URGENT -- THE REALPLAYER "FIASCO"!

Wed Feb 18 17:06:56 UTC 1998

Dear Colleagues:

URGENT!

In response to a letter by Judy Chmura of H-Russia, who wrote to
say that she had downloaded the free version of RealPlayer 5.0 only
to find out 30 days later that it had expired and that she was now
asked to pay $39 for it, the answer is that RealPlay 5.0 IS ,and I
repeat, IS IN FACT absolutely FREE and it says so clearly in capital
letters. The problem is finding it on RealPlayer's site.

Ms. Chmura most likely confused the RealPlayerPLUS 5.0 with the
RealPlayer Free 5.0.

They are essentially the same. RealPlayerPlus adds a minor feature or
two. Other than that, they are the same thing. However, as you would
expect, RealPlayer is pushing their COMMERCIAL REALPLAYPLUS 5.0 over
THE FREE REALPLAY 5.0.

SPECIAL NOTE: I just looked again. You'll find the Free RealPlayer
5.0 at the very top right of the home page under

REAL SYSTEM 5.0,
ENTIRE REALNETWORKS PRODUCT LINE FOR INTERNET AND INTRANET.

Double Click and go to the very bottom of the new page. At the bottom
you'll find RealPlayerPlus 5.0 and RealPlayer Free. You'll notice
that it is free for non-commercial, personal use, etc. etc. Very well
hidden, don't you think?  The reason I had not mentioned this is
because RealPlayer, like so many companies, change their home page
very frequently, rearranging products like crazy, doing everything
they can to push their commercial versions and hide their free or
"lite" versions, even when these free or limited versions are more
than sufficient for the purpose.]

To do this, and this is common practice on sites that offer both a
commercial and free version, the company in question promotes their
commercial version ahead of the free version in every way possible by
featuring the commercial version physically ahead of the free
version, by downplaying or "hiding" the free version or by putting it
at the very bottom of the page or in some special category. You have
to hunt for it. Usually a "search" on the local search engine site
will reveal where it is.

There is no real difference between RealPlayerPlus 5.0 and RealPlayer
5.0 Free, but there IS a major difference between RealPlayer (Plus or
Free) and ALL earlier versions and you should definitely get version
5.0. You'll need it. Most broadcasters are switching to the much
superior technology of RealPlayer (Plus or Free) 5.0.

You'll find the same commercial vs. free cat and mouse game with
many other products, e.g. Eudora email. Eudora Light (or Lite) is
absolutely FREE and is fabulous and I myself use it along with
Pegasus (another extraordinary FREE email program). But when you go
to Eudora's web site at http://www.eudora.com you'll find yourself
understandably bombarded by a whole campaign to sell you Eudora Pro,
a very powerful, professional email program. Yet, Eudora Lite is a
very powerful program in its own right and, for all practical
purposes, Eudora Lite is more than sufficient for any normal person.
But to find it you have to do a little investigating. Look at the top
and you'll see in tiny print "Freeware" or "Eudora Lite", then follow
the links till you get to Eudora Lite. Or do a simple search.

Every company worth its name has a local search engine. Type in the
name of your producd and you'll find it.

I could name a dozen or two dozen such products but let me end with
one other fabulous FREE vs. PROFESSIONAL product, namely, the
WebFerretPRO vs. WebFerret Free Meta Search Engine. The Free version,
using 10 search engines, is a great program, and absolutely essential
for serious research. It is absolutely free from Ferretsoft at:

http://www.ferretsoft.com

But you'll have to watch out for WebferretPro, which is also "FREE"
FOR DOWNLOAD, but only for a 30 day trial period. These 30-day trial
free downloads are, technically speaking, free because you can use
them fully (when they are fully functional, which is not always the
case -- read the fine print) for free for 30 days. But what you
really want, of course, is a really free product that you can use
forever. In this case, if you look carefully you'll see the Free
Webferret, the one that you can keep for good.

What's the difference? the Free Webferret uses 10 search engines, the
WebferretPro uses 25. An important difference but not a critical one.

I might add that there is another fabulous and FREE meta search
engine called EchoSearch at:

http://www.iconovex.com

Again, read the fine print. Watch out! There is an EchoSearchPro,
which can be downloaded for "free" for 30 days only. The version you
want is the last one on the list and uses 8 great search engines.
Completely free for life.

A little experience on the Internet can go a long way.

One final point: There are dozens, literally dozens of FREE audio and
video and multimedia clients (that is, free programs that allow you
to receive audio and video and multimedia programs) on the Web. They
are free because the software companies need a pool of receivers at
one end in order to make their money selling their servers (the
broadcasting software) to developers and broadcasters at the other
end. This includes such great programs as Netshow, VDO, Streamworks,
QuickTime, etc. etc. Most of them are free. Really free, for good,
with free upgrades. But some are not. So, once again and for the last
time, read the fine print. If you need any help, feel free to contact
me. I have learned the hard way so you won't have to.

Yours,

Benjamin

And so on and son.

I am sorry if you Judy had to pay $39 or whatever for RealPlayerPlus.
I should have been more specific. My apologies. But RealPlayer 5.0 is
there and has always been there and it is absolutely free.

Yours,

Benjamin

Benjamin Sher
Russian Literary Translator
Email: sher07 at bellsouth.net
http://personal.msy.bellsouth.net/msy/s/h/sher07/