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digital music/video

12/06/2005, 7:15pm, EST

Tuesday, December 6th

Real's Glaser calls Jobs "pigheaded"

Rob Glaser -- CEO of RealNetworks, the company that created the Rhapsody online subscription music service -- yesterday told a crowded hotel ballroom at the Digital Living Conference that Steve Jobs' refusal to make the iPod compatible with music services other than iTunes was an example of "pigheadedness." Glaser also said that Apple's unwillingness to cooperate with other online music vendors promotes piracy of copyrighted materials and will eventually draw the wrath of consumers, according to a report from News.com. "We think Apple Computer, and Steve personally, are making a mistake by making the software proprietary," Glaser said. "There's no reason we should penalize Apple customers for Steve's pigheadeness." Glaser has called for the music industry to pressure Jobs into opening up the iPod to other online music vendors.

Last year, Glaser asked Jobs to make the iPod compatible with other music services, to which Jobs responded by telling Apple shareholders that a deal with RealNetworks was "not worth it." In July of 2004, RealNetworks released a version of its music download service that works with Apple's iPod, without Apple's permission. Apple called the move "hacker tactics."

Glaser debuted a revamped Rhapsody digital music service at the conference in San Francisco that will allow users to search and listen to its catalog of songs from a website, rather than requiring them to download software. RealNetworks is hoping that an overhauled Rhapsody site will help set it apart from competitors, which often require users to download software before they begin listening to music--such as Apple's iTunes, according to the report.

RealNetworks is also offering visitors to stream 25 songs for free in an effort to draw attention to the new site and compete with the iTunes Music Store. RealNetworks can make revenue by selling ads to the site or attempting to lure customers to premium services that would cost money. "Google had a ubiquitous strategy before a monetary strategy and last I heard it worked out for them," Glaser said.


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Penalizing users?
0
12/06, 7:47pm, EST
Funny, I've got 5 Macs and 3 iPods in my house. I've never felt penalized for buying any of that stuff... but I've always had this vague suspicion that folks who buy into OTHER music/platform/portable players, are the ones facing eventual penalties...
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined May 2003
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My thoughts
0
12/06, 7:55pm, EST
I can't blame him though. I'd be angry as well. I really wish i could use the yahoo music store for my ipod. I paid $60 for unlimited music for an entire year, I can download whatever I want and it makes "custom" radio stations based on music you might like that play, and let you skip, which is really cool because you can listen to new music you'll like without doing any work of building a playlist. I sometimes record a couple hours of the Yahoo music playing on my PC then put that mp3 file on my ipod.

The itunes music store is cool, but I would like to use a subscription service. I'd rather pay $500/year for the rest of my life (75 years if i'm lucky) than buy ever album, and all the albums i'd like to try but wish i wouldn't have paid for.
Senior User
Joined Mar 2004
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Real
0
12/06, 8:06pm, EST
Of the 4-5 music services, RealNetworks is the number 6. I dislike the player so much that I would rather use Windows. (excuse me I have to throw up)
Forum Regular
Joined Oct 2000
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I can't play HL on my Ma
0
12/06, 8:27pm, EST
Gabe Newell's refusal to make the Half-Life compatible with operating systems other than Microsoft Windows is an example of "pigheadedness."

Valve's unwillingness to cooperate with other operating system vendors promotes piracy of copyrighted materials and will eventually draw the wrath of consumers.

Ah, now we can see how stupid that argument is. Of course, I still wouldn't mind playing CS on Mac. I know the Intel Macs are finally coming around, but I REALLY don't want to have to run Windows on my Mac just to play a game.
Posting Junkie
Joined Dec 1999
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Master of the Epithet
0
12/06, 9:08pm, EST
Glaser is a master of nothing but the crude epithet. He should spend some effort running his business. Real tried to hitch a ride on Apple first. Now he thinks he's Google. Someone tell him his products suck, which is why he is failing.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Oct 2001
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Glaser can
0
12/06, 11:10pm, EST
go f**k himself. I wouldn't use his garbage if he PAID me too. That moron is on a high right now cause Microshit bought him off for $761 million. Watch this moron lose it in 3 months. LOLLLL
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Apr 2005
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Real not mac compatible
0
12/06, 11:53pm, EST
Why should I care when his crap is not mac compatible?
Senior User
Joined Jul 2004
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Pigs are smarter
0
12/07, 12:18am, EST
I'd call Rob Glazer pig-brained, but I suspect pigs are smarter than he is. *I* CAN blame him--both for his ranting about Apple's business choices and for being an idiot. I wish Real would hurry up and go out of business already.

~ Kiran
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Sep 1999
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real what?
0
12/07, 12:18am, EST
The software suxxors and they have nothing to offer and like Olepigeon had to say,

Gabe Newell's refusal to make the Half-Life compatible with operating systems other than Microsoft Windows is an example of "pigheadedness."

This is just certifiable lunacy. as usual
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Nov 2005
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web based music shopping
0
12/07, 12:52am, EST
I thought being able to purchase and preview music from iTunes rather than a web page used to be a real advantage.

It still is, but I hear more and more people, particularly Windows users, remarking on the number of updates of iTunes and Quicktime and both. Apple should probably start considering a browser-based front end to the iTunes store, in addition to the desktop client.
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Joined Jan 2005
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