available later this year.
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Click here for larger image)
During the technical beta release, the Windows Media Player team will be closely monitoring the Windows Media Beta Newsgroup to identify and resolve possible issues, Microsoft says. They will also be looking for feedback about what users think of the new Player.
The new features claimed for Windows Media Player 10 include:
- Sleek New Design -- A streamlined and sleek new design delivers improved ease of use, including faster access to top Player tasks. The most important Player features are now in a more prominent position in the library, enabling users to accomplish everyday digital media tasks all in one convenient place and to take advantage of the powerful capabilities of the Player while browsing the library.
- Choice of Online Stores -- Introducing the first "Digital Media Mall" enabling users to discover, download, rent or stream music and video within the Player from a choice of online stores.
- Enhanced Device Support -- A wide selection of devices are supported with this release, including a host of current portable music players and new Portable Media Center devices that will be available later this year. A major component of this rich device support includes a new feature called Auto Sync that enables the seamless, automatic synchronization of music, video, and even recorded TV and photos to supported portable devices.
- Improved All-in-One Smart Jukebox -- Windows Media Player 10 Technical Beta builds upon the Windows Media Player 9 Series, delivering fast and flexible playback, unmatched audio and video quality, and smart jukebox features designed to save time and effort.
"We are still in the early stages, but this technical beta lays the groundwork for the great end-to-end digital media experience coming with the final release for Windows XP," Microsoft says on the download web page.
The download, which only runs on Windows XP, is available
here.
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