Jun 05, 2004 05:35 PM
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(Updated Jun 05, 2004 05:35 PM)
If you download music from the internet or listen to music in your PC, you must have heard of Winamp. If not, its an MP3 playing interface that can be installed on your PC that can play almost all types of audio and video files. Its available for download at its website (winamp.com)for absolutely free. And due to this very reason, Winamp is the most widely used MP3 player in the world.
The latest version of Winamp, 5.03 is worth a try. It is quite surprising for many because all its recent versions have been disasters, the last best-known version being 2.76. So if you are still using 2.76 thinking it's doing your job, v5.1 can potentially enhance what you can do with your mp3 player.
It's fast
The start up is fast and there is no splash screen that delays the starting of the player. It can also be restored easily. It comes with both classic ( the same old green) and modern skins. For slow machines, modern skin may prove to be a little expensive because it may further slow down the CPU speed. So classic skin is my bet. There are also a built-in browser and an improved media library with multiple options available on this version.
What?s hot
The new v5.03 comes with global hot keys. This helps the user to operate Winamp while working on other applications. For instance, If you are working on Word and wants to reduce the volume, you can use alt + ctrl + down key-combination to do that without going to Winamp or minimizing the document. The best part is that you can define your own hot keys for these operations. Another plug-in is CD ripping that converts the audio from your CD in to .wav or to other MP3 file extensions.
This will be helpful if you have a collection of audio CDs and would like to store them in your PC. Winamp rips the songs and convert them in to M3U or similar format play lists. In almost all past versions the video plug-ins have not been functioning well but the new version offers an enhanced video interface.
Above given is just a snapshot of what this latest version have in offer. I am not qualified to comment on its drawbacks yet because it has not been long since I have installed mine. But the installation file size is sure to give you a second thought on downloading it especially if you are using a dial-up connection. A full bundle comes with 7 something MB.
So I would recommend the full version(4.2 MB) rather than light package because the latter comes without many of the features discussed above. As for those who cant find a good player yet, I think Winamp is much better than any other player with the latest version being the best so far.
