (that amount to renting songs) like Rhapsody and "Napster," then you're a fool. But I doubt you are a fool. Just a whiny baby, who has $750 million in assets, and no real desire to compete--no pun intended.

Garbage

Why even print this garbage?

[The user with no name]

why don't people GET it??

Without defending or degrading Real, Apple or MS the issue is about one thing DRM. Apple has a proprietary DRM (same as MS, same as the Recording labels, et. al). An iPod can play either unencoded music or it can play music encoded with Apple's DRM. Those, I believe, are the two choices you have. What Real and the other companies want from Apple is what everyone states they want from MS.... a fair shake and access to code. The current mindset leans towards DRM protected music sales. Without DRM the labels WILL NOT grant any company the rights to sell music online. Without this right an online music venture is obviously dead in the water.

What Real wants is to be able to either have Apple open up their DRM so that other companies/music stores can encode sold music with it, or they want Apple to open up the iPod to recognize multiple formats of DRM.

It's not about who has the better store, the better player, the better format or even the better music. It IS about other companies not being able to sell their product (recall the DRM issues above) to an iPod owner for use on an iPod. And an iPod owner who cannot play certain files on his/her iPod will not BUY those files.

Thats really all that this, and many other articles like it, is about. And honestly, who wouldn't LIKE to have more choices as a consumer?

[Mendz]

But the choices are available...

... and they're not iPods. :)

[just_some_guy]

People do get it

People do get it, but since Apple is the one being attacked (instead of Microsoft), the zealots protest. Compare this to Microsoft's proprietary document formats, which help drive sales of Office. An Open DRM format makes just as much sense as an Open Document format.

I have two iPods, and I do buy music from iTunes, but I still like choices. I think the whole idea of picking sides (Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Sony vs. whoever) is just silly.

I regret becoming an apple activist back in the day...

before Kawasaki left Apple he did this activist packet gig... I was working at Real at the time and distributed the propaganda to all my coworkers...

I think Rob misunderstood my intentions... whats a bored hyperactive kid running tech support into the black supposed to do? pick fights with exmicrosofties... build giant video game consoles with presentation equipment.. ahhh those where the days...

[Mendz]

Real wants a piece of the meat...

... it can't cook. So Real goes after what's cookin'. You see, Real tried, but it got overcooked and eventually burned... Really...