It remains to be seen how the recording industry, which has blanched at the proliferation of illegal MP3 tracks on the Web, will respond to RealJukebox's potential to let mass-market users "rip" CDs to MP3 files and redistribute them illegally on the Net--a task that now relies on comparatively arcane software such as Xing's AudioCatalyst.
By default, RealJukebox will encrypt recorded CD tracks for use only on a single PC, but simply changing a few application settings will let users disable the encryption. Still, RealNetworks' chief technologist, Philip Rosedale, suggested that with so much MP3 encoding software already on the market, the company won't be adding to the problem.
Pros: · Records songs from audio CDs to your computer in MP3 and/or RealPlayer G2 formats! · Plays MP3 and other digital audio formats, · Compact Mode, · Automatic CDDB capabilities for efficiently grabbing audio CD information from the Net, · Integrates well with RealPlayer
Cons: · High system requirements (at least a Pentium 200MHz MMX or Cyrix/AMD equivalent), · Best recording quality requires purchasing $29 RealJukebox Plus release
