“As promised, RealNetworks released a beta version of its Harmony software, which has created a firestorm because of the promise of iPod compatibility. The technology press has been filled with stories about Real’s claims and Apple’s sharp rebuke,” Gene Steinberg writes for The Mac News Owl.
“But none of the stories I’ve read, and I’m sure I haven’t read them all, mentions anything about the fact that only Windows users are getting the software. A Mac version doesn’t appear to be available, nor does the page describing Harmony explain any of this. But here are the nasty details you won’t discover unless you try it for yourself. Click on the Download link. On a Windows box, it’ll take you to the genuine download area where the promised software is available. On a Mac, you will only discover the same beta version of RealPlayer 10 that has been available since June, with no mention whatever of support for the iPod,” Steinberg writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Most probably, Apple will update iPod software causing Real’s Harmony technology to stop working with current and future iPods. Don’t buy a song from Real for your iPod unless you are prepared for it to become unplayable on your iPod sometime in the future.
Related MacDailyNews article:
RealNetwork’s CEO Glaser crashes Apple’s music party – July 30, 2004