RealNetworks Launched Rhapsody.Com Calling Steve Jobs' Music Strategy Pig-headedness
...a quick note to let you know that www.rhapsody.com beta launched this morning, giving virtually anyone, including for the first time Mac and Linux users, with a broadband connection access to the Rhapsody music service....
Rhapsody.com is a Web-based version of RealNetworks' digital music service that offers consumers a free and legal way to find, play and share full length songs or albums from a deep catalog that includes all major labels. At Rhapsody.com any consumer can stream for free up to 25 on-demand songs per month, while Rhapsody subscribers can stream an unlimited amount via the new Rhapsody.com beta site. In answering questions at the announcement the new Web site, RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser referred to Apple's strategy of allowing iPod compatibility only with iTunes as "Steve's pig-headedness" according to CNet.
As many of us will remember, Rhapsody was the original name of the new Mac OS based on the NeXT OS that Apple under CEO Gil Amelio bought in a deal that also brought Steve Jobs back into Apple.
To use Rhapsody.com, one has to install the Mac OS X Rhapsody Player Engine and register with an email address and password. We did this and using Safari listened to Sloop John B by The Beach Boys, Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show by Neil Diamond, I Fought the Law by The Bobby Fuller Four, Brown Eyed Girl by Jimmy Buffett, Lyin' Eyes by The Eagles, You Can't Aways Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones, Candle In The Wind by Elton John, You're Still The One by Shania Twain, I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner, Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? by Bryan Adams, You And Me by Lifehouse and our all-time favorite, Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin, streamed from Rhapsody.com.
The sound was very good through our Power Mac G5 Quad and Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones when cranked up all the way. Safari crashed while playing the Neil Diamond song as we fiddled with the Web site but it didn't cost us one of our free songs. Of course, we have used half our free monthly allotment in one sitting. We're with Steve Jobs when he says most people want to own their music. [Dana Baggett & Bill Fox]
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