Monday, April 17, 2006
XP and Vista to Get New Media Player
Posted by Jeremy Charette in "SOFTWARE" @ 12:00 PM
"Microsoft is on track to release a Windows XP version of Windows Media Player 11 before the end of June, the company confirmed last week. Microsoft has been uncharacteristically tight-lipped about the XP incarnation. The company briefly demonstrated it at the Consumer Electronics Show in January but has said little since. Microsoft has said the XP version won't have all the features of its Vista sibling, but the company won't say which features will be excluded. The company also has yet to offer a public test version of the software."
I think the key difference between the XP and Vista versions of WMP11 will be in the interface. Vista has Media Center functionality built into every version of the operating system, so every Vista machine will have that slick MCE interface for Windows Media Player. I predict that Microsoft will keep the XP interface much closer to that of WMP10. Now, interface is one thing; functionality is another. If Microsoft wants to compete with iTunes, they need to incorporate an eCommerce platform into Windows Media Player (ala the iTunes Music Store), as well as advanced support for the iPod product lineup. Without that, it'll just be another music player for the PC. Big whoop. :roll:
I think the key difference between the XP and Vista versions of WMP11 will be in the interface. Vista has Media Center functionality built into every version of the operating system, so every Vista machine will have that slick MCE interface for Windows Media Player. I predict that Microsoft will keep the XP interface much closer to that of WMP10. Now, interface is one thing; functionality is another. If Microsoft wants to compete with iTunes, they need to incorporate an eCommerce platform into Windows Media Player (ala the iTunes Music Store), as well as advanced support for the iPod product lineup. Without that, it'll just be another music player for the PC. Big whoop. :roll:
