| Whether you call them media players,
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| | Jukebox. Noteworthy is the Apple Lossless
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| jukeboxes, mp3 apps, music managers, or
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| | codec that allows one to rip CD's to the
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| whatever - we all need a proggy to listen
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| | ACC format that sound as good as the CD
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| to our digital music with sowe decided
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| | itself to our ears. On the negative side,
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| that it was time to publish the Online
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| | the iTunes jukebox feels heavy on
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| Music Blog Media Player Shootout. For the
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| | moderately powered PC's compared to
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| sake of this article I am only going to
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| | Winamp or WMP. It runs a little slower,
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| discuss players you can get for free and
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| | seems to use more resources, etc.
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| I am not going to go into p2p apps.
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| | Last (of yea, except for RealPlayer... )
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| So with that, lets dive right in. For my
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| | Windows Media Player 10 is one of
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| money there are are only 3 choices -
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| | Microsoft's best pieces of software and
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| Winamp, iTunes, or Windows Media Players
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| | is some much better then the last
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| - but I'll talk a little about RealPlayer
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| | generation of MS media players. The
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| 10 as well. All of these applications
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| | jukebox itself is stuffed with features
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| share baseline features - playing various
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| | such as its ability to monitor changes to
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| media files, cataloging digital media,
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| | your digital media files and update
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| etc. We'll focus on things about them
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| | itself, simple sync and burn, ratings,
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| that are different.
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| | and the auto tag features are all very
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| Back in the day, we had Winamp, and it
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| | nice.
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| was good. Unfortunately the original
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| | One of the changes in V.10 is the ability
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| Nullsoft team has all moved on and
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| | to rip files if the format and with ( or
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| instead of the hacker cred that Winamp
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| | without ) the DRM of your choice. You
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| used to have back when Justin Frankel et
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| | also get the ability to listen to
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| all were on the job it is now just
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| | Internet radio streams with WMP, and
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| another corporate media player with a
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| | although they tend to be more corporate
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| hazy future.
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| | then the hip shoutcast radio you can
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| Winamp lost a lot of momentum that it had
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| | still find some good music. WMP also
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| when it released a ( very ) bad Winamp3 -
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| | features a lossless ripping of CD's but I
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| but with the release of Winamp5 they seem
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| | was less impressed with the results then
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| to be back on track - it is useable,
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| | I was with Apples Lossless.
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| responsive, and has a lot of plugins and
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| | And finally there is RealPlayer. The free
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| skins created for it.
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| | RealPlayer 10 is better then previous
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| The major problem is that for all of it's
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| | version although that is not saying much
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| features it is not much, if any, better
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| | imho. It still takes over your file
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| then the two dominant media players that
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| | formats by default, tries to force you
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| are tied to successful music stores
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| | register, runs in the background (phoning
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| iTunes and WMP. Additionally you have to
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| | home ?) unless you can find the settings
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| pay $14.95 to get the pro version that
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| | to tell it not to - all of the problems
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| add features that iTunes and WMP include
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| | that it has always have. I say stay as
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| for free. One of the bonuses of using
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| | far away from Real as possible even if
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| Winamp is the ability to tune into all of
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| | you can use "Harmony" to use your iPod
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| the cool shoutcast radio stations.iTunes
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| | with the Real store. While I may be being
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| is, of course, is the digital jukebox
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| | over critical of Real's jukebox - I do
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| front end for the iPod and the iTunes
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| | think that there are other alternatives
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| music store from apple computer. The
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| | that are less intrusive and have better
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| iTunes music store was the first to get
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| | feature sets.
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| pay for digital music downloads right and
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| | All in all I think that either iTunes or
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| it still has the largest legal
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| | WMP is a solid choice and far and away
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| downloadable catalog on the net giving
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| | the best media players available. Winamp
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| the iTunes jukebox a hefty advantage.
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| | is a okay too as long as you don't need
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| If you are using a Mac then it is a no
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| | to rip music or burn it back to a CD -
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| brainer - you should be using iTunes as
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| | but it is worth the download and install
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| you media player, but even if you are
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| | just to listen to Shoutcast stations from
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| using Windows iTunes provides an
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| | time to time. Personally I use WMP at
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| attractive alternative. The iTunes store
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| | work and iTunes are home, so take that
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| is superior ( imho ) to the Windows Media
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| | for what it's worth. I think that I like
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| based stores such as Napster and with the
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| | WMP a little better, but not so much that
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| legendary Apple ease of use in full
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| | I would take the time to switch my iTunes
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| effect iTunes makes a great Windows based
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| | set up at home.
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