Derek takes MLB to task for partnering with Real: "Not only has MLB tied their broadcasts to a single buggy software package (a deal with Yahoo or a similar aggregator would have allowed users a choice of Real Player, Windows Media Player, or Quicktime), they have also subjected their best customers--fanatics like me who are desperate to hear their favorite team's radio broadcast--to the sleazy marketing tactics of one of the Internet's least-competent companies."

Buggy? I'll say: The other day, I, regrettably, needed to install RealPlayer on my fairly freshly rebuilt Win2K Pro desktop. It worked fine the first couple times. But now, when RealPlayer launches — whether embedded in a web page, or free-standing — it immediately and completely freezes up my machine to the point of needing a hard reset. In my experience, total lock-ups are extremely rare on Win2k. In fact, I can't recall it ever happening since I've been running the OS (which is since beta 2), but RealPlayer manages to do it every single time. Impressive.