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 been using JetAudio, (free version) for a couple of monthes now,
not the greatest thing in the world but it beats the hell out Real 1.

>
>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?
>2. Do they, like Real Player, sprawl into my operating
>system like a dumptruck of hungry octapuses?
>3. Can I run them stand-alone, light installation, heavy
>installation: what?
>3. Do they really work?
>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?

I think its tossed literally a couple of ads at me in all the time
I've had it. They may come with the install as opposed to download
from servers. Both were for the company's other products.

>
>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. 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?
>
>Richard
>