Using Other Media Players

I'll wrap up this chapter by noting that Windows Media Player isn't the only media player on the market. The reality is that Microsoft is in a bitter fight for the digital media market, and there are several strong competitors to WMP that you might want to check out. The most popular of these include:

• Apple iTunes (www.apple.com/itunes/)

• Musicmatch Jukebox (www.musicmatch.com)

• RealPlayer (www.real.com)

• Winamp (www.winamp.com)

If you have a newer version of Windows XP, or one with Service Pack 1 or 2 installed, you can reconfigure Windows so that WMP is no longer the default media player. To do this, you first have to install one of these third-party media players, then follow these steps:

1.	Click the Start button then select Control Panel.
2.	Double-click the Add or Remove Programs icon.
3.	When the Add or Remove Programs dialog box appears, click Set Program Access and Defaults, on the left side of the window.
4.	Click the down arrow next to the Custom option.
5.	Scroll to the Choose a Default Media Player section and select the media player you want to use.
6.	Uncheck the Enable Access to This Program option next to Windows Media Player.
7.	Click OK.