Steve Jobs Whacks Rob Glaser of Real Networks
http://news.com.com/2010-1025-5192344.html?tag=nl
Basically, Rob Glaser sent Steve Jobs an email indicating that Real Networks was open to exploring how to make RealPlayer/RealJukebox compatible with iPods. He went on to say that if Apple didn't take them up on the deal then Real would be forced to make an alliance with Microsoft.
Somehow the email got leaked to the press.....tee hee.
Now Real has no bargaining power with anybody....notably Microsoft.
go read the article, it's a chuckler
Basically, Rob Glaser sent Steve Jobs an email indicating that Real Networks was open to exploring how to make RealPlayer/RealJukebox compatible with iPods. He went on to say that if Apple didn't take them up on the deal then Real would be forced to make an alliance with Microsoft.
Somehow the email got leaked to the press.....tee hee.
Now Real has no bargaining power with anybody....notably Microsoft.
go read the article, it's a chuckler
Comments
Originally posted by drewprops
http://news.com.com/2010-1025-5192344.html?tag=nl
Basically, Rob Glaser sent Steve Jobs an email indicating that Real Networks was open to exploring how to make RealPlayer/RealJukebox compatible with iPods. He went on to say that if Apple didn't take them up on the deal then Real would be forced to make an alliance with Microsoft.
Somehow the email got leaked to the press.....tee hee.
Now Real has no bargaining power with anybody....notably Microsoft.
go read the article, it's a chuckler
the really funny part is how both glaser and real "representatives" are publically blaming apple for not joining them. the man reeks of desperation, kinda like napster...
(hey, at least it wasn't a car analogy!)
1) Apple (Jobs) is on a frikken power trip
2) Apple KNOWS what its doing (learned their lessons from Mac glory to "irrelevancy")
3) Apple (jobs) is being arrogant as hell
4) destined to go the Way-of-the-mac
(some redundancy, but who cares...)
I really think Apple is not playing fairly. I can understand the other "small guys", but COME ON!!! REAL FOR CHRISSAKE!!! They cant be ignored. They have some good stuff and can only HELP.
Lets see what happens in the next 2-3 years...
No deal for RealNetworks
Apple has reportedly turned down RealNetworks' offer to license its Fairplay DRM technology, and a meeting that RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser sought with Apple CEO Steve Jobs this week to discuss the matter is not taking place. "Steve just doesn't want to open the iPod, and we don't understand that," a RealNetworks spokesperson said. Apple declined to comment on the matter. Earlier this week Jobs told The Wall Street Journal, "The iPod already works with the No. 1 music service in the world, and the iTunes Music Store works with the No. 1 digital-music player in the world," he said. "The No. 2s are so far behind already. Why would we want to work with No. 2?" Meanwhile, an article in today's Journal reveals that Apple has previously turned down other partnership proposals regarding the iTunes Music Store. Last year, Rio Audio approached Apple to open the store so that other hardware players would be compatible with its Fairplay AAC files. Apple turned that offer down. "We can do nothing," a Rio Audio vice president said.
Hopefully the industry will agree on a DRM standard, and since it doesnt look like Apple will license FairPlay and Sony is busy pushing their own format, it looks Microsoft got another winner on the hands. As usuall this is the result of Apple/Sony being unable to license out the relevant technology. I accuse these two companies of being slow learners.
For the consumers, its a good thing the industry now seems to move to the Microsoft DRM standard. Its also a good thing that when you buy a mp3 player you wont be tied to a service provider. So if you prefer to buy&own the music, go ahead and do it. But if you other hand wants a subscription service and being able to play those songs on a mp3-player, you can also do as soon as Microsoft release the technology this summer. Clearly this will make subsription based services more attractive. But because Steve Jobs RDF´ed us we know that consumers DONT want this kind of service, despite that Real Networks got 450 000 subscribers ( and growing it by 20% over a period of 3 months).
While Apple is enjoying an early success in the audio media war, I suspect Microsoft will , with their DRM innovations, change the competitive landscape. My personal guess is that subsription based services will grow much faster with this new technology.
Apple approached Real about making Quicktime and Real compatible about 4 or 5 years ago. Real refused to supply Apple with the necessary code although they said they wanted compatibility (in other words they really didn't).. It's pay back time. Right now Apple does not need to placate or give in extortion from a money-losing operation like Rhapsody. If Apple intends to eventually join a dark side they'll simply implement WMA capability in the iPod. It's only a software issue and as has been revealed previously there is already a WMA icon hidden in the software.
You then forget that Real came back to Apple a few years ago and asked for QuickTime Streaming Server (QTSS) to be able to stream Real content as well... And now, I think it DOES.
I remember Steve was talking about it at a Keynote alooooong time ago.
Bah.... maybe Real will just die off and leave us all alone. I dont think I've used Real player in over a year anyway. Good riddance.
I guess Real got where they are from being ahead of the game with streaming video(can anyone verify this notion?, or am I misinformed?) I remember when it was like a REALly big deal to have live video streams, even when they were terrible quality. But in the age of broadband, it's kind of a moot novelty.
I prefer using WMP to REALone, at least with .wma and .avi you can always use VLC.
long live real alternative (a cute lil windows clasic mediaplayer with a few hacked dlls to decode and play all real content)
Originally posted by a_greer
with the way they burry thier free player, real just got their just deserts.
long live real alternative (a cute lil windows clasic mediaplayer with a few hacked dlls to decode and play all real content)
translation please
Originally posted by Wrong Robot
translation please
of real alternative?
it is a great little application for windoze that is windows media player 6 ish with the nessesary elements and hacks to play real media content. uses half the resources or real 10, and no annoying nags or popups
coded and put together by some hackers
Originally posted by Wrong Robot
I can't believe that Real media is even used at all. Maybe it's superior on windows, but damn, I shudder whenever I have to use it. Sure it works, but it's almost always a hassle. Slow downs et al.
I guess Real got where they are from being ahead of the game with streaming video(can anyone verify this notion?, or am I misinformed?) I remember when it was like a REALly big deal to have live video streams, even when they were terrible quality. But in the age of broadband, it's kind of a moot novelty.
I prefer using WMP to REALone, at least with .wma and .avi you can always use VLC.
...because we all know how well VLC plays .wmv over WMP...and if you didn't get that, I mean because it plays them horribly if they are streaming stuff.
REAL, although not being the greatest program, does have good streaming technologies. I thought they were just bragging about almost being able to stream at full DVD quality with one of their codec's? I mean it was a lot of bandwidth needed, but we'll be there soon enough.
I personally, still QT movies. They play while they load, and the nice thing about them, is that the quality is always real (not to be confused with REAL
Originally posted by Ebby
I would have liked to see apple buy out/deal with Real and incorporate their technology into Quicktime. One application that can handle almost every type of media out there. Not to mention that Apple gets a boatload of new bragging rights.
A pretty good idea, especially if implemented right. Real's client software would just go away, and if you wanted to download a client for any Real media type, you would be downloading Quicktime. As QT is one of the key components of the digital hub, and a major Trojan Horse for getting Windows users to install Apple software, this would be quite a coup indeed.
Real's current market cap is $1.1 Billion., so this is indeed a purchase Apple could make if they wanted to badly enough. Of course, one of Real's big "assets" is their lawsuit against Microsoft.
I wonder how the leak of this email, with its threats of partnering with Microsoft, will affect the potential value of a settlement?
I wonder what Glaser will do if he gets the same response from Gates and Ballmer that he got from Jobs?
Originally posted by FormerLurker
I wonder what Glaser will do if he gets the same response from Gates and Ballmer that he got from Jobs?
Why would he? MS is offering a crappier solution to all and makes money by licensing. Apple offers the best integration, but has to do it alone to keep the quality to Apple standards. The biggest problem is that the iPod works best with iTunes and apple wants to keep it that way. If REAL's program loaded songs into iTunes after it downloaded that would be great, but I don't see that happening. It would be good for Apple to buy REAL though.
Originally posted by ast3r3x
Why would he? MS is offering a crappier solution to all and makes money by licensing. Apple offers the best integration, but has to do it alone to keep the quality to Apple standards. The biggest problem is that the iPod works best with iTunes and apple wants to keep it that way. If REAL's program loaded songs into iTunes after it downloaded that would be great, but I don't see that happening. It would be good for Apple to buy REAL though.
Of course it's possible that MS will welcome Real with open arms.
But it's also possible that they'd prefer to drive them into irrelevancy like they did to Netscape (which being purchased by Apple would certainly accomplish). I don't think Bill is too happy with the billion dollar antitrust suit that Real filed against MS about 4 months back.
The main point, though, is that the leak of the memo is a blow to Real, and makes the whole game much more interesting.
His platform is so insignificant in the big world people often act surprised that Apple still makes computers, but he wants to act like King Shit because he can sell a lot of mp3 players?
Jesus, no wonder Apple's marketshare and mindshare is tinier than his penis must be.
Yeah...
either way, Real slams Apple every chance they get, and you think they are going to be a good partner? **** no, they are going to screw Apple as soon as they get some footing against MS.
Real practically BEGGED Apple to allow them to join their side in pushing AAC vs. WMA
No real practically begged Apple to save its ass. Thats all.
I really think Apple is not playing fairly. I can understand the other "small guys", but COME ON!!! REAL FOR CHRISSAKE!!! They cant be ignored. They have some good stuff and can only HELP.
What stuff? And who says Real is going to help anyone but them self. Unless there are some specific details of the partnership someplace on the net that I am failing to see then I say Apple probably made the right choice.
Originally posted by groverat
Jobs is one of the most arrogant people I have ever witnessed evidence of.
Always nice to see you come out of your shell, Grover!
And in general, I can't disagree with this particular statement.
I've always held the philosophy that arrogance is tolerable if there is something backing it up. And even though the arrogance does get in the way of business judgment at times (although I don't think that's the case with Glaser's email), I think it's been years since Job's arrogance exceeded the track record, skills, and intelligence to back it up.
EDIT - geez, I was hoping for an interesting post #666 - I guess this will do.