Chapter 14. Windows Media Player

In the beginning, Windows Media Player was the headquarters for music and video on your PC. It was the Grand Central Terminal for things like music CDs (you could play 'em, copy songs off 'em, and burn 'em); MP3 files and other digital songs (you could sort 'em, buy 'em online, and file 'em into playlists); pocket music players of the non-iPod variety (fill 'em up, manage their playlists); Internet radio stations ; DVD movies (watch 'em); and so on.

Media Player still does all that, and more. But it's no longer clear that this is the program you'll use for these activities. Gradually, the Media Player audience is splintering. Nowadays, a certain percentage of people is using alternative programs like:

• iTunes . If you have an iPod, you use Apple's iTunes software to do your music and video organizing.

• Zune software . If you have a Zune music player, you have to use yet another jukebox programthe software that came with itfor loading up and organizing your player.

• Media Center . As noted in Chapter 14, many of Media Player's functions are now duplicated in Windows Media Center , the vast playback engine described in Chapter 16.

Still, most of the Windows world continues to use Windows Media Player as their music-file database. It's worth getting to know.

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Note: In its insatiable quest to dominate the world of digital music and video, Microsoft keeps updating Windows Media Player, usually redesigning it beyond recognition with each update. For example, this chapter describes Media Player version 11, included with Windows Vista out of the gate. But sure as shootin', version 12 will be coming your way within a year or so. (Vista's automatic-update feature will let you know when version 12 is fully baked and ready to download.)

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