INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: nila on December 25, 2002, 03:03:30 pm
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I'm installing Windows Media Player v9 RC to see what it's like and test it. I'm gonna basically write down things I notice about it as I install it and set it up right now and point out things about it that I think are currently better/easier than MJ so that you guys can consider them for MJ to compete with ur biggest competition.
- As soon as it's finished installing it presents me with a 'privacy options' screen which gets me to choose basic options for it (cddb cd retrieval etc) which helps configure it to a basic level without having to go near the options screen myself.
- The 'scan for media' dialog box has options to: 'Add files previously deleted' which is something that I recently started HUGELY wishing MJ had as a feature so I could disable it on my friends computer as she's deleting files from her library (which is all my songs) for songs she doesn't want but if she then re-scans the directory to get all the new albums then she'll get all the files she's deleted from her library already. It also has an option to do auto leveling when adding the files on this dialog which just combines a few features in MJ into one and presents them to the user to use rather than making them go find them. This is again emphasized with the option to 'update existing track info' which is built into the same dialog box making it easier for the user to instantly know where that option is and how to use it.
- Easy option to allow us to set the amount of buffering in seconds to occur.
- Top corner it has a drop down list full of all the playlists created for quick and easy access to, playing of any playlist we have already made at any point from within WMP9 no matter what we are doing.
- On the left it has buttons that are always visible with quick easy access to the main functions for things like: Rip CD, Media Library, Playing Now, Radio Stations (web media). - In MJ these disappear when we start browsing the library. :)
- in the 'burn cd' screen there's a drop down list with all the playlists in it allowing us to SUPER easily just burn any playlist we want instantly.
Thats it for now. I'll add more as I play with it and discover features I find really helpful and well done that I think could be added to MJ.
I hope it's useful :)
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Hey,
Just tried the final version.
Here's a few of the things I noticed:
- Confirmation prompt after a file is changed when selecting a new file asking if I wish to apply changes (should be optional)
- List of selected files on left which I can move between easily to edit the properties for.
- 'Mood' field with selection of preset moods (this should be done as in Dr Tag with it's 'Genre's' where we can choose in the 'options' which values we want from a big list presented to us, we want to appear in this drop down.
- Pictures - Multiple pictures can be added and it can be specified from a drop down list which type of picture it is (picture of artist, album front cover, back cover etc).
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The only cool thing I like is the ability to choose any color for the user interface.
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Things I like:
- Color Chooser. I like to use of any color and being able to change it while it's open.
- Full screen goes to the monitor from which it's on. (more than one monitor setup.)
- Ability to maximize the window without going full screen (MC's Windowed mode).
- Mood playlist. (as described above)
- Play counts for evening, weekend, etc.
- Playing file always highlighted.
- Invalid files (does not exist) different color.
- Rating System. (mouse over and auto-rate, bold for manually rated)
- Column and file type selection.
Things I don't like
- Sound Quality. It's lacking. MC sounds way better.
- Unable to create lists.
- Artist/Album looks locked into place.
- Can't change the font. (not that I saw anyway).
- Really slow compared to MC.
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Yeah - I forgot about that.
The feature where it keeps track of when songs are played (weekend, week day etc) is a VERY good one and pretty easy to implement I'd imagine.
Any chance of it for MJ? :)
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Just thought I'd bump this seeing as you guys are reaching the point where you've got rid of most of the bugs and probably starting to add features again.
Not sure if you want to add any of these but if you do, here's the list again :)
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I'll add a few things:
1. Overall UI design. Dialogs, icon choice, etc. are old and don't give the app the "eye-candy" appeal that it needs to attract windows users away from the free program MS gives 'em. You use the wrong metaphor icons while MC9 is working, you use a Search icon on your dialogs when it's processing updates to the database and tags.
2. Stability/Performance: Performance has to be improved. I know we're still in betas and all that, but the speed of startup and navigating tree items in WMP Series 9 is much faster.
3. Refreshing Tree's on changes: this has been the bane of MC9 as far as I'm concerned. Steve's iPod plugin does this , but the rest of the app doesn't. For example: if I have an Artist>Album view selected and I edit all the songs in the view to change the album, the tree should refresh and display the new album name upon Applying those changes. Right now the user must first collapse the tree item, then expand it again.
4. Don't hide features in menu options.
5. Smartlists are the best in MC9, but the interface on building them is behind the times. Look at WMP Series 9 smartlists. Their wizard is what you need to benchmark against as far as form. Stick with the function you guys have though--far superior.
6. Enable "Watch Folders". I think every media player has this option now.
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Another area regarding stability/performance..
When browsing 'My Computer' with MJ. Clicking on cancel when it's recursing a directory does cancel it but you have to sit around and wait for several seconds before it stops doing what it's doing and lets you do something else.
Clicking on cancel should instantly stop what it's doing and let you do something else. This lagg makes navigating My Computer a real pain at times and makes MJ seem somewhat flaky as during this lagg period it doesn't re-draw itself and seems a bit like it's crashing.
Also, the 'My Computer' folder icons all have black around the edges and do not appear clear or crisp. :)
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One huge thing I liked about WMP 9:
When you minimize the program it puts a small set of player controls on my task bar, very compact but yet easy to navigate with.
Dan "da Man"
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Dan - Try Mini Me with this skin: Caliber
or you could use: Caliper
or: Lower Right
or: Shade
Any of them achieve it.
You have to remember that WMP is made by MS so they do all kinds of little tricks (that taskbar docking) that is hard for other companies to copy.
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Thanks, Nila, I have been using LowerRight for a long time, and like it. But, in some instances, the tasbar thing would be even cooler.
It's just a cool feature, but that doesn't mean that I am going to switch from MC9.
Dan "da Man"