Microsoft Updates Windows Media Player

In the past, Windows Media Player has been called both unwieldy and unattractive by reviewers and consumers alike. However, the new version of the software, set to be rolled out in its first public beta tomorrow with the debut of MTV's new Urge music service, has many singing its praises.

Over the past few years, music fans everywhere have been ripping their CDs or using online subscription services to download tunes, which means that music libraries stored on PCs have grown in size dramatically. With the new edition of the software, formally moving from version 10 to version 11, Microsoft has tried to make managing enormous music collections much more efficient.

Rather than force users to scroll through a database-like list, for example, Windows Media Player 11 will offer the option of moving through tunes according to thumbnails of album art.

Quick Searches

Another notable feature in the new version of the software is an "instant search" capability that will give users the ability to locate music simply by typing in the initial letters of an artist's name.

For instance, typing in a search for Jessica Simpson, with the first letter "J," the search tool will narrow the list to all music beginning with a "J," and so on.

"We've developed a technology that allows this to happen extremely quickly," said Jeff Harris, product manager for Windows Media Player. "Even for very large sets of content."

Integrated Services

Microsoft has tightly integrated Windows Media Player 11 with MTV's new online music store, Urge. One component of the integration is a new music feed technology.

Working along the same lines as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds for news, the music feeds will enable Urge subscribers to sign up for content streams according to their music preferences.

These feeds can be synchronized with portable media players and refreshed daily. As long as subscribers connect their devices each day to their PCs, the list will refresh.

"Once you subscribe, [the feeds] automatically sync to your device and they are dynamic," Harris said. "So every day you can come back and get a new feed and a new set of content on your device. That's the power of a subscription over an a la carte service."

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