Real player comes with more codecs meaning you can play more file types on it, it's also able to find and download files it needs to play something real easy, unlike windows media player because you have to download all the codecs and files yourself, which sucks. But windows media player is also faster. It depends what you use it for. But just because these two are the only main ones you here about, doesn't mean there aren't better ones out there. As Raikkonen said for example, VLC. People just go with one of those two and don't look further.. and then get annoyed at something about them and start these types of threads debating and asking which one is better. ^_^