And the program's major new feature, an online music store, is an appalling mess. The problems in RealPlayer start before you can even install it.

(This is a beta-test release, available for Windows 98 Second Edition and newer Microsoft operating systems, but since RealNetworks markets it as a finished product - its home page neither mentions this test status nor offers earlier versions - it's fair game for review.) Real continues to perplex users with 'free' downloads that usually aren't. Unless you actually want Real's $9.95-a-month 'SuperPass' Web programming service, ignore the big 'Free Download' link and instead click on the small 'Free RealPlayer' link at the top right. That will take you to a page offering a basic, no-charge version and a $19.95 Plus version - without mentioning the paid upgrade's most useful feature, support for the high-quality MP3 encoding needed to copy your CDs in that popular format. Think about this before downloading, because the free player itself will advise you that full MP3 capability requires a SuperPass subscription. This incorrect information surfaced in Real's software at least two versions ago and has outlived repeated pledges by company representatives to correct matters.

RealPlayer's installation shows only a little more respect for its users: Instead of hiding the ugly details behind a 'quick install' button, it now states upfront what shortcuts and marketing links it will plant on your Windows desktop and in Internet Explorer unless you opt out of them. Users still can't decline Real's Message Center - a component that periodically pops up with company propaganda and other rarely useful information - during the installation. It can, however, be disabled afterward with a visit to RealPlayer's preferences window. The point of putting up with all this nonsense is to enjoy a wide variety of music and video webcasts and files.

Old version of realplayer windows 10