Googlebar to be bundled with Real?

Real player apparantly signs deal

[Sanenet]

[p2pnet.net...]

P.R.: [realnetworks.com...]

RealNetworks®, Inc. [...], today announced that the Google Toolbar™ is being distributed with RealPlayer® 10.

[martinibuster]

The downloading of the Google Toolbar will be opt-in, "giving the RealPlayer audience the option to download Google onto their browser," says the report.

Gotta' be careful with these opt-ins, especially the way Real does it.

[jim_w]

Yea, I hate Real-Player. I about never got their version of spammy email shut off.

[EliteWeb]

I do not use REAL at all. :/ I wouldnt think google would bundle with someone like REAL. I think spyware when i hear bundle.

[Robino]

At least it's not, "Download the Google Toolbar and get a Free Real Player!"

[mack]

I hate anything that comes bundled. From an IPO point of view it's users though?

Mack.

[pleeker]

I wouldnt think google would bundle with someone like REAL.

Considering that Real is taking on and (depending on your viewpoint) beating MSFT, I think Google may see a kindred spirit in Real.

Although admittedly, the Toolbar and a media player make for strange bedfellows.

[Sanenet]

I notice with interest that Real is making a much bigger deal out of this than Google is :)

[Robino]

The Google Toolbar is FREE for anyone to download.

[pixel_juice]

For a company in the middle of a privacy storm, It sends a clear message for Google to partner with a company that, if my memory serves me correctly, have been sued at least twice and even investigated by the FTC for alleged privacy violations.

>>I wouldnt think google would bundle with someone like REAL

It might be time to rethink your opinion of Google.

Of course I understand all the 'opt in' and 'users are given a choice' spiel but both RealNetworks and Google know as well as anyone that most people don't read small print (that's why they make it so small!). The next time someone asks me to take a look at their PC which has crawled to a standstill because of software installed without their knowledge (with their 'consent' or without it) I guess Google's toolbar will be probably be on the spyware list.

[troels nybo nielsen]

pleeker, are you suggesting that Google think something like "the enemies of my enemies are my friends"? ;)

Seems to me that the point for Google is that they leave it to another company to market the toolbar for a segment of the Internet where Google's competitors are stronger than they are themselves.

[Teknorat]

"market the toolbar for a segment of the Internet where Google's competitors are stronger than they are themselves." - I guess that segment would be the kind of people who trust Real and Alexa.

[Leosghost]

the enemies of my enemies are my friends"?

I think the relevant sense here would be "the friends of my enemies are suspect"
How long will it be before people here wake upto it's not because it says "no evil" on the box that you should beleive it ...
Otherwise we'd all beleive that Redmond does 100% safe product and that N*rton and Mac*fee really do stop virii...
( last time I said this about N*rton it didn't get past the scissors ...they weren't Brett's )..

[sidyadav]

Real Player is only for for playing .ram's, it's known as Spy/Adware by my Anti-Spyware programs, and sends me a lot of junk and spam mails. Don't see why anyone would use it.

Also don't see what good the Google Toolbar will do to it.

Sid

[Sanenet]

Sid - there are a fair number of users out there who use and like Real Player (no, I'm not one of them!), so bundling Googlebar with it makes sense from an "instant market penetration" point of view.

[sidyadav]

yeah, after doing some research I guess you're right - many people do use RealOne.

So good for them, they've just got themselves a new feature!

Sid