On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 06:37:34 GMT, "Richard Steinfeld"
<rgsteinBUTREMOVETHIS@sonic.net> wrote:

>I'm looking for a good alternative to Real Player.
>
>I've heard two players mentioned recently. These are:
>1. "Real Alternative"/"Media Player Classic" and
>2. "JetAudio."
>
>I've searched out a number of postings mentioning these
>programs, but I've found no knowledgeable info among the
>posts, so I'm still in the dark. Notes:
>- I've seen the first one mentioned in the same breath as
>"Kazaa" more than once.
>- JetAudio seems to be offered in conjunction with a range
>of hardware player-type products.
>- These two programs are said to play both Real and Quick
>Time audio and video files and streams.
>- It appears that there's been a name change for the first
>product. You search for one, and you get the other.
>
>My Big Questions:
>1. Are these products safe to use?

I haven't heard otherwise.

>2. Do they, like Real Player, sprawl into my operating
>system like a dumptruck of hungry octapuses?

I haven't heard about this aspect but if you use a good
uninstaller [Total Uninstall is free], it shouldn't matter.

>3. Can I run them stand-alone, light installation, heavy
>installation: what?

They are both several megs because Real complicated.

>3. Do they really work?

I've heard they do but Real keeps changing formats so it
won't be long and they will have to be modified to keep up.

>4. What's in it for the vendors? What do they want from me?
>What do they want to do to me? Are they spyware? Adware?
>Horribleware? Rottenware?

None of those particular 'wares' as far as I know.

>I miss the non-commercial radio content that I used to get
>with Real. I found Real just too abusive to have on my
>machine, so I ripped it out, removed all the fishhooks,
>which took some doing.

Me too, and since I no longer use sites that use Real or
Quicktime, I haven't installed either of these alternatives.
I'm learning to live without them, kinda like 'not smoking'
since it is bad for the health of my computer.

>My computer runs a lot more reliably
>now. I won't belabor Real's uncivilized behavior here;
>others have done that nicely, and will continue to do so.
>However, note:
>
>I tracked Real Player's changes when I installed it. It made
>more than 5,000 changes to my system.
>Ahem. I said, Five Thousand Changes to My System! (The
>printout of these changes took 46 close-spaced pages! They
>kept emerging from my printer as my jaw dropped).
>Good God! Is this electronic Satan or what?

Careful installing MS programs. Visual Studio has 32,230 reg
entries.

>Richard

If a useful response doesn't show up, try alt.comp.freeware or
alt.microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion. The alternatives
have been discussed in those NGs.

BoB