Comparing Linux media players
SOUNDS
We compare some popular Linux media players, including Banshee, Rhythmbox, Amarok, and Songbird.
Media player applications have come a long way and are now a primary source of entertainment for many computer users. Linux has several enchanting media player offerings with many advanced features and a plethora of add-ons to spice up your listening sessions.
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News
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SCO Rises from the Swamp
Longtime litigator revives an ancient suit against IBM alleging Linux infringes on Unix copyrights.
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UberStudent Project Releases UberStudent 3.0
Specialty distro keeps the focus on advanced learning.
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openSUSE Conference Approaches
The openSUSE Conference will be held July 18-22, 2013, at the Olympic Museum in Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Drupal.org Hacked
Security breached at home sites of the CMS project.
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Oracle Takes Action on Java Security
Lead Java developer vows policy changes and more attention to fixing problems.
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Google and NASA Partner in Quantum Computing Project
Vendor D-Wave scores big with a sale to NASA's Quantum Intelligence Lab.
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Mageia Project Announces Mageia 3 Linux
Many package updates and Steam integration highlight the latest from the Mandriva-based community Linux.
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FSF Outs the World Wide Web Consortium over DRM Proposal
Richard Stallman calls for the W3C to remain independent of vendor interests.
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Debian 7.0 Debuts
The new release supports nine architectures, 73 human languages, and zero non-Free components.
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Alpha Version of Fedora 19 Released
Fedora developers release the first alpha version of Fedora 19, known as Schrödinger’s Cat, for general testing. The final release is expected in July 2013.
Amarok and the others
Every linux media player (except Amarok) is trying to clone iTunes. In fact, most GTK+/GNOME based programs, look at Ubuntu for example, is aping Apple shamelessly. Now, this is not to say that Apple's products are not "user friendly" but blindly copying the interface tells the customers that Linux community has no fresh ideas to offer!
Why didn't Apple ape Microsoft's interface pixel to pixel? After all, Windows is the most dominant OS around, isn't it?
Anyway, this is the reason, I am a KDE user, not because I hate GNOME/GTK+ stuff but because there is no freshness in them. Amarok, for all its warts, is the best linux media player out there because it breaks from the blind aping theory. The interface is unique yet responsive, glitzy enough and functional enough! Ditto with KDE4 and plasma.
Somehow, the media (print and online) that writes about Linux is being sold out on the race to reach the joe average's desktop rather than doing something unique that causes users to come to Linux.
Unfortunately, Ubuntu, is taking the cake in plagiarism and most of us seem to help them along just fine in doing so!
Coming back to the article, Rhythmbox, Banshee and Songbird look and work exactly alike -- like iTunes, I mean. That is nothing to write home about.