For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
samples on Amazon.com in their music section. They give two listening 
options, Windows media and Real Player, but neither work. I have the 
latest Windows Media Player and the latest Real Player.

Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site? How 
difficult can it really be to create a Real or Windows Media formatted 
audio file that can be heard on the Mac???

Has anyone had any success listening to these audio files? If not, can 
you recommend sites for ordering CDs that are Mac-friendly?

In article <tbv-EF4ACB.10451620022006@news.giganews.com>, tbv
<tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:

> For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
> samples on Amazon.com in their music section....
> Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site?

Because they're using a web developer that likes proprietary standards
(like RM and WMA) instead of open ones (like WAV or MP3).  It's poor
craftsmanship, really.

> Has anyone had any success listening to these audio files? If not, can 
> you recommend sites for ordering CDs that are Mac-friendly?

Well, now that Microsoft has purchased licensing rights to give it
away, you can get the Flip4Mac Windows Media plug-in for free.  It
allows the QuickTime engine to play Windows Media (audio and video)
files, and it seems to work fine for the Amazon clips.

I'm not sure if it's by design, or because I have something
mis-configured (entirely possible), but the samples end up launching in
the Quicktime Player application instead of in the pop-up window on
Amazon.  But they *do* play for me now.

If you want to give that a shot, you can get the plug-in here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx

Hope that helps.

-- 
Garner R. Miller
Clifton Park, NY =USA=
http://www.garnermiller.com/

tbv <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:

> For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
> samples on Amazon.com in their music section. They give two listening
> options, Windows media and Real Player, but neither work. 

Works for me. Can you give a specific URL at amazon.com so we can
analyze? m. 

-- 
matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt/
Tiger - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-customizing.html
AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596005571
Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com

tbv wrote:
> > For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
> > samples on Amazon.com in their music section....
> > Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site?

Garner Miller wrote:
> Because they're using a web developer that likes proprietary standards
> (like RM and WMA) instead of open ones (like WAV or MP3).  It's poor
> craftsmanship, really.

Zackly.

> > Has anyone had any success listening to these audio files? If not, can 
> > you recommend sites for ordering CDs that are Mac-friendly?

> Well, now that Microsoft has purchased licensing rights to give it
> away, you can get the Flip4Mac Windows Media plug-in for free.  It
> allows the QuickTime engine to play Windows Media (audio and video)
> files, and it seems to work fine for the Amazon clips.

I can play the Amazon files with RealPlayer. I have no idea what
Flip4Mac is supposed to do. I have the latest version installed, but it
has never played a file for me. In fact, the only thing it has /ever/
done is put up an alert saying "Flip4Mac WMV cannot play this movie.
Would you like to disable Flip4Mac and use Windows Media Player
Instead?"

> I'm not sure if it's by design, or because I have something
> mis-configured (entirely possible), but the samples end up launching in
> the Quicktime Player application instead of in the pop-up window on
> Amazon.  But they *do* play for me now.

There is a Flip4Mac Preference Pane to govern this. Using that pre pane
one can choose between a QuickTime window in Safari or the QT Player.
Neither plays the audio for me.

> If you want to give that a shot, you can get the plug-in here:
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx
> 
> Hope that helps.

-- 
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com

In article <1hb1sig.19hudis78hgoN%matt@tidbits.com>,
 matt@tidbits.com (matt neuburg) wrote:

> tbv <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:
> 
> > For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
> > samples on Amazon.com in their music section. They give two listening
> > options, Windows media and Real Player, but neither work. 
> 
> Works for me. Can you give a specific URL at amazon.com so we can
> analyze? m.

Interesting. I have no problems from a PC but on my Mac, I've had no 
success till now. I'm using 10.2.8 with WMP 9 and Real Player 9 & 10. 
Over the years, I used Mozilla, Safari, and now Firefox. 

After manually initiating a software update in Real, I just had a window 
popup for the first time asking me to download a codec for Real and now 
the music playing works.

Windows Media Player still won't play music. Any suggestions for fixing 
that?

Here's a sample page:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008DCRE/ref=pd_kar_gw_3/102-4896572-9
429711?%5Fencoding=UTF8%2CUTF8&ref=pd%5Fkar%5Fgw%5F3&v=glance&n=5174

Thanks.

In article <200220061111357689%garner@netstreet.net>,
 Garner Miller <garner@netstreet.net> wrote:

> In article <tbv-EF4ACB.10451620022006@news.giganews.com>, tbv
> <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:
> 
> > For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
> > samples on Amazon.com in their music section....
> > Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site?
> 
> Because they're using a web developer that likes proprietary standards
> (like RM and WMA) instead of open ones (like WAV or MP3).  It's poor
> craftsmanship, really.

Is there an open standard that covers streaming music? And video? Things 
would be so much easier if every site was using the same formats ...


> > Has anyone had any success listening to these audio files? If not, can 
> > you recommend sites for ordering CDs that are Mac-friendly?
> 
> Well, now that Microsoft has purchased licensing rights to give it
> away, you can get the Flip4Mac Windows Media plug-in for free.  It
> allows the QuickTime engine to play Windows Media (audio and video)
> files, and it seems to work fine for the Amazon clips.
> 
> I'm not sure if it's by design, or because I have something
> mis-configured (entirely possible), but the samples end up launching in
> the Quicktime Player application instead of in the pop-up window on
> Amazon.  But they *do* play for me now.
> 
> If you want to give that a shot, you can get the plug-in here:
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx
> 
> Hope that helps.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm currently stuck at 10.2.8 so I can't use 
the flip4mac program but may upgrade the OS soon.

"Garner Miller" <garner@netstreet.net> wrote in message 
news:200220061111357689%garner@netstreet.net...
> In article <tbv-EF4ACB.10451620022006@news.giganews.com>, tbv
> <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:
>
>> For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio
>> samples on Amazon.com in their music section....
>> Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site?
>
> Because they're using a web developer that likes proprietary standards
> (like RM and WMA) instead of open ones (like WAV or MP3).  It's poor
> craftsmanship, really.


Again. Why waste one cent of resources making your site compatible with
a computer nobody uses.

>
>> Has anyone had any success listening to these audio files? If not, can
>> you recommend sites for ordering CDs that are Mac-friendly?
>
> Well, now that Microsoft has purchased licensing rights to give it
> away, you can get the Flip4Mac Windows Media plug-in for free.  It
> allows the QuickTime engine to play Windows Media (audio and video)
> files, and it seems to work fine for the Amazon clips.
>
> I'm not sure if it's by design, or because I have something
> mis-configured (entirely possible), but the samples end up launching in
> the Quicktime Player application instead of in the pop-up window on
> Amazon.  But they *do* play for me now.
>
> If you want to give that a shot, you can get the plug-in here:
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/flip4mac.mspx
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> -- 
> Garner R. Miller
> Clifton Park, NY =USA=
> http://www.garnermiller.com/ 

tbv wrote:

> Is there an open standard that covers streaming music? And video? 

http://www.vorbis.com/

tbv said the following on 20/02/2006 06:09 pm:
> In article <200220061111357689%garner@netstreet.net>,
>  Garner Miller <garner@netstreet.net> wrote:
> 
>> In article <tbv-EF4ACB.10451620022006@news.giganews.com>, tbv
>> <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> For the last several years, I have not been able to hear any audio 
>>> samples on Amazon.com in their music section....
>>> Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site?
>> Because they're using a web developer that likes proprietary standards
>> (like RM and WMA) instead of open ones (like WAV or MP3).  It's poor
>> craftsmanship, really.
> 
> Is there an open standard that covers streaming music? And video? Things 
> would be so much easier if every site was using the same formats ...

But what about freedom to choose? You must be a coMmie! Or is it 
terrorist now?

Andy

tbv <tbv@tbv.tbv.org.invalid> wrote:

> Windows Media Player still won't play music. Any suggestions for fixing
> that?
> 
> Here's a sample page:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008DCRE/ref=pd_kar_gw_3/102-4896572-9
> 429711?%5Fencoding=UTF8%2CUTF8&ref=pd%5Fkar%5Fgw%5F3&v=glance&n=5174

I tried "Rollercoaster" on that page, the link in the left column
(Window Media). It plays in the little window that pops up. It does take
time to get going. I use Camino rather than Safari, so that might have
something to do with it. m.

-- 
matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt/
Tiger - http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/tiger-customizing.html
AppleScript - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596005571
Read TidBITS! It's free and smart. http://www.tidbits.com

<<Why in the world is Amazon.com excluding mac users from their site? How
difficult can it really be to create a Real or Windows Media formatted
audio file that can be heard on the Mac???


What's interesting about this statement is that Amazon is a Mac work 
environment (at least the couple of times I've been to their main offices).