Windows Media Player 11 an iTunes contender?

review Windows Media Player 11--which debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year and features a visually appealing interface, as well as impressive features and performance--is Microsoft's best jukebox to date.

Not that it was a grand feat to improve upon a generally disappointing string of versions, including the somewhat awkward version 10. Still, if Microsoft is ever going to seriously challenge Apple Computer's iTunes music empire, the time is now. With the addition of MTV's Urge, the jukebox's resident music service, WMP 11 (available today as a free beta download) certainly seems poised for battle.

Windows Media Player 11

It's not like Microsoft had trouble distributing any version of WMP; after all, the jukebox comes with any Windows system, and in fact, you can't get rid of it. The trouble was that the software was never particularly compelling, though it was pretty much essential for users of non-iPod MP3 players. With this beta launch, Microsoft has transformed its omnipresent media player from a state of default mediocrity into a powerful must-have application for music and media.

Windows Media faithful will be pleasantly surprised upon installing the revamped WMP 11 for XP; Microsoft has put significant effort into creating a seamless digital-media environment for the user, the software, the service and portable devices.

WMP 11 for Windows XP is at its core the same jukebox you'll experience for the upcoming (but tardy) Vista operating system. It all begins with the interface: Microsoft product managers admitted that it needed to be much simpler, more visual and more like iTunes.

Rather than dumbing down the graphical interface, Microsoft has smartened it up with wise design decisions that open up the desktop without eliminating the powerful features within. For example, the playback controls (at the bottom) are now glossy and inviting, and they include repeat and shuffle options.

Additionally, the back and forward navigation buttons in the upper-left corner ensure that you'll never get lost. However, the revamped menu buttons have the most significant impact on the interface. Boiled down to five choices--Now Playing, Library, Rip, Bun and Sync--each button has its own subbutton that opens up a slew of useful menu items. So when you activate the split menu for Rip, you'll get options to adjust format, bit rate and so on.

Click here to Play

Video: Windows Media Player 11 reviewed
Microsoft's best answer to Apple to date?

Another noticeable--and welcome--interface change is that WMP's frustrating, ever-expanding left-nav tree has been simplified to include only music info by default, thus eliminating the long, scrolling list in the navigation. You can simply click the library split button to get to the video or photo libraries, which have their own dedicated set of nav-pane options.

The main browser window has also been radically altered: No more boring, anonymous text on a dark background. Instead, you get a colorful album art-driven view of music, thumbnail views of photos and screenshot thumbs of their video files, all on a light-color background. This not only makes it easier to locate and manage files, but it also gives the player some much-needed personality.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 97 comments (Page 1 of 4)
iPod
by samkass May 15, 2006 10:25 AM PDT
So can it play iTMS music? If not, not interested.
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can't find it
by darrius3365 May 15, 2006 10:32 AM PDT
It seems like this download is buried deep in the Micrsoft site. Has anyone else found it?
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Sounds great, but?
by the Otter May 15, 2006 10:38 AM PDT
I read the PC Magazine review, and I must admit, this sounds like a pretty cool program. Unfortunately (as has already been mentioned), it won?t work with iPods and?more importantly?it won?t work with Mac OS. I doubt they?re going to get too many people to downgrade their computers (or even take the time to launch Ms Windows) just to use a music player that really doesn?t add any truly compelling features. One much-touted feature, for example, is WiMP 11?s ability to arrange your photos, as if that?s something iTunes is seriously lacking. iTunes has handled photos for over a year, but I?ve frankly never really seen the draw to having your digital photos lumped in with your digital music. Who came up with that idea? (Even if you like it, I?d argue that Front Row handles it much better than what I?ve seen of WiMP.) I give them a lot of credit for the album art view and the sub- summary by artist, but I expect Apple will rip Ms off just like Ms rips off Apple. Especially given the fact that WiMP 11 won?t be ready for prime time until Ms Windows Vista ships (pushed back, yet again, to April 2007, last I heard), I really don?t see why anyone?s even mentioning this (unless, of course, it involves many millions from M$?s marketing budget). Just my 2¢.
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What a waste of code.
by TyTyson May 15, 2006 10:47 AM PDT
WMP a competitor to iTunes!?? ROFL Good one!
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It's not the player, it's the package
by rcrusoe May 15, 2006 10:47 AM PDT
Is the new Windows Media Player better than iTunes. Who cares? When it comes to digital music, iTunes is an example of the MS Windows story in reverse. Apple has a good enough player (IMO a great player). But package it with a great music site, and the world's most popular portable music device and you have a winning combination. Based on sales, it looks like very few people like any of the sites that sell WMA encoded music or the portable music devices that play it. A new player won't change that.
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Want Subscription Model - Not iTunes
by john55440 May 15, 2006 11:26 AM PDT
With a subscription model, I could listen to an unlimited number of new-to-me songs, for a flat monthly fee. I have no interest in the iTunes pay-per-song model. I look forward to learning the details of Amazon.com's rumored forthcoming subscription music service.
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Maybe Microsoft just "doesn't get it"?
by GGGlen May 15, 2006 11:59 AM PDT
I tried, I mean I really tried to like some of the subscription based services out there, but fer cry'n out loud, I can't stand music encoded in WMP. When Napster gave out trial subscriptions, I downloaded 600 songs. I expected them to sound "less than cd quality", but I didn't expect them to sound as badly as they did when compared to identical songs downloaded from the iTunes store. Call me strange, but the point of me downloading music is to download something that I'll listen to, and from what I've heard, WMP just isn't it. One thing I did appreciate about Napster, though, was that they allowed me to preview the songs that I turned around and purchased from the iTunes store. Thanks, Napster!
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Maybe Microsoft just "doesn't get it"?
by GGGlen May 15, 2006 12:01 PM PDT
I tried, I mean I really tried to like some of the subscription based services out there, but fer cry'n out loud, I can't stand music encoded in WMP. When Napster gave out free trial subscriptions, I downloaded 600 songs. I expected them to sound "less than cd quality", but I didn't expect them to sound as badly as they did when compared to identical songs downloaded from the iTunes store. Call me strange, but the point of me downloading music is to download something that I'll listen to, and from what I've heard, WMP just isn't it. One thing I did appreciate about Napster, though, was that they allowed me to preview the songs that I turned around and purchased from the iTunes store. Thanks, Napster!
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No
by TarrySingh May 15, 2006 12:13 PM PDT
.
Reply to this comment
With an iPod
by Akiba May 15, 2006 12:15 PM PDT
For me the problem isn't the music store its syching my iPod. I need to be able to synch my iPod with WMP reliably before I stop using iTunes. Maybe I'm a minority but I have no interest in the iTunes music store selection or file format. It really annoys me how many mp3 players don't give users many options on what software to use.
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