Re: Suggestions For Final Release WMP11

Thanks for your detailed response zach

for 1. I think the quick access link was a good way of accessing things like
albums without having to scroll through a big list of swich to a different
view like the library

on 2. Yeah fair point, that would have gotten some raised eyebrows. just
figured for the main consumer thats unlikely to dip into beta release will
want to see something new in the final release, especially in Vista to show
off the new graphics system. although i don't use them either i think they
could help encourage some of the market share back to WMP, as shallow as that
is. Especially with the addition of a 'party mode' that i've read suggestions
about.

as for 4. i should have been a little clearer as to where. The library
thumbnails are fine, i was referreing to when they are displayed at the top
of the list pane in now playing and at the bottom left of the player next to
the playlist name and time (unless on play symbol mode)

***Related Bug: as WMP generates library thumbnails of a lot of DIVX videos,
it can lock up and crash. though this is probably a divX issue as its tray
icon flashes on and off as if the codec is loading and unloading***

hope that clears those up a little. I thought i had posted this in the wrong
place originally so reposted in the media player section with some extra
points, they weren't reponed to like this has so...


7. Add a tick box in the options to remove the Online Stores button and the
"Buy" links on the list pane etc, they seem kind of pointless when I'm
playing music i've already bought.

8. The fact that the Now Playing window clears on Exit isn't very useful. It
was always quite nice picking up where you left off before and also a very
useful timesaver when WMP is closed by accident.

9. Bring back an "All Music" button. such as that in the Quick list (see
above, point #1.) was very useful for listening to my collection (especially
with the handy new separate shuffle button and the even better 'shuffle
list' function!). I know lots of people used this, and it's just a little
awkward to do now, especially when all the
competion has a similar function

oh, the worlds smallest bug... the forward and back buttons image appear to
be one pixel too low on the UI. altho cant say i noticed until today.

thanks for any response in advance


"zachd [MSFT]" wrote:


1: How, precisely, was that useful? Evidently the resounding feedback was
that that was not a useful feature...

2: I hear you on that, but I've never been a fan of the visualizations
myself (hence my "Null" visualization...). The problem with vizzes is that
they're just pretty gloss and add no core functionality to the player, so
they're one of the last things to get focused on. If the team had come out
with pretty vizzes for the beta and yet there were core issues still to be
addressed (and of course there had to be for a beta), developers would be
facing very angry release managers. =)

3/5/6: Feedback noted and passed on.

4: I haven't noticed this. Are there are 'cleared' samples that show this
issue?

Thanks for the feedback,
-Zach
--
Windows Media Development Team (speaking for myself only)
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--

"moosetache" <moosetache@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:EB6840BE-08B4-452C-9563-B59EE1D1DD5B@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
First of all, WMP11 is pretty rockin, very nice visually and the new
library
is great. However I would like to suggest a few extra things, some new and
some to bring back one or two features like those in WMP10:

1. Bring back the Quick list (or whatever it was called). That small drop
down button that used to be next to now playing. It was very useful for
quickly playing albums and could be tidily added in between the Forward
and
Now Playing Buttons. it allowed users to dip into their library in the
taskbar player (perhaps the WMP logo could bring it up there. perphaps
style/colour it to match the sexy new UI too. i know the idea that people
will live in their libraries was the idea but it gives the choice not to.

2. Improve the Visualizations, they're hidious and havn't changed in
years,
and it really shows.

3. Allow the User to remove the top part of the list pane (with the album
art, track title and rating) and and option to display the Artist and
Title
in the main view like in WMP10 when se to album art. as i've said above,
the
visualisations are weak so i and i know many others just use the main pane
for album artwork and this was a useful feature.

4. Allow the Video thumbnails (very useful and nice feature by the way!)
to
keep their aspect ratio so you don't get squshed images from widescreen
videos.

5. Add a podcast subscription feature to the library before its too late.
Thats a feature that i know stops a lot of people switching to WMP from
iTunes.

6. Make the Vista version of WMP11 all dark and glossy like the XP
version,
It's so much nicer visually and stops the navigation bar (now playing,
library etc...) looking lost because of the areo glass top and bottom, or
at
least add the choice.

I hope these are considered as i think they are the handful of small
changes
that woulod make WMP11 unbeatable for function and UI. Excellent work!

other than that WMP11 is shaping up very well



.