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Winamp 2 + Winamp 3 = Winamp 5!

An anonymous coward writes: Having been a loyal iTunes user for quite some time, after seeing the report on Ars Technica about the newly released Winamp 5 Final, I simply had to try it out. It's pretty amazing, rivaling iTunes in many ways on Windows (mainly, speed). Ripping, library, etc: They're all there. Plus it comes with a slew of of new scriptable features. Simply put, it's dead sexy. Get your copy now! Note, last link requires some other OS.

43 of 896 comments (clear)

  1. Some other OS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know.. the one that hardly anyone uses.. I think its called Windows or something.

    Obscure thing. :)

  2. Link Broken by Flounder · · Score: 4, Informative
    Get your copy now! Note, last link requires some other OS.

    Also note, the link does appear to look at the referrer. Able to get to the file from WinAmp.com, but not from the direct link.

    --

    No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    1. Re:Link Broken by ChaosDiscord · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Seems to work well enough from here, but on a slightly offtopic note, should anyone actually honour the referer header anymore? It's a horrendous privacy flaw.

      Horrendous privacy flaw? The heck? The only potential privacy flaw is that some stupid web site might encode private data using a GET request (a Bad Idea), and you might move from there to another untrustworthy site. But in the vast majority of cases all the web site learns is where you came from. Is that such a terrible secret? Getting a general sense of where people are coming from can be quite helpful for improving your web pages, understanding your audience, and reacting to changing circumstances (Am I under a DDOS attack, or did Slashdot link to me?).

      On a related note, if you're concerned about it, feel free to switch it off. A few people doing so really isn't a big deal. And if everyone actively choses to do it, so be it, but I think the web will be worse for it. If you run into problems accessing some poorly designed sites, I'm willing to yield that perhaps you should automatically set the referrer to the page you're retreiving (but I'd suggest visiting less brain-dead sites). But please don't change the referrer to something arbitrary like "Field protected by Outpost (http://www.RETARD-SOFTWARE-VENDER-NAME-HERE.com/) " You're just making a nuisance for the guy examining the logs. Don't be rude. The standard makes the field optional, if it bothers you, just don't send it.

  3. When the duplicate story arrives... by benito27uk · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will it be winamp 10?

    1. Re:When the duplicate story arrives... by ArmenTanzarian · · Score: 5, Funny
      It's Fibonacci, that'll be Winamp 8.
      Ex:
      1 + 1 = 2
      1 + 2 = 3
      2 + 3 = 5
      3 + 5 = 8
      So your sequence is 1,2,3,5,8
    2. Re:When the duplicate story arrives... by aneurysm36 · · Score: 5, Funny

      thats amazing! ive got the same combination on my luggage!

      --
      ------ hi mom
  4. Link to privacy policy returns 404 by corebreech · · Score: 5, Interesting

    See?

    Also, if you're going to compare it to iTunes, mention the fact that you can't do a lot of things (like ripping to MP3) unless you pay for the Pro version.

    iTunes is free, right?

    So maybe somebody should mention this.

    1. Re:Link to privacy policy returns 404 by Liselle · · Score: 4, Informative

      I don't find them mutually exclusive. I use iTunes to organize portions of my music library... the portions that go on my iPod. I might be missing something, but I don't find iTunes terribly useful for listening to single one-shot tracks.

      I use Winamp for playing files with weird extensions, because there are so many nifty plugins that let me listen to PSFs, NSFs, etc. There's no reason to have a one-size-fits-all music player. I have Winamp 2, Winamp 3, and I use them both. Downloading Winamp 5 now, and we'll see how I like it.

      --
      Auto-reply to ACs: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
    2. Re:Link to privacy policy returns 404 by li99sh79 · · Score: 5, Funny
      Free with a $200 OS and overpriced, underperforming hardware, sure.

      Yes, but you can also run iTunes on a G5 with OSX. :D

      -sam

      --
      I was just here, where did I go?
  5. Ripping and Burning is Pro only by hyperherod · · Score: 5, Informative

    Looks like you have to pay $15 to get MP3 encoding and CD burning functionality. Considering a lot of people want to rip and burn to save money (read: nicking songs!), this seems a pretty stupid idea if they want to go better than iTunes, and any other software which will do it for free.

  6. 2.0 by Da+Fokka · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm still using 2.whatever because it's faster than the newer versions, which have no additional features worth the speed decrease.

    1. Re:2.0 by dschuetz · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, from what I understand 5.0 is the 2.x engine with the interface controls of 3.x. So it's the best of both worlds.

      I've been using a beta of 5.0 for about a month now, and it's very nice. Definitely worth checking out.

    2. Re:2.0 by Bish.dk · · Score: 5, Informative

      the newer versions, which have no additional features worth the speed decrease.

      It took me about 0.5 nanosecond to fall utterly in love with "global hotkeys". Never again will I need to use mouse or ALT+TAB to find Winamp, just to change the song. Everything can be controlled from whatever program I'm currently using.

      That's definately worth the increased startup-times (which, by the way, seems to only exist if you're using a "modern skin").

    3. Re:2.0 by Down8 · · Score: 5, Informative

      You are the reason for WinAmp5!

      I avoided 3.x like the plague, as well, b/c it was a resource hog. WA5 has taken the goodness from WA2 (speed), the goodness from WA3 (awesome skins), and maintained the general WinAmp greatness (play anything, cool vis, etc.), and brought them to WA5.

      Seriously, unless you're only looking ot be 31337, WA5 is worth a try. I would caution you again installing both and not expecting problems between the two though.

      -bZj

      --
      .sig
  7. Yes CmdrTaco... by Nos. · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Note, last link requires some other OS.
    Imagine that a product called Winamp requires windows.

  8. Pre-slashdotted for your pleasure! by StickMang · · Score: 4, Funny

    Moments after this story was posted, the download links were unavailable. Glory be the power that is slashdot!

  9. No video support in winamp 2?! by ooby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've been watching videos in winamp 2 for a while. It even runs better than Windows Media Player, though sometimes it's upside-down. I don't think the reviewer ever tried to run video in winamp.

    And another thing: 4MB?
    Winamp 2 is 1MB. No, thanks. I'll stick with my winamp 2.

  10. anyone else get this? by 1000101 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I go to http://winamp.com it looks different than when I go to http://www.winamp.com Why?

    1. Re:anyone else get this? by (trb001) · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Technically, they're separate websites. In reality, they're typically set to the same thing. If you want to get technical, when you set up your DNS file, you are supposed to declare www as a CNAME of your domain (in this case, winamp.com). You don't have to...in fact, a lot of places don't. Try removing the www from some websites and note that they don't go anywhere...those are people that haven't set a resolution for their domain, only for www.domain.com.

      I believe it became a 'standard' early in the web's (note: not the *Internet's* life, the web's life) life. I remember in high school (Thomas Jefferson HS for Sci/Tech, near Washington, D.C.), we had the first high school web server (hell, before most colleges) back in the early 90's, and it was http://thor.tjhsst.edu. We switched over around 1995 because www was more 'normal'. These days, people take it for granted.

      --trb

  11. I'll take care of it... by interactive_civilian · · Score: 5, Funny
    corebreech said:
    So maybe somebody should mention this.
    Don't worry. I'll take care of this.

    Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that while iTunes allows you to rip to .mp3 or AAC as well as other things (like run on a Macintosh) for FREE, you have to pay for the pro-version of WinAmp to do the same things (well...accept for the AAC and MacOS support).

    Just wanted to mention this...

    ;-p

    heh...oh well...I have some karma to burn.

    --
    "Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
    1. Re:I'll take care of it... by m3rr · · Score: 4, Informative

      If I remember correctly, there was a plugin available for Winamp 3 that allowed Ripping and I thought it worked quite well. Of course, it's not packaged with the software... You have to scour Winamp.com for a while to find it.

  12. Installing.. by MikeDX · · Score: 5, Informative

    Remember to untick "Add AOL shortcut to desktop"

  13. 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 19... by 3Suns · · Score: 4, Funny

    2+3=5

    Is Nullsoft adopting a Fibonacci versioning system?

    'cause that would be awesome.

    --

    -3Suns

    ~~~~
    The Revolution will be Slashdotted
    1. Re:2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 19... by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Funny
      Is Nullsoft adopting a Fibonacci versioning system?

      'cause that would be awesome.

      ...I dunno. Fibonacci versioning sounds cool and all, but tech support would be a nightmare:

      Tech: "Okay, sir, which version of our software are you running?"
      Customer: "Version 1."
      Tech: "OK...which version 1 are you running?"
      Customer: "Huh?"
      Tech: "Are you running the first version 1 or the second version 1?"
      Customer: "Ummmm..."

      --

      Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  14. MP3 patent by tepples · · Score: 5, Insightful

    you can't do a lot of things [in Winamp] (like ripping to MP3) unless you pay for the Pro version.

    MP3 is patented, and the patent holder is not willing to license encoders on royalty-free terms.

    iTunes is free, right?

    The iTunes client is proprietary, and the no-charge version's MP3 encoder licensing fees are presumably subsidized by QuickTime Pro revenue and Macintosh hardware revenue.

  15. long time? by Down8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Didn't iTunes for Windows only drop a month or two ago? How does one count a month as being a "long time" user?

    -bZj

    --
    .sig
  16. Lite Version by RussGarrett · · Score: 4, Informative

    There is a lite version available here, which doesn't include freeform skinning, or video, and is basically "old school" winamp2. And it's only 650kB.

  17. Some mirrors: by Vellmont · · Score: 4, Informative
    --
    AccountKiller
  18. Winamp 5 is a Good Thing(TM) by angstorm · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've used Winamp 5 pre-releases for a month, here's my observations:

    * FAST: As snappy as 2.x even on old machines using the "classic" skin.
    * STABLE: In a month of use, no crashes or uncouth behavior.
    * 2.x FEATURES: "Jump" and "Physically Delete" have been re-introduced.
    * SKINS: Works with version 2 and 3 skins. New default skin is user-friendly and purdy.
    * RIPPING: Making good MP3s from your CDs is fast and easy.
    * Global hotkeys: Control all program features through global hotkeys, e.g. press CTRL-ALT-5 to activate pause/play, even when Winamp is not focused as the active app.
    * Media library: Quickly find songs based on title, album, and artist.

    If you liked Winamp2 but not 3, you should give this a try.

  19. wasabi by nazh · · Score: 4, Informative

    for those of you that prefere winamp3,
    it will continue as wasabi-player. http://www.wasabidev.org/,
    with they call a mostly opensource licence. but they do mention crossplatform :)

  20. A Skeptic's View by Apreche · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ok. I'm a winamp2 nut. I refused winamp3. So naturally my first reaction when I heard about 5 was, screw that! winamp2 forevar!

    But I couldn't resist trying it. So I downloaded the free winamp5. I must say that this is an appropriate analogy.

    windows2000:windowsXP::winamp2:winamp5

    winamp 5 can be turned into winamp2 with a few mouse clicks
    windows xp can be turned into windows2000 in a few mouse clicks

    winamp 5 can run every plugin, skin and visualization from winamp 2
    windows xp can do everything windows 2000 can do

    winamp 5 has more options and more features than winamp 2
    windows xp has some stuff in it that win2k don't got

    The audio quality is identical. On my fast pc the speed is identical. I don't need cd burning or ripping because I have CDex and Nero, so I don't need to pay for the pro version, which only costs 15$.

    My faith in nullsoft has been restored. I'll try winamp 5 a week and see if I find a reason not to use it.

    Oh, the minibrowser is gone (yay!) but it is present in the media library (boo!), but you can click one button and it will go away (yay!). So it's all good.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
  21. shoutcast video by SubtleNuance · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Another, very interesting feature is NSV streaming video.
    Like the 'internet radio' stations streamed by shoutcast, there are a few internet TV stations. This my friends, is truely significant. Winamp becomes a digital-tv tuner (....i dont mean HDTV). People will be able to stream out any video they'd like -- the other day I watched a few episodes of aqua teen hunger force, some pr0n, and the movie Phone Booth.
    Imagine a million streams of public access tv, mixed up with random bits of quality niche movies/shows....

    THAT is what makes winamp5 cool. Now, i might just be ignorant, but is there another app that puts a selection of streaming video stations together for you to surf?

  22. Idiots by elohim · · Score: 4, Informative

    Those idiots should have torrented this. Here's a working link though:
    http://64.12.168.244/winamp/client/winamp 50_full.e xe

  23. DNS Entries by Bios_Hakr · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't know how much you know about DNS, but here goes:

    When you request a URL, you make a request to your ISPs DNS server. It, in turn, makes a request back to (eventually) the rood DNS servers. Those point you to the DNS server of the domain you are trying to reach.

    ftp.winamp.com
    www.winamp.com
    mail.winamp.com
    download.winamp.com

    Are all resolved to IP addresses by the DNS server sitting in the winamp campus.

    So, when someone made the entries in their DNS, www.winamp.com and winamp.com were pointed to different IP addresses. One should have been an a-record (I think) and the other should have been an alias (or cname) to the first. But that didn't happen.

    At some point, someone changed the IP address of the http server and only one DNS entry was updated.

    winamp.com resolves to 205.188.245.120
    www.winamp.com resolves to 205.188.244.138

    So it looks as if Winamp has two servers sitting on two seperate class C address spaces in their NOC.

    In short, bad DNS management and oversight lead to two DNS entries for two webservers on seperate address spaces.

    --
    I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
  24. Actually... by citizenc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, if you were to actually READ THE OPTIONS ON THE DOWNLOAD PAGE (link), instead of just blindly clicking "submit", you would see the following options:

    Download the free player
    Select your operating system:

    [ ] Mac OS X v10.2.5-10.2.8
    [ ] Mac OS 8.6/9
    [ ] Win 98/Me/2000/XP
    [*] QuickTime and iTunes for Windows 2000/XP

    Perhaps you should concider reading the entire page before bitching about it on Slashdot. It makes you look like a jackass. :P

  25. Re:Smart Playlists by Monglord · · Score: 4, Informative

    Oh crap, n00b alert. How do you delete posts here?

    Let's try that again shall we.

    QUOTE:
    iTunes is slow as hell on my reasonably fast system but I deal with it because I love its song rating system and smart playlists. Syncing with my ipod comes in a close second behind any of these. A quick glance at winamp 5 seems like it has none of these


    Look again my friend.
    Winamp 5.0 has song ratings & smart playlists in the media library, and much much more, and there's also an iPod plugin available here:
    http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?postid=104 1916#post1041916

    To be truthful, in general, too many people have blindly posted here without at least even trying out Winamp 5 first. How can you knock something without actually trying it? Forget about any grievances you had with Winamp3, this is Winamp. The same old Winamp you all once knew and loved. This is Winamp 2.x updated with a few extra features (if you decide to install them) - yes, remember, Winamp is MODULAR - you decide which features you want - and this includes the option to not install support for freeform skins, video, media library, and any other optional feature/plugin. Heck, you can even install a Lite version to upgrade your 2.x version to the latest 2.x equivalent version - but with loads of bug fixes.


    And, as for people moaning about paying for it - well you don't ever have to pay for it if you don't wish. There's no nag screen or anything. So, you don't need the ripper or burner, fine, download the Standard Free version instead, with all the features of Pro, except for ripping & burning.

    But if you want Pro, then Nullsoft actually has to pay for the licence, on a per user basis, to Thomson/FhG for MP3 Encoding, to Dolby for AAC encoding, and to Veritas/Sonic Solutions for the ripping/burning engine.

    So, you've got an app which does it for free, have you? Well, just do a bit more research first, and I think you'll be quite surprised at the results of your find. I won't go into too greater detail, because this post is long enough as it is - but hey, all I can say is this:

    Please just give it a try first, just for a few days even, and then if you're not happy, sure, go ahead and uninstall it and then come back here with a valid criticism.


    Thank you for your time. :)


    Oh, and if anyone's having problems downloading it,
    then try here (download.nullsoft.com direct ip link):
    http://64.12.168.244/winamp/client/winamp50_full.e xe

  26. Foobar 2000 by Mitchell+Mebane · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use Winamp for playing files with weird extensions, because there are so many nifty plugins that let me listen to PSFs, NSFs, etc.

    I used to use Winamp for that, but now I use Foobar 2000. While not as polished as Winamp, it's an amazing piece of software.

    --

    The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
    --Aristotle
  27. Ah Nullsoft... by phildog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The company that AOL wants you to forget they own... Nullsoft releases cool software called Waste, AOL pulls plug almost instantly. Nullsoft releases cool software called AIMazing, AOL pulls plug almost instantly.

    I still use WinAmp, but this company no longer whips the llama's ass.

    --
    slashsearch.org - slashdot search. powered by google.
  28. Will NullSoft honor... by Keick · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... us early adopters who actually paid for WinAmp back in the day?

    If I'm not mistaken, you could purchase WinAmp back then with free upgrades for life. 2 monthes later, they honored that contract by making it free. Now that the Pro version isn't, I want my free upgrade :)

    1. Re:Will NullSoft honor... by NullPhi · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Unfortunately, no.

      NullSoft is being really stupid on this issues. They have stated you paid for "WinAmp" and that this new product is "WinAmp Pro". You still have the ability to receive "WinAmp" for free, but not "WinAmp Pro".

      This is quite a poor decision -- especially since it will only affect a handful of users (and would not really put a dent in their sales).

      Yay for being greedy!

  29. Uh no by autopr0n · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've found pages that were obviously personal start pages in my logs for autopr0n, and google indexed mine and put it up as the third search result on my real name (amazingly, they actualy removed it from their index when I emailed them).

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  30. Apple Defensiveness Syndrome by kylef · · Score: 4, Funny
    And just what the fuck is that supposed to mean in this context? How is it more proprietary than WinAmp?

    Good lord, man. If you don't stop being so defensive, you're going to combust spontaneously.

    I call what you have "Apple Defensiveness Syndrome" (ADS) and it isn't healthy. I've lost many friends to the (dis)order. Suddenly, all Apple jokes and/or criticisms (or even mention of rivals) become lightning rods that threaten to ignite flamewars of gigantic proportions.

    Try repeating this to yourself every time you get upset: "It's only a computer, it does not reflect my self worth."

  31. Re:Winamp 5 on Wine by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 4, Informative
    I just fixed this. The patch is available here:

    http://bylands.dur.ac.uk/~mh/file.c.patch

    Apply it in the root of the Wine source tree, like so:

    patch -p0 </tmp/file.c.path

    then do a make and make install in dlls/kernel. Run the installer - it should install fine apart from complaining about "Sonic Pro" or something.

    Be warned. The "modern" skin does some funky stuff with window classes we don't yet support. Use the classic skin.

    I'm going to take a look at the subclassing stuff now. As an aside, the NSIS code is awful. Great product, nasty as hell code :/