MP3: The Definitive Guide

Players by Platform

With the basics out of the way, we’ll take a look at some of the more idiosyncratic or less intuitive features of the most popular players available for various operating systems. The players are listed by operating system, and alphabetically within each operating system section.

Windows 95/98/NT

Needless to say, there are more applications written for Windows than for any platform on the planet, and that includes MP3 encoders and players. Search your favorite MP3 software archive and you’ll find a bottomless pit of options. And because of the sheer critical mass behind Windows, its MP3 apps are also without question the most evolved and mature available.

Unfortunately, Windows users may also expect a few hitches along the way: Glitches in the sound stream, hung applications, and the dreaded blue screen of death are all part of the Windows experience that many of us have come to simultaneously respect and hate. In all fairness, these behaviors may be the exception and not the rule, and most Windows MP3 applications are very well behaved most of the time. If all you want to do is run one audio stream at a time and you have a relatively stable Windows installation, you don’t have anything to worry about, and will likely enjoy trouble-free audio. However, you may also experience a perceptible impact on overall system responsiveness when working in other applications while MP3 players do their thing in the background, depending on your available horsepower and the ...