Another Microsoft rant

Post Reply New Topic

While I'm in venting mood. Does anyone else hate the media player and photo viewer in Vista?

I've got lots of mp3's all nicely organised into a directory tree structure on an external drive, similarly with photos, but Media player does not have the facility any more to just play a selection of mp3's. First I have to create albums and mess about importing them into media player and shuffling them about to fit into its organizational regime. What a load of boll***s.

So to play mp3's I navigate to them using Windows Explorer (and that's a damn mess in Vista too but that's a different rant) then right click the mp3 files and select 'Play with media player'.

It is like Microsoft it trying to divorce users from the concept of folders and files completely, but making their software a real pain to use. The technology just gets in the way of doing what you want to do. Everything is becoming a fight.

Folders aren't even stable in Vista. One day they are in document view another day it decides to show the same folder as images and it keeps changing the columns hiding the information I really want to see. Its a moving target, a daily fight to use.

It is true Microsoft are weaning us towards one direction.

1) All command based with progrmming
2) Just simple commands, no programming
3) Visual appeal with mouse
4) away from the command based interface
5) towards New Technology (NT)
6) visual interface turns in a new way (for what reason)
7) <- Windows 7 built on Windows 6 (Vista) therefore Windows 7 NOT Windows 7. Windows 7 = 6.1

I preferred Windows Media Player 10, I keep getting asked to "upgrade to new software" or something and I decline. I installed Vista but it would NOT let me have Media Player 10
So, we have computers we can do anything with? Then why does Microsoft throw a wobbly when we want to use older software in favour of not liking newer ones.

I haven't used Media Player 11 as it doesn't give me the information I want

Never been a big fan of Microsoft media player. Can you not use winamp or something like that on vista?

I'm avoiding Vista on this computer. In my oppinion it never even made it far enough out of beta before being released. As for the windows media player, it sucks. If your into MP3 players go for something like winamp (good sound quality and layout) or if you go for the ipod then obviously use itunes but you can also sync from winamp.

With Microsoft on the whole I sound stupid saying this now but the best and most stable system I have ever run would be windows 95. When I had my first PC we never had any operating problems whatsoever. As Windows has aged the bugs seem to outway it's benefits.

Sorry to hijack, but isn't there a program like mpg321, ogg123 or flac123 that you can associate with the files and then start via explorer? That's how I set it up in KDE.

I used VLC Mediaplayer. My laptop came with Vista/WMP11 and haven't used the WMP. I am also in the process of downgrading to XP. Its a tablet though so things are a little tricky.

But yea i agree, Micro$oft suck, If Windows 7 is anything like Vista, im gona probably Find a good day to day linux distro or start looking at a Mac. Played on one the other day, was nice, felt all warm and fuzzy. No residual anger just from turning it on.

I hate when I'm recharging my Mp3 player then media player starts syncing some crappy songs to it. then when I hit stop it won't recharge my MP3. go F**k you microsoft!!

I use Winamp for audio, Zoomplayer for video and Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (really original name) has always worked fine for me for viewing images but I'm not sure if it gets installed during a default WinXP install and dunno what Vista uses (Ive been avoiding it like the plague).

But someone else mentioned IrfanView and Ive had good experiences with it.

hehe, [remainder of post removed by lau]