Winamp

Pros

• Free media player
• Music organizer panels
• Highly customizable
• Supported by a large community
• Compatible with many media file types
• Audio tools include a CD ripper
• Small, fast, and efficient

Cons

• Not as fully featured as other media players

Winamp Lite is a pared-down edition of a user-popularized media player. Its sleeker than its heavier big brother, but still loaded with features. All things being equal, many audio enthusiasts tend to opt for this slimmed down version, especially when they realize how small the program is and how fast it loads all kinds of musical tracks.

Before the classic audio player can be installed, it needs to be downloaded. That's not a problem. Even on a slow internet connection, the software installer is less than 5MB big, so it arrives on a Windows desktop in seconds. Then, after the free media player is set up and configured, the customisability settings are unveiled. Winamp Lite can be personalised in several different ways. First of all, eager music collectors get to play around with the skin settings. Skins are used to transform the interface and style it in ways that fit a user's visual tastes. Next, Winamp Lite is the child of a much grander media player, one that's supported by a large community of keen software developers. Because of this popularity, there are hundreds of third-party plug-ins waiting to be loaded into the lightweight audio player.

So there's a library of plugins and skins available, plus the Winamp default look and a toolbar minimized theme. Before exploring the library, the software needs to be configured. Equipped with its music management feature, begin by organizing the panels. There are several of these windows, which load with album and song information once the software is directed towards a music hosting directory. Stretch the panels to display more text by using a click of the mouse. Double click a song to begin playback, then observe the digital control panel to see how long that track is going to last. That core control panel also includes a pause button, stop button, and next/previous track controls, plus a readout section that displays current track info. There's even an option to load the album artwork into the panel and really add some graphical flash to the user playback experience.

The above features are essential. They allow audiophiles and casual music listeners to manipulate their collections with fingertip control. However, this is Winamp Lite, not the full media player, so some tools are missing. Nonetheless, even with its streamlined layout, there are plenty of tools under the menus, enough to keep all but the pickiest user happy. Winamp Lite is equipped with a CD ripper, skins, plugin compatibility, a powerful graphic equalizer, and more audio tools, all of which load in a few short seconds.

Pros

• Free media player
• Music organizer panels
• Highly customizable
• Supported by a large community
• Compatible with many media file types
• Audio tools include a CD ripper
• Small, fast, and efficient

Cons

• Not as fully featured as other media players