Microsoft offers a sneak peak into its next version of Media Player

On Wednesday, Microsoft released a test version of its new Window Media Player 10. The beta version was released to test and obtain vital feedback from "digital music enthusiasts". The beta software is used for playing audio and video on PCs and will also allow online music stores to sell songs over the web.

This version of Media Player is designed to work with a new line of portable media devices using Microsoft's Portable Media Center software. The most notable new feature is the new player's ability to offer music and video from different vendors directly through the player.


The new media player will work with subscription style music services, where users can stream and listen to songs for a subscription fee rather than paying for each download. The media player will have a clean and simple interface. The player will include a new "digital media mall" containing links to services such as Napster, MusicNow and CinemaNow that distribute online content in Microsoft's media formats. The company hopes that link, which replaces the "premium services" section in the old player, will help users find online content more easily.

The software, which incorporates recent advances in Microsoft's digital rights management tools and a new technology allowing computers to communicate with devices such as MP3 players, forms a key component of the company's response to Apple Computer's strong successes with its iPod music player and software. Microsoft said that the full version would be released later this year.