home | news | schedule | archive | contribute | staff | support | questions | setup | links

Installing RealPlayer

Okay, it looks like you need to install RealPlayer.

No matter what your computer skill level, there are two VERY, VERY important things to know about this process:

1. RealNetworks wants you to BUY one of their players; but
2. A free player from RealNetworks will do just fine.

Obviously, as a publicly-traded company, it's in RealNetworks' best interest to get you to purchase one of their players. Their entire web site is designed to lure you into doing so, by making the most obvious links to click the ones that send you to their un-free player.

Now, we're not telling you that you can't purchase any RealNetworks products. They're a fine company and they make great products. If you want to pay for and download RealPlayer, go on ahead to the
main RealNetworks site -- the link to download the paid version of RealPlayer is big as life.

But what we'll cover here is finding and starting to install the free version of RealPlayer.

We'll start by launching a new browser window on the RealNetworks site. (This browser window you're currently in will then display our instructions for installing the player, but it may be hidden behind the RealNetworks web page, so you may have to go looking for this page on your desktop. It'll still be there; don't worry.) Keep flipping back and forth between the two browser windows while you install your software.

To launch this new window, and to go to the next page on the instructions:

Click here if your operating system is Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP
Click here if your operating system is not one of the above


The Bullpen Media Network | email webmaster