Question : Is realplayer still as invasive and stuffed with spyware etc. as it used to be?

RealPlayer used be a nightmare to remove from a computer. In addition it was larded with spyware and other things not explained to the poor soul who just wanted to play video.

As a support person I developed a predjudice against realplayer and have never installed, used or recommended it since the early 90's when I first spent hours trying to rectify the problems caused by it (x's 100).

So, the question; is realplayer a legitimate, useful software tool or is it still junk?
Is it possible to uninstall it without re-installing the OS, if after trying it you don't want it?

What is the best alternative to it? Winamp, winMediaPlayer, or something else?

Thanks
Lief

Answer : Is realplayer still as invasive and stuffed with spyware etc. as it used to be?

I dislike RealPlayer along with the Quicktime. I still think those two applications are nothing but trouble.
I can recommend you Real Alternative that I am using which is light and spyware free.
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/real_alternative.htm