Connie Asks About Windows Media Player on Windows 10

If windows media player isn’t available on 10, what happens to all the music I have on it if and when I upgrade. I know my way around the player when it comes to burning cd’s etc. What will 10 have and will it be as easy to use? I’m just getting to know my way around 7 but still haven’t figured out the My Picutes yet. How I miss my XP. It was so easy to figure out. Connie.

Our answer

Windows Media Player is not necessary to play media files at all – there are no files that Media Player can play that other free media players like VLC can’t play. In fact, other media players like VLC actually play many more file types than Windows Media Player. There is nothing in your music collection which any other free media player couldn’t play. I realize that you’re familiar with Windows Media Player and feel comfortable with it – and that’s fine. But I wanted to reassure you that WMP isn’t the only game in town.

That being said, Windows 10 Technical Preview comes with Windows Media Player. Since Windows 10 won’t be released to the public until later summer or early  fall 2015, it’s way too early to speculate about what features it will have.  Windows 8.x was such a sales disaster for Microsoft that I’m guessing they’re not going to repeat the same errors that sunk Windows 8.x. I am guessing (but don’t know for sure) that Windows 10 will include Windows Media Player, that it will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8.x users and it will be available for a very small upgrade charge for Windows 7 users.  There will be no avenue for Windows XP or Windows Vista users to upgrade to Windows 10 – users of those versions of Windows will have to do a clean install of Windows 10.

I can say this: I was never a fan of Windows 8.x. I told EB when I first tried it that it was going to be a flop. It was too radical; it looked to me like Microsoft had Apple-envy and tried to turn PCs into iPads. Microsoft thumbed their corporate nose at their loyal core users and paid the price. I never used Windows 8.x as my everyday computer – I used it on a second computer only so I could learn it to write tips about it – but used my Windows 7 computer 90% of the time. This is the first time I didn’t jump to the newest version of Windows and leave the older versions behind.

I  think every Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 user is going to be very pleasantly surprised by Windows 10. Most of you using Windows XP would have had a difficult time adjusting to Windows 8.x – but you won’t have much trouble with Windows 10 because it’s so “Windows-like”. Vista and Windows 7 users should have no trouble moving to Windows 10 at all.

If Microsoft stays on the current track and continues to listen to its core users – I think Windows 10 will be a very big success.

As far as what Windows 10 will include when it’s released – it’s far too early in the game to know for sure.