Major Update of Winamp coming soon..........
Saturday, September 22, 2007 by Leo the Lion | Discussion: iTunes
Some of you may have noticed there have been several beta releases of Winamp recently and it's a sign of some good things to come. Here is an interesting 'apetizer' from last100.com.
quote...........Winamp goes where iTunes doesn't dare !!!!
Winamp, that staple of media players, will soon turn 10! And its not letting it pass without a bang. On the 10th of October at 10:10am, Winamp 5.5 (PC-only) will be released sporting two new and potentially controversial features: support for mp3 blogs and the ability to stream your music collection over the Internet (a Beta version is available here).
Cashing in on the growing popularity of mp3 blogs, and the lack of tools to take advantage of them, Winamp’s Media Monitor can be used in conjunction with the software’s built-in browser to access any mp3s linked to on a blog page, presented as a playlist or even downloaded to your library. Winamp also includes handy links to a dozen or so music blogs to get you started.
The second major new feature is the Winamp Remote. This acts like a local media server, cataloging your tracks and videos and then enabling you to access them from another device, including other PCs running Winamp or via a web browser, various mobile devices, and game consoles (Playstation 3, XBox 360 or Nintendo Wii).
However, unlike iTunes, sharing isn’t restricted to devices on the local network, and instead you can also share your music over the Internet. To make this relatively simple, Winamp prompts you to send an email (or SMS text message) to a friend to let them access your playlists from their computer (they’ll need to create a free account to verify their identity, but only once). In this regard, Winamp Remote makes iTunes’ network sharing features seem rather puny and inflexible.
Also new to version 5.5 is the "Bento" skin. This is a move away from Winamp’s traditional multi-windowed interface (the default skin), which can be confusing and cluttered at times. Instead, the new skin only has one window which is more in keeping with other media management software.
The rest of Winamp performs as you’d expect it. It is still a very good media player; responsive, highly customisable, able to cope with many formats and yet still has a low demand on system resources. It will synchronise with a number of portable media players, including iPods*, making it a potential replacement for iTunes or Windows Media Player. Obviously, its still a beta version so there are some niggles with the program — it locked the interface for the duration of one track, although it had worked fine previously, and there are a couple of error messages when you close the program.
Winamp continues to evolve, and the new and bold features are a worthy update in which to mark the application’s tenth anniversary.
Unquote..........
Interesting developements on this great piece of software
quote...........Winamp goes where iTunes doesn't dare !!!!
Winamp, that staple of media players, will soon turn 10! And its not letting it pass without a bang. On the 10th of October at 10:10am, Winamp 5.5 (PC-only) will be released sporting two new and potentially controversial features: support for mp3 blogs and the ability to stream your music collection over the Internet (a Beta version is available here).
Cashing in on the growing popularity of mp3 blogs, and the lack of tools to take advantage of them, Winamp’s Media Monitor can be used in conjunction with the software’s built-in browser to access any mp3s linked to on a blog page, presented as a playlist or even downloaded to your library. Winamp also includes handy links to a dozen or so music blogs to get you started.
The second major new feature is the Winamp Remote. This acts like a local media server, cataloging your tracks and videos and then enabling you to access them from another device, including other PCs running Winamp or via a web browser, various mobile devices, and game consoles (Playstation 3, XBox 360 or Nintendo Wii).
However, unlike iTunes, sharing isn’t restricted to devices on the local network, and instead you can also share your music over the Internet. To make this relatively simple, Winamp prompts you to send an email (or SMS text message) to a friend to let them access your playlists from their computer (they’ll need to create a free account to verify their identity, but only once). In this regard, Winamp Remote makes iTunes’ network sharing features seem rather puny and inflexible.
Also new to version 5.5 is the "Bento" skin. This is a move away from Winamp’s traditional multi-windowed interface (the default skin), which can be confusing and cluttered at times. Instead, the new skin only has one window which is more in keeping with other media management software.
The rest of Winamp performs as you’d expect it. It is still a very good media player; responsive, highly customisable, able to cope with many formats and yet still has a low demand on system resources. It will synchronise with a number of portable media players, including iPods*, making it a potential replacement for iTunes or Windows Media Player. Obviously, its still a beta version so there are some niggles with the program — it locked the interface for the duration of one track, although it had worked fine previously, and there are a couple of error messages when you close the program.
Winamp continues to evolve, and the new and bold features are a worthy update in which to mark the application’s tenth anniversary.
Unquote..........
Interesting developements on this great piece of software
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Leo the Lion
Reply #22 Saturday, October 6, 2007 11:37 AM
I am not a fan of iTunes either but the wife's got an iPod and she likes it so it stays, unfortunately
Reply #22 Saturday, October 6, 2007 11:37 AM
Yeah, I've been using the Jet Audio player for 12 months + and have been rather happy with it....makes great audio CD's and converts formats quite well, too..
I am not a fan of iTunes either but the wife's got an iPod and she likes it so it stays, unfortunately
starkers
Reply #23 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:18 PM
Oh dear, you've not trained her very well, then. Er,like you could have!
If iTunes got a second thought in this household, there'd be a distraction of gigantic proportions until the silliness passed. There'll be no iTunes or ipods here, and if for some reason my resolve weakens, the missus is instructed to slap me around the jowls with a wet kipper until I regain my senses.
Reply #23 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:18 PM
I am not a fan of iTunes either but the wife's got an iPod and she likes it so it stays, unfortunately
Oh dear, you've not trained her very well, then. Er,like you could have!
If iTunes got a second thought in this household, there'd be a distraction of gigantic proportions until the silliness passed. There'll be no iTunes or ipods here, and if for some reason my resolve weakens, the missus is instructed to slap me around the jowls with a wet kipper until I regain my senses.
Leo the Lion
Reply #24 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:38 PM
Starkers, Now I've gotta own up to something
I bought her the iPod for her birthday. She hinted beforehand that she liked the trendy pink versions so against all my principles I walked into the Apple Store in the mall and purchased one for her. I know, I know. It was a moment of madness that I surely regret 
By the way, please thank your dear lady wife for her lovely comment on my screenshot set up. Most kind.
Reply #24 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:38 PM
If iTunes got a second thought in this household, there'd be a distraction of gigantic proportions until the silliness passed. There'll be no iTunes or ipods here, and if for some reason my resolve weakens, the missus is instructed to slap me around the jowls with a wet kipper until I regain my senses.
Starkers, Now I've gotta own up to something
I bought her the iPod for her birthday. She hinted beforehand that she liked the trendy pink versions so against all my principles I walked into the Apple Store in the mall and purchased one for her. I know, I know. It was a moment of madness that I surely regret 
By the way, please thank your dear lady wife for her lovely comment on my screenshot set up. Most kind.
HG_Eliminator
Reply #25 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:50 PM
Reply #25 Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:50 PM
I love my Ipod. yes I Hate the proprietary BS..But at the time the 5th gen Ipod was the best Deal for video as well as music,pictures,games...30 gigs bundled in one small device . For the lack of a comparable Media player.. I bought mine...
Draginol
Reply #26 Saturday, October 6, 2007 6:55 PM
Reply #26 Saturday, October 6, 2007 6:55 PM
Yes, that's the challenge most devs of media formats/players face, getting users to try something that doesn't have an i in front of it.
That's not the issue. The issue is the format.
Only iTunes can read the music from the iTunes music store and it was the first decent music store available. Many people, myself included, have purchased hundreds of songs and albums from the iTunes music store and thus it's in their proprietary format.
So switching away from iTunes is not an easy move. Especially when programs like Winamp still don't provide a viable alternative (where's the Winamp music store that isn't a .WMA hell?).
starkers
Reply #27 Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:23 PM
And you didn't get out the wet kipper???....to act as a deterrent to her as well as yourself.
Apart from leaving the kipper laying around, I'd have left heaps of Creative advertising literature all over the place....specifically shiny brochures showing off the hot pink Zens.
Well yes - yes it is. A friend of mine is a store manager for an electrical retailer, and he states that roughly 80% of people who come in for a portable music player ask for an iPod. Seems silly when 'format IS the issue'.
Nah, I'm more than happy with my cheap little MP3 player ($37.00) that'll play any MP3/WMA tune that comes off my PC....no software conversion required. It doesn't play movies or show photos, but then I didn't buy it for that.
All the more reason why I'm happy I never signed myself up for it. While I purchase online from eMusic (@ $74,90 for 300 tracks) these days, the majority of my MP3/WMA library comes from CD purchases I've made over the years....couldn't be easier, just a few clicks and I'm ready for the great outdoors.
And better still, no propriety hardware telling me I HAVE to HAVE confounded iTunes installed.
Reply #27 Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:23 PM
I bought her the iPod for her birthday.
And you didn't get out the wet kipper???....to act as a deterrent to her as well as yourself.
Apart from leaving the kipper laying around, I'd have left heaps of Creative advertising literature all over the place....specifically shiny brochures showing off the hot pink Zens.
That's not the issue.
Well yes - yes it is. A friend of mine is a store manager for an electrical retailer, and he states that roughly 80% of people who come in for a portable music player ask for an iPod. Seems silly when 'format IS the issue'.
Nah, I'm more than happy with my cheap little MP3 player ($37.00) that'll play any MP3/WMA tune that comes off my PC....no software conversion required. It doesn't play movies or show photos, but then I didn't buy it for that.
So switching away from iTunes is not an easy move.
All the more reason why I'm happy I never signed myself up for it. While I purchase online from eMusic (@ $74,90 for 300 tracks) these days, the majority of my MP3/WMA library comes from CD purchases I've made over the years....couldn't be easier, just a few clicks and I'm ready for the great outdoors.
And better still, no propriety hardware telling me I HAVE to HAVE confounded iTunes installed.
Lantec
Reply #28 Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:37 PM
Glad I didn't jump out there and grab the "Hot New Item" (Just like I'm not getting a iPhone) Sometimes it pays not to be on the bleeding edge.
I've been converting CDs for years to MP3 and nowadays FLAC. My first mp3 player was a SanDisk and it was more or less the same as a jump drive. I eventually went through a "testing" phase and proprietary is one of the things that made me go for Creative instead of the Mac.
Reply #28 Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:37 PM
Only iTunes can read the music from the iTunes music store and it was the first decent music store available. Many people, myself included, have purchased hundreds of songs and albums from the iTunes music store and thus it's in their proprietary format.
Glad I didn't jump out there and grab the "Hot New Item" (Just like I'm not getting a iPhone) Sometimes it pays not to be on the bleeding edge.
I've been converting CDs for years to MP3 and nowadays FLAC. My first mp3 player was a SanDisk and it was more or less the same as a jump drive. I eventually went through a "testing" phase and proprietary is one of the things that made me go for Creative instead of the Mac.
Leo the Lion
Reply #29 Sunday, October 7, 2007 2:53 AM
Reply #29 Sunday, October 7, 2007 2:53 AM
Yep, those boys from Creative make some good stuff. If only I'd seen the Pink Zen
starkers
Reply #30 Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:46 PM
Don't think Apple stores stock them! (well that's where you got the pink iPod, isn't it?)
Yeah, I've only got a cheap Laser MP3 player at the moment, but when I'm in the market for another one, I'll most likely go with Creative.
Oh, and Leo...just before your birthday/Xmas, leave heaps of Creative Zen advertising paraphanalia laying around all over the place (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom)....just NOT for the pink one.
Reply #30 Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:46 PM
If only I'd seen the Pink Zen
Don't think Apple stores stock them! (well that's where you got the pink iPod, isn't it?)
Yep, those boys from Creative make some good stuff.
Yeah, I've only got a cheap Laser MP3 player at the moment, but when I'm in the market for another one, I'll most likely go with Creative.
Oh, and Leo...just before your birthday/Xmas, leave heaps of Creative Zen advertising paraphanalia laying around all over the place (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom)....just NOT for the pink one.
Leo the Lion
Reply #31 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:04 AM
Reply #31 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:04 AM
Starkers, I've got a Phillips and that will do nicely for meantime.
My next hurdle is the white Mac laptops. She loves those and one of her friends has got one and the hints have already started with Xmas coming. I guess a Dell and a can of white paint spray from Pepboys will do the job
My next hurdle is the white Mac laptops. She loves those and one of her friends has got one and the hints have already started with Xmas coming. I guess a Dell and a can of white paint spray from Pepboys will do the job
pjdark
Reply #32 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:40 AM
Reply #32 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:40 AM
i really like foobar the best. Really is made for audio. even more so than winamp.Plus you can customize the heck out of it.Only downfall, is the lack of video capabilities.
Then again i use vlc player for that.
Then again i use vlc player for that.
starkers
Reply #33 Monday, October 8, 2007 5:32 AM
Yeah, my cheapy Laser will do me 'til it dies a natural death...then I'll be dropping the Zen (in 'black') catalogues all over the place...in the kitchen drawers, you name it.
Maybe...providing you put on one of those confounded Apples with a bite out of it.
Better still, get an Apple case and put a Dell in it...no need to take that bite out, then.
Reply #33 Monday, October 8, 2007 5:32 AM
Starkers, I've got a Phillips and that will do nicely for meantime.
Yeah, my cheapy Laser will do me 'til it dies a natural death...then I'll be dropping the Zen (in 'black') catalogues all over the place...in the kitchen drawers, you name it.
I guess a Dell and a can of white paint spray from Pepboys will do the job
Maybe...providing you put on one of those confounded Apples with a bite out of it.
Better still, get an Apple case and put a Dell in it...no need to take that bite out, then.
CharlesCS
Reply #34 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:49 PM
Reply #34 Monday, October 8, 2007 12:49 PM
I've recently discovered Xion. I like the interface somewhat and the skins are very nice. I am an avid user of WPM 11. I just need something to play music and I like th ease of the playlists. I use to like Winamp, except the UI was cluttered and just didn't care much to have to tweak it every time I installed it.
I own an iPod shuffle 2nd generation that has been hacked so I am free from iTunes. I simply drag the mp3s I want to the folder and run a small program that sets it up to play and off I go. Sure, I can only hold about 100 songs but that's good enough for now. Besides, I usually listen to music while I drive and I plan on getting one of those HDD stereos and transfer all my fav music to it.
I will consider taking a look at this new winamp though.
I own an iPod shuffle 2nd generation that has been hacked so I am free from iTunes. I simply drag the mp3s I want to the folder and run a small program that sets it up to play and off I go. Sure, I can only hold about 100 songs but that's good enough for now. Besides, I usually listen to music while I drive and I plan on getting one of those HDD stereos and transfer all my fav music to it.
I will consider taking a look at this new winamp though.
Snowman
Reply #35 Monday, October 8, 2007 1:00 PM
Reply #35 Monday, October 8, 2007 1:00 PM
As a matter of interest I have been trying out a new media player called JetAudio which is becoming popular with others in the skinning community. I must say I like it a lot.
Leo... just to point out, JetAudio is FAR from a new player. It's been around for ages
Leo the Lion
Reply #36 Monday, October 8, 2007 1:05 PM
Thanks, Snowman. I'd never come across it until a few days ago. Don't know how I missed it. I'm quite impressed so far
Reply #36 Monday, October 8, 2007 1:05 PM
As a matter of interest I have been trying out a new media player called JetAudio which is becoming popular with others in the skinning community. I must say I like it a lot.
Leo... just to point out, JetAudio is FAR from a new player. It's been around for ages
Thanks, Snowman. I'd never come across it until a few days ago. Don't know how I missed it. I'm quite impressed so far
starkers
Reply #37 Monday, October 8, 2007 10:27 PM
Like you, I always found the Winamp interface to be too small and cluttered, with fiddly (to the extreme) buttons), but this latest offing is quite good. The new interface is a bit along the lines of WMP, but is still skinnable with modern and classic skins. Yep, definitely worth a look.
Reply #37 Monday, October 8, 2007 10:27 PM
I will consider taking a look at this new winamp though.
Like you, I always found the Winamp interface to be too small and cluttered, with fiddly (to the extreme) buttons), but this latest offing is quite good. The new interface is a bit along the lines of WMP, but is still skinnable with modern and classic skins. Yep, definitely worth a look.
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Reply #21 Saturday, October 6, 2007 4:52 AM
Yes, that's the challenge most devs of media formats/players face, getting users to try something that doesn't have an i in front of it.
I Thank goodness that I feel differently. When I found my former techie had put Quicktime and iTunes on my PC's clean install of XP, I went to lengths to get rid of 'em. My choice of player was WMP, then Winamp, then JetAudio...all happily play the WMA format all my music is stored in...besides, I didn't want to change on the basis of that Apple propriety thing.
Yeah, I've been using the Jet Audio player for 12 months + and have been rather happy with it....makes great audio CD's and converts formats quite well, too..