Keine Apple-Real Allianz

Der gestern durchgesickerte Versuch von RealNetworks mit einer Verzweiflungserpressung Apple gefügig zu machen, konnte letztendlich nur scheitern, kaum verwunderlich was dementsprechend AP berichtet:
"Seattle-based RealNetworks said Thursday that Apple chairman Steve Jobs had rebuffed an offer by RealNetworks' chief executive Rob Glaser to meet and discuss forming an online music alliance involving Apple's best-selling iPod portable players.
"He's in the neighborhood, but whatever meeting Rob wanted with Steve isn't happening," RealNetworks spokesman Greg Chiemingo said Thursday. "Steve just doesn't want to open the iPod, and we don't understand that."[...]
In an interview earlier this week with The Wall Street Journal, Jobs said Apple has little incentive to open its popular digital music player to others.
"The iPod already works with the No. 1 music service in the world, and the iTunes Music Store works with the No. 1 digital-music player in the world," he said. "The No. 2s are so far behind already. Why would we want to work with No. 2?"

Bei CNET kommentiert Charles Cooper süffisant:
"Glaser also trusted Jobs to remain discreet about the offer. What was he thinking? Putting a revolver on the table while you offer terms may work in Tony Soprano's world--but not in Silicon Valley. In Jobs, Glaser faces an executive with an ego even bigger than his own. "You gonna' mess with me? No, I'm gonna' mess with you!"
Worse, Glaser's gun had no bullets. The Listen.com digital music service RealNetworks operates sells subscriptions. But at the San Francisco debut of the iTunes store a year ago, Jobs scoffed at the assumption that people want to rent and not own their music. Given the history, you can understand why Glaser's offer has left Apple underwhelmed."

Ein paar Analysteneinschätzungen bei MacDailyNews zusammengetragen:
"RealNetworks, in particular, would appear to bring little to the party. 'The only way RealNetworks has a chance to become involved to a greater extent is if users express dissatisfaction over their ability to use other services with iPod, and we certainly haven't heard much about that yet,' said NPD Techworld analyst Stephen Baker. 'I don't see a tremendous amount of advantage to licensing Fairplay,' said David Card, an analyst at research firm Jupiter Research. 'Apple is a hardware company, and the only reason Fairplay, or even iTunes for that matter, exists is to sell and promote iPods,'" Fried, Shim and Hines report."