Something we forget
 

Everyone seems to be worried that this new 2.9 won't be cross-platform like Winamp3 and thats the new thing and all that. I don't know if it matters but remember something.

Its called "WIN"amp not "Lin"amp so I guess it makes sense they put speed before portablity. Its the old programming dilemma.

Whats better, something that works really well on one medium or something that works ok on all the mediums.

The WIN in Winamp has nothing to do with windows.

It did in the beginning if I remember correctly but now it doesn't... Justin picked it out but enlighten me if I am wrong.

I think WAY in the beginning it was, winamp was a windows interface for the amp decoder, thus winamp.

But those days are long gone, and it now has nothing to do with windows or amp. It is simply, winamp.

But thats my point. It was started AS WINAMP regardless of what it is now. Yet that was a minor point. My main point is that a majority of the users use Windows because that medium is what the non geeks have. So this reverts back to my programmer dilemma. What would you do if you were Nullsoft? Well if you take the first path which they decided to now they also are pleasing the majority of their user base and that is what AOL wants regardless of if they are true geeks at heart and want it for Linux as well, its not their choice because this is funded by a media giant.

Thats not quite the point. The is a mac version of 2.x. Yeah it doesn't work quite as well, and does do everything but it exists.

Also what it started as doesn't really matter either. The only thing that counts in what it is now.

Just because thats where the majority of users is doesn't mean that thats the only platform that can be developed for. They have always had the win32 platform as the priority. Linux was going to be supported because a great deal of time and effort went into making supporting it nearly effortless.

Did you listen at all? I said that they are going to go ahead with windows only because its the majority of the userbase using it. They would rather make one fast and good version for Windows than multi platform.

Hollow if you go crossplatform then your application isn't going to be as good as it could be on one particular system. Its this way for OS applications, web applications, any applications. Its the way of programming and they obviously went this way rather than cross-platform.

[edit]I am gonna get a mod to lock this because I don't want to argue about this[/edit]

I'm not arguing that it'll can be just as fast. I agree with on that. My point was that all development doesn't have to be for the majority of users. Don't worry about locking it. I'll leave it be.

Probably you should read better brennan's plan http://www.webdog.org/plans/317/
where he says "unless you're on Linux, in which case you're stuck with Winamp3", so winamp3 development should continue and linux will be supported... it's not an official decision but a good possibility.

ok kids, lets tone it down a bit. I'm not gonna lock this, but if it gets more flammatory I will, mmkay?

Lets remember that in time wasabi will be so kick ass that you'll never even be bothered about winamp 2. But that will take time. As the developers have said, wasabi really isn't ready for the primetime. So everyone is doing their best to keep winamp kicking ass. If it means that winamp2 has an extended life and portability goes on hold until wasabi is ready, then thats a price I think is very well worth it.

I'm not sure which was out first, but I remember the first MP3 player I saw was one called MacAmp (on a mac)...and then I downloaded Winamp (for my windows PC). Dunno if they were both from Nullsoft, but maybe back then the 'win' actually did refer to windows application...but now...I don't think it really matters all that much.

Very well put. I support Nullsoft fully.

What this is trying to say is that winamp has achieved secondary meaning, or a new meaning unique unto itself.

As when a product starts out being merely descriptive, like when Coca-Cola just meant a cola w/ coca in it. Now, when you hear Coca-Cola, you think of the corporation and the shiny red can--not of a coca based cola drink.

Similarly, although winamp may have initially been merely descriptive of the amp decoder working on the windows platform, it now means the media software developed and dissimenated by the nullsoft team. In the beginning winamp described the player's substance and function; today it refers to a specific product from a particular vendor.

secodnary meaning boys and girls! :D

So, to put this little spat to rest--you're BOTH right!!!

LoL you know what i think, It dont matter the name the product kix ass. It could be called cockanballsAMP for all i care.

As for all the linux folk out there, yes winamp will continued to be developed for you because there is not point in throwing out many months of hard work on a cross platform media player just because a lot more windows people use it and they want speed. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. The goal here is to not have the coders delmia at all, but instead have speed and portabilty with a small amount of compromise.

Hehe coca-cola's comapny name is based on a popular drug that they used to get people to by the drink. It is like nameing cigaretes tabaco sticks then taking out the tabaco and still calling them tabaco sticks. Basically those mother fuckers are admitting to selling cocain (many years ago, but still), think about that.

what nullsoft did is placed a well known name on a product so people would dl it, the "win" is sitll there, and the program is still based on the windows platform, but unlike most other comanies nullsoft is getting ready for the future and that is *nix systems instead windows systems (i have a feeling this may happen). Just like they did with xml, you see how a lot of things in winamp3 are xml based, that is ready for the future.

Ahhh sweet sweet nullsoft cant we have the good old days back with out aol. I know you shun me for saying that because aol pays you guys good and you have to make some profit from all this. Well guys i want you to look at one thing for me... come here ... now you see that right out there looks like a falling star, well it is except that is not a star, it is fucken netscape/mozillia, and it is falling )_;, quite quickley i might add. So i know there i no way to break off of aol, but come on please tell those fools to keep there nose out of the advanced users business and tell them to get back on the noob bus to desing more noob shit for the masses of fucken noobs out there.

The part about only "geeks" using linux is total horse shit. I dont know if you have been to walmart lately but they sell pc's with a lindows on them (a more userfriendly version of linux). Linux really isnt that hard to setup and opperate anymore, most people dont know that because they havent tried. Linux is becoming more mainstream and will one day be a big competitor for microsoft in the desktop market (it already is this in the server market.. having something like %24 market share, which is the second largest market share owner). On top of that, opening winamp to linux only increases the size of the community and brings in more developers which in the end is very good for winamp because you get some kick ass componets out of it. I strongly suggest you think before you speak next time.

K thx

I was going to say just that, cybaix...though I didn't know Walmart sold computers with Lindows on em....cool tho

That "free" title tends to attract more people than you might think, especially people who would pay for windows otherwise.

I used to know somebody who couldn't even take apart their computer if they tried, but ran on Mandrake cuz they were so tired of Win98 crashing....it can't be that hard.

Now, I did use Linux, for a time. I just got fed up with it because I wanted to do everything the good (command line) way, and it was time consuming and boring...not to mention the fact that XMMS sucks ass.

heh.. command line, now that is for the geeks :)

XMMS isnt that bad, its not as good as winamp2 but its better then nothing. I cant wait till the winamp3 for linux development out of beta.

I figured it'd be best for me to try and learn it for later on (in other words, when I get out of university) in case I ever end up doing server admin and such
and XMMS just annoyed me, that preamp.....gah