Actually, version 2.0 is quite nice... The new version is feature-rich, highly configurable, and it loads and responds in a snap, even without previously running in the background.
The player has an option to automatically re-associate specified file types with the RealOne Player.
This feature may be disabled during the setup process or afterwards in the preferences window.
Also, file types to be associated with RealOne Player can also be set during or after the setup process.
Some of the player's abilities are: CD ripping, DVD playback, and playback of most media types, including
mp3,
mpeg, avi,
QuickTime and Real media file types.
Privacy can be protected to some extent. The user can disable RealOne from sending certain "statistics" to
Real Networks' servers. It could be secretly sending more information than they claim to be doing, but I doubt that that is the case.
After checking the Task Manager in
Windows 2000, RealOne-related processes were not running in the background after I exited the player.
The user interface is very functional, aesthetic, and uncluttered. In a minimal setting, it only has two small buttons that aren't necessary for common use: a "RealOne Message Center" button and a "Media Browser" button.
The current RealOne Player is version 2.0.
RealOne Player Plus has a $19.95 one-time fee
Download page:
http://www.real.com/realoneplayer.html (A link to the free version can be found at the lower right corner of that page.)