The latest iteration of Windows Media Player adds a lot of useful
bells and whistles, succeeding in many ways as a competitor to iTunes
for Windows. A tree-style file directory makes it easy to find the music
you want quickly, and a simple search box gets you where you want to go
immediately. A five-star rating system lets you rate your music, then
organize it by rating, so it's easy to group your favorite songs.
Drag-and-drop functionality and a handy Create Playlist button take any
confusion out of the process of making your own playlists. Creating the
perfect mix CD is equally as easy--simply drag and drop songs into a
Burn List in the right panel, then click Start Burn to finish. Ripping
was reasonably fast on our test machine, and the program let us pick our
preferred bit rate and audio file type.
The biggest new feature
in WMP11 is the ability to sign up with paid music and video services.
Without registering, we were able to browse various sites and compare
prices among services including XM Radio--all from the Windows Media
Player interface. We like the new, cleaner look, and the back and
forward buttons make it easier to navigate. The ability to sort music by
year released makes for some great reminiscing. Overall, we think the
latest Windows Media Player offers almost everything you need for every
type of media, making it a solid choice for an all-in-one jukebox.
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