I know I'm not the only one.. (must read!)

[fac3less]

who hate quicktime, realplayer, etc - and how they always HIJACK every aspect of your system..

so heres a link - use and abuse this: quicktime/realplayer alternative :)

http://home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm

also a bunch of other stuff there. Check it out. They all work perfect and hijack absolutely nothing.

[y6y6y6]

Just wait till the BIOS manufacturers and Microsoft finish DRM. If you think your computer gets hijacked now just wait until your hardware and software needs to ask Microsoft's "trusted computing" module for permission to run.

[fac3less]

screw that - just like we used to fix those cable boxes with a screwdriver..

this time around i'll fix microsoft the way it should be fixed. :)

I read about that a few days ago.. the whole 'microsoft/intel' thing going on with the DRM and whatnot.. for 'speedier' boot up..

time to side with AMD on this one.. or stop upgrading.. I have no issue with that.

[SnakEyez]

Realplayer I admit has lost it's touch since WMP was remade after version 7. But Quicktime is a great program and has better quality than any WMP file can ever get. I wish they would work on being able to get the file sizes down, but there is nothing wrong with the program.

[fac3less]

I don't like how it loves to run itself at startup and whatnot - programs shouldn't by 'default' do this.

They should stay away from me. :b

So I like alternatives. and someone had just mentioned this link on irc while I was getting even more annoyed at people who upload everything as .ram files.

Now I can finally play .ram files - in peace.

[Fuzzylogic]

You could always use Media Player classic with RealAlternative.

[fac3less]

If I could I would be completely 'windowless' and using linux again.

of course I cannot. I stay as far away from WMP as I can - winamp on the other hand.. ;)

Update: In fact - even winamp has begun to throw aol icons all over your system unless you remember to check 50 boxes.. I stopped using that 3 days ago. I do believe I still have it installed.. I just don't even listen to local music anymore. Solely through sam2.

[HRGraham]

Atleast Winamp is a little more open about what it does. On the installation it will say stuff like "do you want to send anonymous stats to nullsoft bla bla bla".

-Graham

[SnakEyez]

You know you can disable programs from running at startup in Windows. I disabled a ton of my programs from booting at start up. The only thing that starts up with my PC is Norton AV, BlackICE, some thing for my Lexmark printer, and Apache since I have had trouble disabling that start up but that is the only program that has ever given me problems.

[Unicorn2]

Originally posted by SnakEyez
Realplayer I admit has lost it's touch since WMP was remade after version 7. But Quicktime is a great program and has better quality than any WMP file can ever get. I wish they would work on being able to get the file sizes down, but there is nothing wrong with the program.

With large filesizes, comes higher quality picture. Most of the streaming video you see in WMP sites (300k) are physically smaller than the Quicktime trailers, so they are going to pale in comparison.

If you took a side by side comparison to WMP and QT on a similair compression algorithm (and level), you'd find that WMP offers equal quality.

and graham : WMP 9, when you are installing it, asks you what Winamp does. It's also in the Preferences.

What I don't like about 3rd party apps such as winamp (which as an app, itself, I do like) is that they always drop little presents on your computer. When I install aim,icq, or winamp, or netscape, my desktop, start menu, and browser bookmarks suddenly get links to AOL signups...

When I install quicktime, it takes over extensions even when I SPECIFICALLY TELL IT NOT TO.

[Viper007Bond]

Personally, I love Winamp. (The ONLY reason there is an AOL icon thingy is 'cause AOL forced them to put that there.) I hang out a lot at their forums and know that they strive to make the best media play and are constantly improving it - take Winamp 5 for example. I'd never use anything else. :)

[HRGraham]

Winamp 5 is incredible.

SnakEyez-

In windows I think Apache installs itself as a windows service. If you go to administrative options in the control panel you can disable it that way.

-Graham

[a-pluspc]

Originally posted by Viper007Bond
Personally, I love Winamp. (The ONLY reason there is an AOL icon thingy is 'cause AOL forced them to put that there.) I hang out a lot at their forums and know that they strive to make the best media play and are constantly improving it - take Winamp 5 for example. I'd never use anything else. :)

I haven't used winamp for a long time. After v3 came out it was so bloated I just couldn't understant what the heck they were doing with it. I do like the software but unfortunately it isn't a good choice to run in the background with other more intensive tasks running.

[a-pluspc]

Originally posted by HRGraham
Winamp 5 is incredible.

SnakEyez-

In windows I think Apache installs itself as a windows service. If you go to administrative options in the control panel you can disable it that way.

-Graham

Yeah by default it installs itself as a serice. You can manually disable it from the command line by typing "net stop apache" or you can permanently stop it at the startup by doing what Graham said.

[fac3less]

I think winamp has become way bloated. I still use the 2.91 version because of bloat. I mean I don't need all this media organizer and crap - I just want it to play music.

I do however want that ability to set the rating of each song (like in WMP 9) so that certain ones play more often. Thats a cool feature. Certain songs (oldies) that I like but don't want to hear all the time.. I set to 1-2stars and the ones I love I set at 4-5

works out great with WMP.. and then I realize the damn program is using about 50MB of ram -WTH!

[Winston]

Winamp 5 is awesome. It has links to internet radio and tv, and is an awesome player. If you got turned off by Winamp 3, go give Winamp 5 a spin before you give up on it. They really put a lot of work into making it an awesome program once again!

[SnakEyez]

I am aware it is a service and the service itself has been stopped. It's the monitoring app that comes with it to control the service that I can't seem to shut down.

Also to Viper's post. The reason the AOL logo is going to be all over WinAMP is because WinAMP was bought out by AOL about a year ago. But AOL wouldn't let the original head of WinAMP to have any control so he took off. The WinAMP 5 you see now is completely AOL's creation.

I do like how they redid the program and made it more usable, but it has way too much clutter on the screen for me. Personally I will stick with iTunes.

[HRGraham]

I didn't use Winamp 3 when it came out because it was very bloated. Winamp 5 takes the best features from 2 and 3 and they come together into WINAMP 5! If you think Winamp 3 is bloated, try iTunes for windows.

-Graham

[a-pluspc]

I did check out their site again and after I move I think I'll download the lite version.

Even though I won't be playing much with windows anymore I'll probably keep it around to make a good jukebox. Thanks Microsoft.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by a-pluspc
I haven't used winamp for a long time. After v3 came out it was so bloated I just couldn't understant what the heck they were doing with it. I do like the software but unfortunately it isn't a good choice to run in the background with other more intensive tasks running.
They themselves admited WA3 was a pile of crap. ;)

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by fac3less
I think winamp has become way bloated. I still use the 2.91 version because of bloat. I mean I don't need all this media organizer and crap - I just want it to play music.

I do however want that ability to set the rating of each song (like in WMP 9) so that certain ones play more often. Thats a cool feature. Certain songs (oldies) that I like but don't want to hear all the time.. I set to 1-2stars and the ones I love I set at 4-5

works out great with WMP.. and then I realize the damn program is using about 50MB of ram -WTH!
When installing, you can chose what features you want to install (you can leave all those things out like media player and such).

Winamp 5.01 has rating support in the media library which you should try. Unlike WMP's that automatically adds stuff you play (I had to turn that off), this will search directories for you and such and is nice if I want to go play a certain CD (find the artist, pick the CD), etc. I love it.

And Winamp is playing a song, has a free form skin (WA3 style) on the little equalizer running right now and it's using 8 MB of RAM and between 0 and 6% of my CPU. :)

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by SnakEyez
Also to Viper's post. The reason the AOL logo is going to be all over WinAMP is because WinAMP was bought out by AOL about a year ago. But AOL wouldn't let the original head of WinAMP to have any control so he took off. The WinAMP 5 you see now is completely AOL's creation.
Actually, that's incorrect. It's still made by the guys at Nullsoft (even Justin I believe). AOHell just owns them and forces them to put AOL icons and crap in their installer.

I'll ask and double check...

[Unicorn2]

Nullsoft *is* still the creative team behind winamp, but they have to answer to aol...

[vanselus]

How else do you expect them to develop free software?

[Viper007Bond]

A fair tradeoff in my opinion. :)

[EodLabs]

It's true that AOL does have the force behind AOL, but if you look at their forums, you also see that the Griping comes from what AOL really sponsors... It comes out as we have project X,Y,Z and you have these resources alot'd to them... Thats why Wasabi started, because essentialy WinAMP 5 was basically a hopped up version of 3, with additions heavely of course, but base was winamp3. But some people in Nullsoft went their different ways because of the sponer'd project controll. Correct me if i'm wrong in the above, i hate being a flamed retard :p

-Mike

(I think i ranted off topic... my bad)

[fac3less]

What I need to find out is how to get my station added in that list in Winamp 5 pro. :(

Obviously it doesn't work off the same shoutcast dDb :(

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by EodLabs
It's true that AOL does have the force behind AOL, but if you look at their forums, you also see that the Griping comes from what AOL really sponsors... It comes out as we have project X,Y,Z and you have these resources alot'd to them... Thats why Wasabi started, because essentialy WinAMP 5 was basically a hopped up version of 3, with additions heavely of course, but base was winamp3. But some people in Nullsoft went their different ways because of the sponer'd project controll. Correct me if i'm wrong in the above, i hate being a flamed retard :p

-Mike

(I think i ranted off topic... my bad)
No, that's pretty much right.

So you go to their forums often?

[-rAz-]

fac3less

wots that sam2 thing you are talking about ?

I just use winamp5 these days and im very happy with it. No crap gets installed if you look carefully and uncheck the necesarry things. The mediaplayer is a nice addon but not my prefference when i seriously wanna watch a media file

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by -rAz-
No crap gets installed if you look carefully and uncheck the necesarry things.
What do you mean? The only "crap" is an AOL icon and the uncheck box is right there in the uninstall - not hidden or anything else. You guys act as if you aren't careful, it installs spyware...

[Tammy]

I tried winamp a long time ago, it did not impress me much. It seemed too big for what it did. I liked the skins, but that was about all. It's nice there are different options for people, but I get full use out of other programs like the irfanviewer and the regular windows media player.

[EodLabs]

Originally posted by Viper007Bond
No, that's pretty much right.

So you go to their forums often?


I'm not going to say I live there persay, but I'm Interested In Xine someday doing NSV streaming:D . But WASABI is a waste of time in my opinion, AOL limits what source they can release, so it's like Re-inventing the wheel. So yeah i do visit them, but most of it is filled with information not pertaining to much of interest besides 'i love nullsoft winamp' or 'I HATE WINAMP'. The developers corner is a place to check out if you ever get around to their forums.


-Mike

[EodLabs]

Originally posted by Tammy
I tried winamp a long time ago, it did not impress me much. It seemed too big for what it did. I liked the skins, but that was about all. It's nice there are different options for people, but I get full use out of other programs like the irfanviewer and the regular windows media player.

Your right. Have you ever noticed how long it takes to even run winamp5 ? (just the startup time) I mean in my AMD64 FX-51 it's not instant like media player is (but media player being heavly intergrated into the OS helps i know) but on my other box, a 933 Mhz Desktop with 512 ram, it takes close to 7 Seconds. On the same desktop XMMS in fedora Core/GNOME desktop it's instant (I know it's dulled down compared to winamp, but the basic functionality is the same, what alot of people like myself care about, playing music....)

-Mike

[Viper007Bond]

Originally posted by EodLabs
if you ever get around to their forums.
From time to time... (http://forums.winamp.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=68695) ;)

[EodLabs]

Originally posted by Viper007Bond
From time to time... (http://forums.winamp.com/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=68695) ;)

DoH
http://www.akri.org/research/images/doh.jpg


Well then I'm not totally off in my statements then... If so, please don't turn the flame thrower up too high:D

[Viper007Bond]

:) No worries, you were pretty much on.

[-rAz-]

No Viper007Bond - didnt mean spyware but some ppl dont like it hijacking file extensions to for instance the included media player Winamp now has for instance

[Viper007Bond]

When installing, don't check any of the boxes to have it assosciate the files with Winamp. And the media player has nothing to do with that.

You can also find file type settings in Options -> Prefs -> File Types

[vanselus]

Yeah, it's usually not tough to set the default file extensions in most programs, even Real. You just have to do a little searching is all.

And for the record, Kurt Cobain isn't the only one either.