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RealNetworks Slashes Song Prices
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JoePike said:
true. i think it's very interesting how divisive this topic is, even amongst the Mac-faithful!
nagromme said:
THANK you. it's Apple's product. they didn't devise DRM just to piss people off and lock them into iTMS. if they want to open up Fairplay, awesome, but they should make that choice and not have their hand forced by Real's hacker tactics. "oh, we think you should open up your product, so we did it for you."
Maxx Power said:
The iTunes Store would simply never have happened. Apple could never have done that--they need the blessing of music owners. Sad but true. Blame the RIAA and the pirates. Honest consumers are caught in the middle--and nothing Apple could do could have changed that.
Making iTMS music copyright-free was never remotely possible. Neither was making it DRM-free.
Playback of "any" title, too, is impossible. Sony controls their 8TRAC format, for instance, and Real controls their own DRM--just like Apple controls their Fairplay implementation.
The others (Windows Media Audio stores) would love to have total control too... but they gave that control to Microsoft instead.
--------
In other news, there is at least SOME humor to be found in the original comments on Real's original petition. Click "30" to see the very first comments made:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?r4apple
And now Real has replaced that with "r4apple2" which accepts comments but does not display them.
What do you want to bet that Real actually announces how many signatures this new petition got in support? Even though the vast majority of them are surely from people just flaming, not realizing their comments would be hidden
no worries at Apple
Apple doesn't need to worry about what Real has done... all they need to do is, on the side of the iPod box, write, "this iPod is only FULLY compatible with the following music formats; MP3, WAV, ACC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and music purchased online from the iTunes Music Store."
Then if someone wants to run to Real's site and buy music, they can't complain if it no longer plays at some point in the future. Apple never guaranteed it would work in the first place.
Just because Real says it's compatible, doesn't mean that Apple has to make sure the iPod remains so. The only time this would ever apply, is if Apple licenses FairPlay to a company. If Real wants to reverse engineer FairPlay, well then they're on their own in regards to making sure it stays compatible with future versions.
More power to Real if they can pull it off. I seriously doubt it though.
Apple doesn't need to worry about what Real has done... all they need to do is, on the side of the iPod box, write, "this iPod is only FULLY compatible with the following music formats; MP3, WAV, ACC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and music purchased online from the iTunes Music Store."
Then if someone wants to run to Real's site and buy music, they can't complain if it no longer plays at some point in the future. Apple never guaranteed it would work in the first place.
Just because Real says it's compatible, doesn't mean that Apple has to make sure the iPod remains so. The only time this would ever apply, is if Apple licenses FairPlay to a company. If Real wants to reverse engineer FairPlay, well then they're on their own in regards to making sure it stays compatible with future versions.
More power to Real if they can pull it off. I seriously doubt it though.
Cool folks?
So I figured I'd fire up Virtual PC and try out Real's store, maybe download a song or two (mostly to see if the next iPod update evaporates them)...check out the fine print that comes up on the graphic during the Real Player download:
These guys really have alot of nerve.
So I figured I'd fire up Virtual PC and try out Real's store, maybe download a song or two (mostly to see if the next iPod update evaporates them)...check out the fine print that comes up on the graphic during the Real Player download:
These guys really have alot of nerve.
Maxx Power said:
I think you have many good points, however, to suggest that today's rock music is bloated and has excessive bass among others is absolutely a subjective opinion. If there is a such thing as subjective opinion
. I think most genre of music needs to be on the cutting edge. We may not understand and appreciate new music just as we sometime do not appreciate cutting edge abstract art. Nonetheless, in due time, the bad new music will fade, and the good music will be incorporated into our culture. think of the alternative? What if rock cutting edge artist of today is e.g. the Rolling Stone. the like the Stones, but I don't think they are pusing the standard like they once had. Just my two cents.Chomo
After reading the two updates I had to say to myself - "Nice one, Real". Way to cover things up. I'm liking them less and less.
mjtomlin said:
Indeed. I can kind of picture iPod-users-Real-songs-purchasers having to go through... "that time of the month".
"That time of the month" is a 3-6 day period that Real Networks music buyers have to go through every month. During this period, their Real songs won't play on their newly updated iPods. They become very irascible, until the end of the period, marked by a new (monthly) Real Network software update. Companions of the Real songs purchasers have to be very understanding of what their companion is going through.
Well... that was just for fun. No offense intended to anyone.
Maxx Power said:
have you heard of region coding? most every DVD player made (i said "most") only plays DVDs of one region. in fact, pop a DVD from Europe into your Mac and see if your DVD player doesn't want you to lock in a region. the MPAA requires this so i don't start selling my DVDs on eBay in China (and i'm sure there are a hundred other reasons, but for simplicity sake).
Maxx Power said:
what utopia do you live in?? <sarcasm>yeah, and Apple should have just bought all the music at their local Sam Goody, ripped it to their servers and offered it free to any iPod owner.</sarcasm> somehow i think the RIAA had a say in what copyright constraints THEIR music came with. i think Apple did a pretty good job negotiating fair usage rights.
nagromme said:I hope that's a Photoshop joke
No joke...I'd be funnier than that if I were going to take the time to make a PhotoShop.
It's a direct screen capture from VPC as I downloaded and installed the WinXP RealPlayer. Get on a Windows machine and see for yourself. How low can these guys go?
Real/Harmony songs are NOT fully iPod compatible
The fairly obvious only just sunk in for me: Real/Harmony songs are NOT fully iPod compatible.
Apparently if you use Real songs, you CANNOT use them with iTunes. So you lose access to your existing iTMS music (meaning most legal downloads that have ever been bought). And you lose the use of a great jukebox app for managing your library.
But more to the point, you CAN NO LONGER USE THE FULL FEATURES OF THE IPOD. Lots of the features that make the iPod a great player have to do with tying in to your library on your computer--including many iTunes-only features. Like support for editing On The Go playlists, Smart Playlists, ratings, etc. etc. etc. etc.
In other words, using Harmony cripples your iPod. (As iPod users--who are nearly all iTunes jukebox users--will notice right away and not be happy!)
FYI here are comments from the cross-platform iPodLounge community:
http://www.ipodlounge.com/ipodnews_comments.php?id=4734_0_7_0_C
I don't think it's JUST "Mac zealots" who have something against Real's products
The fairly obvious only just sunk in for me: Real/Harmony songs are NOT fully iPod compatible.
Apparently if you use Real songs, you CANNOT use them with iTunes. So you lose access to your existing iTMS music (meaning most legal downloads that have ever been bought). And you lose the use of a great jukebox app for managing your library.
But more to the point, you CAN NO LONGER USE THE FULL FEATURES OF THE IPOD. Lots of the features that make the iPod a great player have to do with tying in to your library on your computer--including many iTunes-only features. Like support for editing On The Go playlists, Smart Playlists, ratings, etc. etc. etc. etc.
In other words, using Harmony cripples your iPod. (As iPod users--who are nearly all iTunes jukebox users--will notice right away and not be happy!)
FYI here are comments from the cross-platform iPodLounge community:
http://www.ipodlounge.com/ipodnews_comments.php?id=4734_0_7_0_C
I don't think it's JUST "Mac zealots" who have something against Real's products
http://www.petitiononline.com/notreal/petition.html
To:* RealNetworks Inc.
We, The Undersigned, believe the Real should cancel their latest publicity stunt: http://www.freedomofmusicchoice.org/ which seems to be an entirely self-centered move to keep themselves in the Music Download business rather than (as it purports to be) an act of Consumer-driven expression. We also believe that Real's move to cancel their previous petition by adding another without comments seems to be stifling some consumers' voices in choosing a different download service, which seems rather at odds to their supposed message.
We do not necessarily believe that there should not be freedom of consumer choice in music is wrong or that projects such as Hymn are morally or legally corrupt but feel that Real is choosing a shameless stunt geared towards their own ends rather than somehow championing the consumer.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
To:* RealNetworks Inc.
We, The Undersigned, believe the Real should cancel their latest publicity stunt: http://www.freedomofmusicchoice.org/ which seems to be an entirely self-centered move to keep themselves in the Music Download business rather than (as it purports to be) an act of Consumer-driven expression. We also believe that Real's move to cancel their previous petition by adding another without comments seems to be stifling some consumers' voices in choosing a different download service, which seems rather at odds to their supposed message.
We do not necessarily believe that there should not be freedom of consumer choice in music is wrong or that projects such as Hymn are morally or legally corrupt but feel that Real is choosing a shameless stunt geared towards their own ends rather than somehow championing the consumer.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
iPC said:
ATTENTION! Apple does not strive to make money! Why would you insinuate such a horrible thing?!
Also, I can count the amount of spyware that the latest RealPlayer beta installed on my Mac on the fingers of my left kidney. Given that Real doesn't offer Rhapsody for the Mac, why would Real want to release a product to such an unforgiving crowd?
I'd say some more, but that kind of language isn't allowed here. But, "like dimwitted chickens with their heads cut off" sounds appropriate.
I can't help but laugh so much at this thread.
I've been a Mac user for 2 years. I've been using Windows since 3.1. Never, ever did I openly install Real crap onto any machine, due to it being so ****e. So it shall continue. But due to the entertainment factor, I'm almost glad they did it now.
I've been a Mac user for 2 years. I've been using Windows since 3.1. Never, ever did I openly install Real crap onto any machine, due to it being so ****e. So it shall continue. But due to the entertainment factor, I'm almost glad they did it now.
sfhc21 said:
Do you really think lower prices for consumers is Real's motivation or do you think lining their pockets with some of Apple's hard-earned innovation is the motive. I have a guess. I have no problem with Apple keeping this goodie to themselves. They practically invented this market--a market that others repeatedly claimed wasn't there, couldn't be done. Now all the nay-sayers want a slice of it. Too bad.
And you know, for the most part, I think companies using the DMCA to thwart this kind of move is ridiculous, Apple no exception, but at the same time I have to say to Real (and every other tech company out there): Come up with your own great ideas instead of latching on to the ideas of others.
I mean, isn't that what companies in the tech sector, like Real, claim is so great about their sphere? Isn't innovation the Holy Grail of the tech world? So, Real, take your guys off trying to gang-hump iTunes and start brainstorming for your own Great Idea that everyone else in the world will come rushing to. It's not like they haven't had opportunities.
At one point Real had a serious head-start on everyone else in terms of streaming audio and video technology. I remember the first time I used Real to listen to streaming audio and watch streaming video. I was blown away and everyone else played catch-up with them for a while. Remember that?
Real should have been the ones to create the iTunes music store and the software and maybe even the iPod, but they squandered their lead. Now they want to latch on to the company who beat them at their own game? Too late. Get over it, stop embarrassing yourselves and move on to something else. And stop hiding behind this disingenuous claims of concern for the consumer. If they were genuinely concerned for consumers, Real would never have let their products become as crappy as they currently are and would never have tried coasting for as long as they did.
Nothing. But it's not a viable long-term solution.autrefois said:
Apple releases updates for a wide variety of reasons. Bug fixes, new features, better power management, new CODECs, etc.
If you choose to not upgrade anymore, you miss out on all this. Recent updates included longer battery life and support for the Apple Lossless codec. It is likely that future updates will add other useful things. Which you won't get if you never upgrade it.
padrino121 said:
I'm with you on the zealots comment, but getting behind apple vs. getting behind a company that creates a 'free the music' site making it look like apple keeps you from using the iPod the way 'you' want to, not just keeping them from selling you something....