“In the midst of a broader music release, RealNetworks has quietly renewed its iPod technology battle with Apple Computer,’ John Borland writes for CNET News. “Last year, RealNetworks released a technology called Harmony that for the first time let copy-protected songs from a music store other than Apple’s iTunes play directly on the iPod. RealNetworks had independently mimicked the antipiracy tools used by Apple and hadn’t gotten Apple’s permission first.”
Borland writes, “Apple called the company’s actions ‘hacker tactics’ and a few months later changed its software to break the compatibility, at least on iPod Photo devices. On Tuesday, a RealNetworks executive said his company had re-established compatibility with all iPods. ‘Harmony now supports all shipping iPods, including iPod Photo,’ said RealNetworks Chief Strategy Officer Richard Wolpert.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: How long will this last? Yup, you guessed it, about as long as a Krispy Kreme in Real’s corner office. Listen, if you have an iPod, rip CDs or buy online from iTunes Music Store to make certain that your music will always work. Using Real’s so-called “Harmony” for music that you intend to play on your iPod would be foolish. It’s so unused that the last time “Harmony” stopped working, nobody even noticed for a month and a half!
If RealNetworks really cared about music freedom of choice, and blah, blah, blah, why does their Windows-only Rhapsody music service exclude Mac users?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
The Motley Fool: RealNetworks’ new Rhapsody ‘is still largely on the sidelines of the music war’ – April 26, 2005
RealNetworks launches new Rhapsody services, gives away 25 songs per month – April 26, 2005
Apple iTunes Music Store killer? Real expected to add subscriptions to Rhapsody music service – April 26, 2005
Real CEO Glaser calls Apple ‘deceptive’ with iTunes Music Store – March 07, 2005
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
RealNetworks ‘Harmony’ stops working on iPods but nobody notices for a month and a half – December 15, 2004
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
Why would I buy something from Real?
I already have my iTMS connection. It works very well.
I spent 100€ every month to music and could not be happier.
This is going to work until Thursday, when Apple releases iTunes 4.8 to coincide with the second anniversary of iTMS, which also neatly coincides with Friday’s release of Tiger.
Sam Onela the Real fan… your comment “Look how many freaks you are keeping up all night on this board” says you should look outside your little box.
As a Real fan it might be to much to expect you to know that the world is round and it goes around the sun which lights up the world at different times…
Sometimes you do wonder why we bother…
iPod uses LOTS of music formats. Other services but iTMS only sell Windows format WMA, ie practically the only format the iPod does not support.
To sell AAC no one has to pay a license! NOT A SINGLE DIME. It is mp4 and license free. The only fee would be to use Fairplay (now) Apple DRM technology.
In Japan you may download AAC music tunes on your mobile, import into the iPod and play them on it.
If a download music service does not sell AAC music and not compatible with the iPod it is only their business, not Apple’s.
So, MDN take is perfectly on the money. Real simply does not WANT to be iPod compatible otherwise it would do as mobile companies in Japan, plain and simple.
ipodder,
“If a download music service does not sell AAC music and not compatible with the iPod it is only their business, not Apple’s.”
The record companies here pretty much require everyone to have some sort of DRM on the songs they sell. Apple won’t let anyone use their Fairplay format so the other music stores have to use a different format. And Apple won’t let any other protected formats work on the iPod, so this is completely Apple’s decision to not be compatible with other music stores. Some see it as good strategy, some see is as foolishness. We’ll eventually see, but at the moment it doesn’t seem to hurt them. But other music stores have no choice.
Thank you Camus.. I’ve been trying to say this over and over. You’ve nailed it on the head!
Everyone thinks I am trying to bash Apple… I am not. It’s just that everyone (Including MDN) wants to blame these other services for not working with Mac and iPod, they don’t realize that this is Apples decision by not opening up fairplay..
MDN Bull!!,
Don’t take it to badly that most of the people that responded to you and attacked you didn’t have a frigging clue what they were talking about.
And Camus – thank YOU for articulating the situation correctly.
To all you others that slammed MDN Bull – YOU are the frigging retards, idiots, and NON informed dolts. YOU are the ones that look like fools, especially Fred Mertz and Lord Robbin.