Real CEO Glaser calls Apple ‘deceptive’ with iTunes Music Store

“At the iHollywood Forum Digital Living Room conference taking place in San Mateo, Calif., today, [Rob Glaser, CEO of RealNetworks] called the Mac maker [Apple Computer] deceptive for not explicitly telling customers that iTunes songs can’t be transferred easily to other devices,” Michael Kanellos reports for CNET News. “‘It doesn’t say anywhere that you have to go through 57 different hoops to play a song on a different device,’ Glaser said. He also added that Jobs, one day, will have to think in terms of subscriptions (like Real), rather than selling individual songs. ‘The day that they introduce subscriptions is the day that Steve Jobs has the brilliant revelation that subscriptions are a good thing,’ Glaser said.”

Full article, complete with Kanellos likening Glaser to a “sperm whale” (we think – but, hey, if the fluke fits…), here.

Okay, last bit first: the day Steve Jobs thinks subscriptions are a good thing is the day Apple will introduce subscriptions to iTunes. Glaser is a “real” genius. What’s the alternative, that Jobs will introduce subscriptions to iTunes when he doesn’t think it’s a good idea?

MacDailyNews Take: Okay, now, “Apple Computer is ‘deceptive’ for not explicitly telling customers that iTunes songs can’t be transferred easily to other devices?” From Apple.com’s main iTunes Music Store (iTMS) webpage (http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/), “You can burn individual songs onto an unlimited number of CDs for your personal use, listen to songs on an unlimited number of iPods and play songs on up to five Macintosh computers or Windows PCs.” From Apple.com’s main iTunes webpage (http://www.apple.com/itunes/), “Auto-Sync with iPod. With an iPod and iTunes, it’s a cinch to sync: fast, simple and effortless. The new Autofill option even automatically syncs just enough music for your iPod shuffle. Got photos? Now you can copy them to iPod Photo and view them on the go or on a big-screen TV.” So, what’s “deceptive” about those statements? They clearly state iPod photo, iPod, iPod mini, and iPod shuffle will work with iTMS. Those statements clearly do not imply that any old music player from Tom, Dick, and Harry will work. Why should Apple have to list every minor music device that doesn’t work with the market-dominating online music store?

[UPDATE, 11:20 PM, ET: Credit “otter” below for calling our attention to the fact that iTunes’ “Help” menu features an entry titled, “Connecting your iPod or other music player” which clearly states, “iTunes works with several music players, but songs purchased on the iTunes Music Store only play on iPod. For information on which players are compatible with iTunes, see this article on the Apple Support website: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93548 .” The online article clearly states, “To play AAC and AAC Protected songs, your iPod must have iPod Software 1.3 or later installed. Not all digital music players can play AAC songs and only iPod can play AAC Protected songs. Songs you import from an audio CD using the AAC format can be converted to MP3 files, which you can burn to MP3 CDs or play on third-party digital music players. Songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store are encoded using the AAC Protected format and cannot be converted to MP3 format. You can burn them to audio CDs and play them in consumer audio CD players.” We also noticed a link from that page to the online article from Apple, “MP3 player compatibility with iTunes for Windows” which states, “iTunes for Windows can transfer a variety of audio and music files to iPod, including MP3 and AAC encoded files. Other MP3 players do not work with iTunes for Windows.”]

As for Real and their RealPlayer do they have one of the greatest or worst reputations online in regards to deceptive practices or lack thereof? And have you ever read this article about RealNetworks?

Related MacDailyNews articles:
Real CEO pitches to half empty room at tech symposium; Apple draws standing-room-only crowd – February 25, 2005
RealNetworks’ CEO Rob Glaser grabs 3 of top 10 spots on ‘Dumbest Moments in Business 2005’ list – January 31, 2005
Bono-Glaser photo caption contest now open – October 25, 2004
Real’s CEO Glaser: ‘Harmony’ hack legal, Mac lovers are very sensitive to Apple criticism, and more – September 14, 2004
Analyst: Rob Glaser’s ill-advised war against Apple ‘is going to bite RealNetworks on the ass’ – August 30, 2004
RealNetwork’s CEO Glaser crashes Apple’s music party – July 30, 2004
Real CEO Glaser: Steve Jobs’ comments on Real ‘not succeeding’ are ‘ridiculously humorous’ – April 29, 2004
NY Times: Real CEO Glaser was close to having ‘iPod’ before Apple, but let it ‘slip through his fingers – April 24, 2004
Real’s CEO Glaser: Apple’s iPod/iTunes combo ‘threatens to turn off consumers’ – April 20, 2004
Jobs to Glaser: go pound sand – April 16, 2004
Real CEO Glaser begs Apple to make iPod play nice with other music services – March 24, 2004
Real CEO Glaser: ‘iTunes is only going to be used for playing songs you bought using the iTunes store – January 16, 2004

82 Comments

  1. All the bad mouthing you hear from Rob Glaser of Real and Chris Gorog of Napster directed toward Steve Jobs and Apple (and iPod customers from Gorog) says something.

    Desperation.

    Apple is at 300-million downloads and counting. NO ONE is divulging download numbers from other music services (too embarrassing?). Since the market has figured out a good reason to buy from Real or Napster in big numbers, the execs feel they’ll get some press (and free advertising) by slamming the big dawg; Apple, Jobs, iTunes.

    It’ll work.

    They’ll get some business from that subscription model and from the bad mouthing. The real issue is “how much” business will they get. Enough to become profitable and take a chunk out of Apple’s hide?

    Probably not.

    Regardless, I’m sure that both Real and Napster do NOT want Apple to provide an option to rent music (subscription model), which I’m sure Apple could do if the market requires.

    How long would it take the iTunes Music Store to become the world’s largest subscription service? A week? I’d try it with iTMS though I won’t bother with Napster To Gouge.

    Even the record company execs are smart enough to know it’s better for a customer to pay Apple 99-cents and then burn the song on a few CDs for friends because they still get 99-cents for the song. With Napster, one need only pay the first month (or nothing for the trial offer) and a customer could burn night and day and the record companies get nothing.

    The other issue for the recording companies is, “how big does Apple get and what does it mean?”

    Tera Patricks
    Mac360

  2. MDN: please re-post a link to the caption contest.

    Could we perhaps make this a weekly feature? Best caption – either by votes, or by MDN judges – wins an iTMS gift certificate.

    I suggest we start with a picture of Enderle (of the vaunted Enderle Group) and see who can come up with the best ‘natural disaster’ caption.

    mike k. (CEO of the mike k. Group)

  3. “It doesn’t say anywhere that you have to go through 57 different hoops to play a song on a different device.”

    Umm, it also doesn’t say that unicorns staff the Apple tech support line, because that’s not true either.

    Hoop 1: Burn a CD in iTunes.
    Hoop 2: Rip CD to WMA-formatted files.
    Hoop 3: Copy WMA files to off-brand Wintel Plays-For-Shit device.
    Hoops 4-57: ???

    Oh, and Rob: I’m looking at the same hoops if I buy songs on Napster or MSN and want to play them on my iPod. Might be nice to acknowledge that. Or pout like an eight-year-old. That’s always impressive in a CEO.

  4. hmmm, what’s this unlimited burn to cd thing? my iTunes just told me 7 times to CD is the limit. not that I care, I can rip my backup back on to another comp if I so desire.

  5. ‘The day that they introduce subscriptions is the day that Steve Jobs has the brilliant revelation that subscriptions are a good thing,’ Glaser said.”

    Don’t remind SJ for that, he might do it and then you Mr. Glaser are out of business.

  6. Wow – went and read that article (actually, there are several posts) at jogin.com.

    Fascinating reading, for sure, and makes me glad that I have a Mac – I only have the free player, and I’m very glad that Real can’t insert itself into my machine nearly as insidiously as it can into a pc. After all, there are those few and far-between times when a site unfortunately only provides content for Realplayer, and nothing else. I avoid it otherwise, at all costs.

  7. dellMeAgain, try changing a song on the playlist and get another seven burns. If you would have read the terms, you can burn individual [B]playlists[/B] of DRM’d music seven times. Don’t spread FUD.

  8. Not explicitly Ron?

    From the iTunes Help Center:

    iTunes works with several music players, but songs purchased on the iTunes Music Store only play on iPod.(emphasis mine) For information on which players are compatible with iTunes, see this article on the Apple Support website: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93548.

    Seems pretty explicit to me!

    Oh, and dellMeAgain, that’s 7 burns per unmodified playlist.

    See, kids, Reading Is Fundamental!!!

    Magic Word: ever. Will Rob Glazer ever get a clue?

  9. notatotalsucker,

    For the same reason Microsoft is still around: some things are so evil that they simply refuse to die. Either that, or someone with very deep pockets is continuing to funnel money into Real to keep it afloat.

    MDN, love the ‘parody photo illustration’. When I saw it, I nearly blew beverage all over my monitor. Guess I shouldn’t drink and surf at the same time…

  10. dellMeAgain,

    You can only burn the same play list 7 times. Switch a song or two around and continue to reburn to CD. The feature is designed to slow down your ability to burn CDs.

    Love the donut photoshop picture. God he is a swollen freak.

  11. What simply amazes me is how simple it could be for these other music services to really market themselves as “iPod Friendly”. It’s so simple, really. “Buy our songs for 99¢(89¢/79¢, whatever), and use our built-in burning software to burn a personal copy of your music (smart to do this for backup purposes, too), then import the songs into iTunes and upload to your iPod.”

    Maybe instead of fighting against the iPodTsunami, some of these music download services should learn how to ride a surfboard with style. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />

    Of course, the irony is that they will never do such a thing. Glazer, Gorog, Gates and co. will never see that they are never going to out sell or out class Apple, the iPod, the iTunes Music Store, or Fairplay.

  12. I actually saw a cassette tape for sale in a store the other day. I thought about buying it just for nostalgia sake. But I didn’t and when I got home, I realized that it wouldn’t play on my my wind up wristwatch because the battery isn’t Y2K compliant.
    I’m seriously considering litigation against Real for all of these incompatibilities.

  13. These people make me sick. Stop complaining about the competition all the time and do something about it. Get off your fat butt and work and stop being so damned lazy.

  14. frankly speaking,

    Wrong place. Off topic. Take it somewhere else, man. This is about BF Rob Glaser and his ongoing stupidity, not about your meaningless rabid personal politics.

    MDN Magic Word: “Values”

    UFB, MDN!

  15. He’s the CEO of Real Networks…a company that was innovating during the “dial-up revolution.”

    What do you expect from the leader of a company that can’t make a viable product?

    Intellegnece?

  16. WoooooohOOOOOOO!! More Glaser Goodness…

    Let’s see.. they reverse engineer Fairplay so that Harmony tracks work on the best music player out there, the iPod line.

    Now here’s the deceptive part.. IMPLYING THAT THEIR HACK IS LEGITIMATE.

    Is anyone still talking about Harmony?! Why not? Probably because it was directed at the ‘hoardes’ of iPod owners who were so dissatisfied with the iTMS that they wanted access to the RealNetworks roach motel.

    In other words… nobody showed up.

    Which also explains why nobody is whining about being ‘screwed’ by Apple, when Apple put a stop to that, through iPod updates.

    This is hilarious… I imagine Glaser talking to the media is preceded by, “And you are…?”
    “Rob Glaser”
    “…”
    “RealNetworks”
    “…”
    “I’m hear for a story on Apple”
    “Oh Great, let’s get started..!”

  17. Y’know what I love? How, to Glaser, it’s “Us vs. Apple!” While to Gorog, it’s also “Us vs. Apple!” Ever notice the conspicuous absense of Napster in any Real discussion and vice versa?

    News flash guys: you’re competing against each other. You can focus on Apple all you like, the fact remains that the WMA services will cannibalize each other’s businesses first before they take any market share from Apple. Will Napster provide a serious threat to Apple? Perhaps. Will Real? Maybe. But one thing is certain: it will only be one or the other.

  18. LordRobin. . . i couldn’t agree more. napster and real aren’t looking at the whole picture. they should be going after each other and not apple. if done right, controlling 10% of the download market could work out for which ever company comes up with the best windows based interface and partners with or produces it’s own player. analysts are talking apple down to slow growth plane and simple. competitors wish apple ill will because they’re hoping for a mistep that will give them a lead (keep hoping). what creative should do is buy napster. real should partner with samsung and create a player not rebrand one like dell. dell now produces in that “look what i can do” (stewie of madtv emphasis)mentality by commoditizing and continual rebranding. i wouldn’t doubt that over the next 3 years you’ll begin to see players in the market move into one of these directions.

  19. Seriously, Glaser’s comments about Apple offering a subscription service clearly shows how much of an idiot he is. If I were him, the LAST thing I would do would be to “encourage” the competition to get into my business! If Apple were to offer a subscription service to the iTMS, the death of Real (and Napster) would only be ACCELERATED. Since almost everyone has an iPod anyway, that would be even more incentive for people to get one, therefore bypassing Real, Napster, and the other also-rans.

    Now that I think about it, Steve should add subscription services to iTMS , if only out of spite. That would be cool. Kill Real and Napster quicker. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  20. Like a bunch of 2nd graders.

    You know, that’s not very nice to ANYONE.

    How about focussing on his statements and not his appearance?

    Because it’s actually OK not to be a supermodel.

  21. As far as celebrity endorsements, I don’t know who the hell Andrew Cooper is, but whoever he is, he’s laughing all the way to the bank…

    how much did they pay you to say that, AC?

  22. this is my last visit to MDN. there are three reasons.

    the MDN take. in general it is over the top and spiteful. think they’d rather spit in the face of anyone who talks about apple rather than actually listen to critism/other opinions.

    the comments. this article is a good example of that. comparing the CEO to jabba the hut? if i wanted to read that stuff i’d go to slashdot.

    the pop-ups. i do not like pop ups. that is why i block them. MDN doesn’t care, apparently. that’s fine. but to add icing to the cake, comments about the pop-ups are deleted. such a fine demonstration of 1st amendment rights, i tell you. (btw i do expect this one to be deleted as well) if i wanted things done to my computer without my permission i’d use windows. i expected better from a mac site. (like macslash, who i applaud for their stance)

    farewell, MDN.

  23. ha!,

    The MDN Take is “spiteful?” Please elaborate.

    Then go to /. By the way, Glaser is a fat fsck who can’t even manage his own calorie count, much less a company.

    Perhaps you missed this:

    MacDailyNews, “2/22. 10:25pm ET: We are currently testing various pop-under ad codes. We have now been in contact with Fastclick and there is a way for our users who do not wish to accept pop-unders to opt out. Users who wish to opt-out of pop-under and other Fastclick ad network ads may do so by installing the Fastclick Opt-Out Cookie. If you choose to install this cookie, please consider buying any songs you wish via iTunes by launching iTunes via our left side column to launch iTunes or please consider patronizing our other sponsors via banner and text ads (such as Other World Computing, MacService, PowerMax, The Apple Store, The Apple iTunes Music Store, and others) as MacDailyNews will be unable to derive any Fastclick revenue from your visits. MacDailyNews is an ad-supported site and Fastclick is a major component of this site’s revenue and helps greatly in offsetting our operational costs. Thank you.”

    The link to the MDN article

  24. Rule #16 from “Avoiding Posting Idiocy”:

    “If you choose to leave a bulletin board or posting forum for any reason other than health issues– just LEAVE– DO NOT anounce it or use your exit to launch some personal diatribe. No one cares. If you have a better idea for a forum– launch one yourself.”

  25. Hmmm… and Microsoft’s “PlaysForSure” campaign is not deceptive? As well as Real’s own “Freedom of Choice” propaganda trip of last year? Neither one delivers choice to the consumer because it’s all tied to a single platform; Windows! That is not what I would consider choice!!

  26. MDN has reached a new nadir. Putting up a faked photo of Glaser (even with super-tiny type indicating it is a parody) reaches depths to which only the weakest fall. The site has completely become juvenile, base, and punitive.

    Poke fun at Glaser’s business antics (and Steve Jobs, too). But basing your humor on physical attributes is for the mentally challenged. I don’t like Glaser, either. But I doubt anyone with credibility would stoop so low so publicly.

  27. I agree with Zupchuck about the doctored photo, I struggle endlessly with my weight and MDN’s adolescent comments have absolutely nothing to do with the article.

    In terms of any sort of quality, MDN is going down the crapper faster than Microsoft. MDN’s solution to their intentional pop-ups/unders is exactly the same as Microsofts; YOU fix it!! They think that by forcing you to install additional software to prevent THEIR intrusion is a solution, and MDN even has an air of righteousness when they tell you how to fix it as if they had nothing to do with it. It’s like someone stabbing you and then handing you a bandage; “See how good we are, we are helping you fix it!”

    Like the many many others that have posted their distain, I am sure this will be erased.

    All MDN has to do is stop the pop-ups and be a bit more mature, but after all of this advice from so many for so long, MDN STILL REFUSES to do anything. What total pricks… EXACTLY LIKE MICROSOFT!!!!

    (If MDN is so offended by being called names, then why do you do it to others?!!!!!)

  28. prut prut: I think Ha! is doing MDN a favor by posting his/her reasons for being unhappy with the site. It gives MDN a chance to think about it and decide if they want to do anything about it. Sure they could have sent an email to the webmaster, but by posting it in the forums, it gives everyone a chance to think about it and respond, which I think is the purpose of an online public forum.

    Now, with regards to Ha!’s comments, I do think that MDN’s credibility as a news site has slipped considerably since I first started coming here. If it slips too much further, they might have to consider changing the site’s name to MacDailyEditorial. At first I thought the picture of Glaser with the doughnuts was funny, but now that I think about it, it’s quite insensitive to readers who might have a weight problem. Rob Glaser is a big enough idiot that it should be easy to make fun of him without using his weight.

    As for the popups, I haven’t been able to figure out why I only get them on my PowerMac at home, and not on my PowerBook. I never installed the opt-out cookie, I’m just thankful it only happens on one of my Macs and not both. I really do think that MDN should look at getting a different ad hosting company though. With the number of unhappy posts, they may very well be losing customers. For all of you posters who are happy to remind people about the MDN story about the pop-unders, thanks for that, but maybe people don’t think they should have to manually install a cookie on their computer to opt-out of pop-up/pop-under ads. Maybe instead, it should be an opt-in, or better yet, forget about pop-up/pop-unders altogether BECAUSE NOBODY CLICKS ON THEM AND EVERYBODY HATES THEM.

    my 2¢ is worth as much as yours or anyone elses

  29. I think Zapchuck and Andy have it 100% correct. In fact I think this will be my last post and visit to MDN. I just so tired of wading through the BS and attitude.

    BYE!!

  30. For all of those who continue to whine and may have missed this:

    MacDailyNews, “2/22. 10:25pm ET: We are currently testing various pop-under ad codes. We have now been in contact with Fastclick and there is a way for our users who do not wish to accept pop-unders to opt out. Users who wish to opt-out of pop-under and other Fastclick ad network ads may do so by installing the Fastclick Opt-Out Cookie. If you choose to install this cookie, please consider buying any songs you wish via iTunes by launching iTunes via our left side column to launch iTunes or please consider patronizing our other sponsors via banner and text ads (such as Other World Computing, MacService, PowerMax, The Apple Store, The Apple iTunes Music Store, and others) as MacDailyNews will be unable to derive any Fastclick revenue from your visits. MacDailyNews is an ad-supported site and Fastclick is a major component of this site’s revenue and helps greatly in offsetting our operational costs. Thank you.”

    The link to the MDN article

    I’ll take one pop-under ad a day – it costs me nothing and I get a fun site that’s not staid and boring like MacCentral and most of the rest. Thanks, MDN.

    BTW: Pop-under advertising is the most successful format in terms of revenue and click-thrus, so obviously, not everybody hates them. Isn’t the goal of advertising to get the message through and cut through the clutter? What good is a boring ad format that never gets clicked or seen? You whiners need to relax – one pop-under a day is a cheap price (free) to “pay” for a site that is religiously updated (even on the weekends!) and fun! Just my 2-cents.

  31. whats the point of popups if no one vists the site?

    ps. im big too (and quite depressed about it) and think that MDN was VERY insulting. i didnt realize that you had to be thin to use a Mac. MDN staff are such a–holes. oh, did i hurt someones feelings? TOO BAD!!!

  32. Every morning as the cookie resets, people see a pop-under and flip out. Why? What’s the big friggin’ deal? Would you rather pay a subscription fee or something? This site is free to visit and I bet it costs a lot to keep it going. Give it a rest, complainers!

  33. “James” and “Will” are OBVIOUS aliases from the cowardess staff of MDN. NO ONE LIKES POP-UPS YOU FSKIN IDIOT!!! Unless you are at the receiving end of the revenue.

  34. “After all, there are those few and far-between times when a site unfortunately only provides content for Realplayer, and nothing else. I avoid it otherwise, at all costs.”

    I ignore sites that do not offer their audio and video media in Quicktime format.

  35. I think it’s funny. The take is right on and the picture is just a goof. Glaser is the “Real” big, fat idiot! The most-deceptive company on the Internet calling Apple “deceptive” is a riot!

    Ohh, I got a pop-under. I think I’ll die right now.

  36. If pop-under revenue is significant enough to keep them, then pop-unders must work or nobody would advertise that way. I think it’s a non-issue. Doesn’t bother me. Macdailynews deserves kudos for showing people how to turn them off. If you want, turn them off. So, do it and stop cluttering up the threads with your crying!

  37. I used to weigh 325 lbs. I bought a treadmill and cut out the baked goods. I started slowly by walking, then jogging, then running. In 18 months, I weighed 175 lbs. I run 5 mornings a week – walk a mile, run 3-5 miles, walk a mile – it takes an hour. That was 7 years ago. I still weigh 175 lbs. It is work. There are no easy solutions. But, it’s worth it all. I feel better at 40 than I did at 18. Stop eating and sitting so much and get active and eat right!

    I think the photo is funny and I would have back in my bloated days, too.

  38. Mike K,

    I did about the same thing. 265 lbs. down to 180 lbs. in 2002. Took about a year. Next to my Mac, that treadmill is the best thing I ever did for myself. Cut the intake and get moving. It’s simple, but it works. Too bad it’s so hard for people. I’d never stop running and go back to my past unhealthy ways. I think the photo is funny, too!

  39. Infobabe…

    Let me get this straight; you and MDN (as if you don’t work for them) suggest that I install a cookie from Fastclick, to stop Fastclick popups???? If I was that stupid, I’d be using Windows!

    I have a satelite for sale if you are interested.

  40. Hmmm, i spend about 1/4 a second closing the pop-under ad and it is done almost unconsciously. Obviously i don’t love the task of closing ads, but I don’t love commercials on TV or the radio either. Come to think of it, I don’t much care for billboards either. Ads in magazines are usually not that interesting and I don’t like the inserts that magazines are filled with. I don’t like having to skip parts of the newspaper because of uninteresting ads that take up precious space. hmmm, i guess ads are just a part of life. I’m not fortunate enough to live in a country where everything is free (and probably wouldn’t want to because i’m not too much in favor of communism).

    so all of you whiners, MDN is not using ads to just piss everyone off. contrary to your belief, there is a reason why MDN needs the revenue that is generated by the ads. If you don’t like it, then create your own forum and then somehow maintain it for free.

    It’s sad that people expect things to be handed to them for free and without any work. Hopefully the pop-under ads get fixed without the user having to do anything, but until then, get over your egocentric attitude.

  41. If Real ever wants to anything good they need to oust Rob Glacer. He is ignorant and insulting to everyone in the business. He is arrogant and is a good example of a sleezy businessman that will slander everyone if he thinks he can gain some money. Why the board of directors for Real puts up with him is beyond me.
    All the facts for iTunes is clearly listed for everyone to access. Making his rediculous claims just makes him look really stupid ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”tongue rolleye” style=”border:0;” />

  42. I’m sure this article was interesting, but I didn’t even bother to read it. I started 4 different times, but luaghed so hard at the photo that reading just isn’t going to happen.Thanks MDN, for proving that a picture is still worth 1000 words.

  43. Mike K. please get a new netname. I was here first and i have never weighed 325 pounds. There are already too many mikes and mike-variants here as it is.

    I blame our parents for lack of imaginaton myself. Actually, i have a cousin named Cedar and another one named Seven (pre-Seinfeld too!) so maybe i’ll take it back.

  44. Just want you to know that this picture of Glaser is being passed around company email [Real] like wildfire right now. It brightened the day in this hellhole considerably. Thanks.

  45. king_alvarez, the only people who are getting annoyed by the popup ads are ones who have chosen to turn it off in their browser (for browsers that have a popup blocker). To have their choice ignored by some crafty java code is the equivelant to getting sales phone calls when you have put your number on a national do not call list. Yeah, I can hang up on the guy calling, but that doesn’t make it less annoying.

    For a serious pro Mac site, I’m just surprised MDN would allow one of their ad providers to circumvent a security feature of Apple’s web browser or other browsers for the Mac. By continuing to do so, it’s obvious that even they can be bought, just like all those sites that people accuse MS of ‘buying’ to get a good review or bash Apple.

    If you want to support this site, make a paypal donation or actually click on one of the ads along the side of the page. They make absolutely no money from displaying the pop-under ads, you have to click on the ad for them to get paid. My guess is they get paid the same amount no matter which ad you click on (banner, pop-under, margin).

    Even Microsoft has chosen to stop the practice of using Popup ads. That says alot.

  46. Peter,

    “Lighten up, dude.” That was a good pun!

    “It’s a long-running joke about Glaser and Krispy Kremes here. Learn to chuckle, will ya?” I do laugh at funny things. The picture is rather funny, but in the context of an adolescent post – not as centerpiece of a website supposedly reporting on the tech industry.

    When MDN has to resort to putting up insulting photos, it really has joined the realm of the Enquirer and MAD magazine. That’s OK, too, but then don’t pretend to be anything else.

    I wonder why MDN had to put a disclaimer on the picture?… To keep from getting sued?

    Also, If MDN continues down this path, I wonder how many advertisers would want to be associated with this site?

  47. Dudes and Dudettes,

    We are fans of a computer company and/or its products. So much so, that we visit pseudo “news” sites multiple times daily to get our fixes!

    Think about that for a second.

    It seems to me that MDN understands that fact, in itself, is funny and applies it throughout the site’s “news” coverage. Wanna know what’s funny? The MacCentrals and wannabemaccentrals of the world who actually believe they are “journalists.”

    Because you don’t get it and MDN does, zupchuck, you earn top honors for foolishness. Congrats!

  48. zupchuck = Rob Glaser’s mom.

    zupchuck,

    Some friendly advice. Don’t mess with Peter, he’s obviously very capable of ripping you apart in print.

    Have a beer and relax!

  49. Peter you are correct. I deserve the top honors for foolishness. Imagine, I thought there were adults here.

    mike k. – I wasn’t arguing with Peter. And please don’t be me, you’re just fine as you (singular or plural?) are.

    Time to go console my boy Rob and teach him how to run a business… Peter, Wellington, and one of the mike k.’s are just too much for me to bear. Boo hoo!

    Glad I made your day.

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    I am from Zimbabwe and now teach English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: “Available efforts also like responsibly used writing at no or used practice to the representing data.”

    Thanks for the help :-D, Talman.

  52. This guys a dickhead. I regularly copy my iTunes purchased songs to a waterproof MP3 player. I simply drag and drop the album from finder to the MP3 player. Simple. Or I can burn an iTunes album to cd by clicking “burn”. Simple. This guy has no frigging idea and has no clout

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