Comments on: Glaser turns wrath on Apple, Jobs

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

[Musica360.com]

Glaser is a jerk.

This guy is so busy whinning instead of focusing on making his
own business better. Real Networks as a business had first
mover advantage in the online world of digital audio. Remember
all the sites in the early 90's that used Real Audio for soundclips
exclusively?

Now that they fallen to number 3, Glaser prefers to whine and
cry about other companies instead of focusing on his core
business.

The article states, "In 2004, Glaser appealed to Jobs to make the
popular iPod compatible with other music services.". This is a
false statment. Glaser wanted Jobs to make the iPod compatible
with REAL's digital music offering not other services. If Steve
would have opend the iPod up to Real, do you think we'd see
Glaser champoning these "other music services" or do you think
he'd be happy being the only service besides Apple (with their
permission) to offer iPod Compatible downloads? This guys is
soooo transparent.

All of these digital music companies and digital music players
had the chance to be in the same position Apple is in right now,
but there weren't enough forward thinkers even at the mighty
Microsoft and now they're all whining because they have to play
catch up.

You guys have got the subscription thing going which Apple
doesn't have, promote that to the public. Make your service work
seemlessly with the OTHER digital music players and maybe
you'll start to gain some market share...

[Musica360.com]

bulls***t

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

Totally false statement. First of all you can burn a cd and then
create mp3's from that cd that will play on any digital audio
player that supports the format.

<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!!>

What standard are you refering too. DRM protected WMA's are
not a standard (though Microsoft would them to be). They're a
competing format by Microsoft.

So if we're going to put information out there... at least let it be
correct...

[CharlesRovira]

What's this crap about not being able to

export my iTunes library?

I can take my music (and podcatches) and export them to any media I like.

I have burnt backup DVDs with my library. I can load them up across different machines. I have a couple of Apples, a Win2k machine on which its not necessary because of RendezVous networking, but it could be done.

My other box runs Linux and it was trivial to mount the DVDs and move the content.

What the hell is this guy talking about?

[VI Joker]

Question?

Can you transfer your library to a mp3 player is not an iPOD?

[frankz00]

Wow! What a temper tantrum!

He's throwing a tantrum because he can't piggyback off of the worlds most successful music store?!?! There are hundreds of players that Real content WILL play on. Pick one, and put it head to head against Apple. Microsoft and Real made the wrong bet that people would want a variety of players over a streamlined consistent end to end platform. Now that this mediocre mafia of mp3 music players has failed they want to cry foul?!?! Pathetic.

[toosday]

Somehow, CDs Are Still More Convenient

"Because, hey, if I take all my MP3s from this illegal site or that illegal site, they'll work on the iPod or anything else. Whereas if I buy them legitimately, they'll only work at one place."

I hate to say it, but that's actually a good point. I know several people (who are fans of Apple) but are turning away from the iPod because of that reason.

I just don't understand why the Digital Music Download services (iTunes, Rhapsody) can't all play together anyhow. I would like the music I buy from iTunes to be just like the CDs I buy from Best Buy: They can play in ANY CD player - not just specific devices. That's iTunes, Rhapsody and Windows Media's biggest downfall. Sure, you can't hold a thousand songs on a CD, but you don't have to worry about proprietary tactics, either (despitet Sony BMG's best efforts).

[Thomas, David]

Damin .. you could not be MORE wrong

I can export ANY of my purchased music to an audio-cd, therefore
I can export ANY of my purchased music to any other medium.

"I know several people ..." ... look beavis, Me, Myself, and I are not
several people. It is simply you blowing smoke up our collective
backsides.

[mgreere]

Think of it this way

If you buy an AAC with FairPLay, it will work on 80%+ mp3
players and roughly 99% of computers sold in the US. If you buy
an mp3 with MS's DRM, it will play on roughly 20% of mp3
players and 95% of computers sold in the US. And! And, if you
only include players that are roughly on par with the iPod, the %
falls to something miniscule.

(The exact percentages are not so important -- just the relative
difference.)

The trapped-by-the-ipod argument is quite silly.

MS and Real want a standard... their own.

Capitalism is working the way it supposed to in this case. The
losers (read Glaser) need to suck it up and/or up the ante with a
better mousetrap to compete.

[parich1776]

Reality Check

First, somewhere in the milling confusion and emotional spew, there must exist an audio gold reference standard. I submit it is a quality vinyl source played on an audiophile turntable with similar quality compatible cartridge through near-distortionless linear preamp and amplifier stages into a set of world class speakers set up in a sound-engineered listening space - equipped with free Q-tips. All this can be had for maybe $25,000 - or a lot more - and it won't ever be portable.

So what? you might very well ask. Well, here's the what part:

1. Anything less is a compromise, and in the case of CD format, MP3, portable players and ear buds a serious compromise *if measured against the gold standard*. But that would be silly, somewhat like arguing the comparative merits of a Formula I racer and a used Ford stationwagon with a new coat of wax.

2. I have no supporting stats, but I would venture to guess that only a tiny percentage of music listeners, particularly the iPod faithful, have ever listened to a $25,000+ music system (sorry, rock concert setups don't count) and don't plan to. Good on ya, but don't be making absolute noises about sound quality from various portable or online digital noise reproduction systems. The arguments don't fly and must necessarily reduce to quibbling about degrees of mediocrity.

So, if you want to argue convincingly, please do it in the context of lossie formats and inexpensive, distorted portable playback. That's the relevant arena, and in a sense (pun intended), it's not one a true audiophile would even recognize. Choose your favorite $150 system, pop in the buds, crank up some overly processed version of faux music and have a personal ball, y'all. There's room in the world for everybody.

[mgreere]

sound is sound is sound

Your argument (though I don't no anyone is making the counter
argument) is a good one.

But just a little nit picking...

Realize that reproduction can be quite decent with a lossless
codec on a decent mp3 player, and high-end insert earphones
can reproduce sound to the highest scientific standards.

Compare the waveforms. Do a blind comparison.

I think you might find you're underestimating the technology
(though not the earbuds).

[Earl Benser]

Much truth....

I used to have a state of the art audio system, quadraphonic yet,
with most of the pops bells and whistles. But that was then, this
is now, and I can't hear TV set's whine any more. And I like to
take my music with me when I go places now.

So MP3 does an excellent job. Maybe it's not pristine audio, but
it's plenty good enough. And no longer do I have to listen to all
that over-hyped technical BS about Monster Cables.

Life can be good - if you don't take it too seriously......

[Musica360.com]

Remember this...?

http://news.com.com/2100-1027-998675.html


hmmmmmmmmmm

[R. U. Sirius]

Wow

The only person who turned out to be correct was Steve Jobs. I love these quotes:

>"It's a test, with a small subset of consumers,"
>one label executive said.

Some test. itunes now outsells Tower records and Barnes and Noble.

>"They're an excellent software company, not a
>music retailer."

I guess they're an excellent music retailer now.

>Apple might ultimately be overshadowed by other
>companies with more music retail experience.

Like, say, Real? :-)

[just_some_guy]

Makes sense

An Open DRM format for music makes just as much sense as an Open Document format for office apps. It doesn't matter whether the idea is proposed by Glaser or Jobs or Gates (except to the zealots).

[Thomas, David]

Is an Open DRM even a DRM by Definition?!

An Open DRM, is not a DRM. If it is open, then that is exactly what
it is. An open door/gateway. That makes the DRM little more than
window dressing, that is useless.


Open source DRM, who are we kidding?! How about an open
source encryption method, and the Pentagon has to adopt it.

[SystemsJunky]

Real SUCKS

I'd rather use an 8-track. Im no fan of the iPod or iTunes, but geez, This guy is pathetic. Crying because his product stinks. Real has always been the worst player out there. I didnt even know they were still around. Maybe he should start making MP3 players and music stores for babies.

[Patrick519]

Sour iPod's I mean grapes...

It's really sour grapes from REAL...customres has voted with thier pocketbooks and they don't want REAL's crappy software and rent forever business model. People I know want to purchase their music and have some rights to it, no different than buying a CD at a store. I know that I do.

Apple has produced a quality product thats easy to use, with a price point for the music that consumers seem to feel is fair.(obviously if they've sold more than 500 million songs)

If I own an iPod and want to get music elsewhere, I do (and will) and import it into iTunes if I so desire. Are there incompatiblities...for sure...but thats the same with many other products out there, not just with online music.

But my choice was to buy the iPod and buy the music on iTunes...why should Apple have to open their products and services to others. Its no different than telling Sears or Macy's that their stores have to accept a competitors credit cards because the competitor is smaller and its only 'fair'. Its only a monopoly if you have no other choices. I also have the choice to never buy anothe song on itunes too.

Are other companies jealous?? Of course. Apple leads the way...and keeps changing the product mix to keep people interested. Thats what good companies do. Just ask Sony what happens when you deceive customers with funky software...and CD's that can cause potential problems...people leave and look for other solutions.

Quality products, quality service, ease of use=Happy customers. Thank you Apple! Go away REAL...your just jealous and it really shows. Develop a good product with the right pricing and ease of use and you might just get some of your customers back...or maybe its just too late for you...how about you donate your 750million to a worthy charity or cause!

[blankexpression]

Spoiled brat

Glaser sounds like a kid who wasn't invited to a birthday party, so
now he's throwing a temper tantrum. And i'm pretty sure that the
fact that he used to work for Bill Gates helped him reach a
settlement with Microsoft.

Get Real, Mr. Glaser

Apple is the established leader for the hardware (iPod) and content (songs) in this market. If Glaser and team think that shutting out other content competitors is not the right business strategy for Apple, they should take a better proposal to Steve Jobs. Or fight Apple on their own turf by teaming up with Sony. Otherwise, it is merely sour grapes from a wannabe player. And Rob Glaser should know better -- for years, he sang the 'lock-in' tune while he was at Microsoft.

[Buckeroo]

pighead real and apple

Two things:
1. Glaser sounds like a sourpuss. The guy's loosing the market, so he's complaining.

2. I do have a general comment about apple's way of doing business: ever since they came up on the market, they always were trying to squeeze every penny out of anything they can get their hands on, still today. Prime example is prioprietary hardware. I mean come on, they even made power plugs on their ibooks different so nobody else would be able to sell the 'power adapters' for the ibooks. Lame.

Not to mention their practices in 1990'S:
-Advertising Selling '32 bit computers' when in fact they were crippled with a 16bit bus and ram. (apple's way of not having to redesign the motherboard, and yet stick a 32 bit processor inside; cost and profit choice) Sounds worse than Microsoft.

[Joseph Lau]

IPOD

In 2002 at the urging of my family members (all Mac users) I
bought my first apple computer; I was so impressed with the
operating system with no crashes and viruses that I have
decided to spend 400 bucks on a 20 IPOD and what a great
choice!

I have used the REAL player on my old pc.....it was awful!

I have Windows XP Prefessional at work and it is awful because it
crashes very often and the IT personel (Microsoft trained) is
clueless!

[justlies]

Rob Glaser, Steve Jobs

If you guys know Rob Glaser or Steve Jobs you must be stockholders. Only one I know is Bill Gates. Just eliminate lies.