Windows Media Player fans won't have to wait until January 2007 to experience the new features of Windows Media Player Vista as Microsoft plans to release a Windows XP version of Windows Media Player 11 before the end of June 2006.

Windows Media Player 11 has a whole new look and feel. Indexed searching allows users to quickly find whatever they're looking for just by typing a few letters, again borrowing a popular trick from iTunes. WMP 11 will even split long playlists into time-optimized groups so that you can burn several CDs in succession. The Media Library also sports a clean visual interface and offers better synching with portable devices.

Though the much-awaited Windows Media player will be compatible with Windows XP, it is not immediately known which of these new features will be part of the XP incarnation of WMP 11.

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Source: CNet News | WMP 11 Screenshots | Download Windows Media Player

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