With
Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 Microsoft aims to counter
iTunes’ dominance. The interface has been beefed-up, usability has been enhanced and Microsoft has worked at turning its flagship
media application into a full multimedia center, linked to online stores and compatible with mobile devices.
Improved interface
The first thing that will strike you when you start up Windows Media Player 11, is the
complete revamp of the interface.
No more deep blue, the whole application is now dark and shiny and you
can customize it by selecting a hue of your choice. Windows Media
Player's left side is a drop down pane for your library, the center
displays your lists and the right side is used to create playlists which
you can rip, burn or sync with a mobile device.
Compared to Windows Media Player 10, we feel that Microsoft has
actually made an effort to simplify the interface and give you more ways
to browse through your media list, whether by using the drop down menu
or the quick rollout line on the top left. The 'play' and 'previous' and
'next' buttons are now nested at the bottom of the interface and have a
jazzy glow whenever you roll over them. Microsoft has finally succeeded
in integrating a
good search function into its Windows
Media Player interface. As you type the name of an artist or title the
application will bring up the results in the main window.
Windows Media Player 11 makes all your media more accessible. Double click the
Media Library
button to browse from your music to pictures, movie files and recorded
TV. The thumbnail view is a great way to quickly scan through pictures
and videos and to include the album image to audio tracks. By clicking
the “Media information changes” option under the Library button you can
also scan your PC to automatically find new media files. Creating a
playlist is a case of drag and drop and oddly enough you can integrate
audio, video and pictures. Burning and ripping in Windows Media Player
is also very simple, yet disappointingly converting is limited to WMA,
WAV or MP3.
Easy to use
The sync process is promising yet remains a bit unstable. While it’s
very easy to create a list and sync media, Windows Media Player can
occasionally crash or fail to load your mobile device, even if you press
the refresh button. When we tested it with a Pocket PC, we had to
restart Windows Media Player 11 so that it would recognize it and let us
sync our music. As soon as the device became accessible though, it also
became visible on the left sided menu, making it very easy to browse
through it for music or pictures.
A big improvement
Windows Media Player 11 is a huge improvement from version 10. The
whole interface is snazzier and makes browsing through your media
simpler. Microsoft has also made creating playlists, syncing, burning or
ripping just a case of drag-and-drop. Windows Media Player lets you
check out music on dozens of online stores and is loaded with small
features to customize your interface and change how you interact with
your media.
Conclusion
While the syncing process still remains a bit unstable and we
lament the lack of podcast feed support, Windows Media Player 11 is a
solid competitor to Apple’s iTunes.
Notes
Please bear in mind that this version of Windows Media Player is
included in Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business,
and Enterprise editions. It also works on Windows XP.
Review last updated: 18/03/13
