Addendum: I've found a great compilation of writings on this topic as well as the most hilarious rant ever

A few weeks ago, RealNetworks announced that it had created a method (unsanctioned by Apple) for users to put their music downloaded from Real onto their iPods. This has created a lot of hubbub in the mainstream and blogger media, but I have found the best article out there on Real's decision to enable its music store downloads to work on the Apple iPod. The author provides an impressive set of historical information and high quality analysis. He also rips the mainstream media, particularly USA TODAY, a new one.