Matt’s Desk: Editor’s Blog

Each time I sit down to write a tutorial on how to use a Windows Mobile device as a portable audio player, I run into a wall – a stubborn, inflexible wall which is aggravating to no end.  This wall is called Windows Media Player.

The wall has two bricks: Windows Media Player and Windows Media Player Mobile.  Getting the two programs to talk to each other, or more specifically using the former to create and sync content and playlists with the latter, is beyond annoying; it’s downright embarrassing.  iTunes – and even RealPlayer (if properly installed without the bloat) and Rhapsody – do a much better job of managing audio on a portable player than WMP could ever hope to (as currently designed).  Why does Microsoft make an activity as simple as listening to music on a WM device so complicated and inelegant?

But, I’m not giving up .  I’m going to begin work on a tutorial that addresses how to use a Windows Mobile device as a portable audio player – I’m just going to skip the Windows Media players altogether.  I’m going with one of the excellent third-party applications like PocketMusic or Pocket Player 3.  Yeah, you’ll have to pay for these applications, but in the end, you’ll be glad you did.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on such a piece.

M.N.