The Windows Starter Kit is a collection of some of the best and most essential freeware to get your new PC going. From browsers to productivity to utilities, we cover all the bases. If you're looking for the best in security freeware, check out our Security Starter Kit for all your antivirus needs. Essential utilities have earned their own kit, too: the Windows Utilities Starter Kit.
Music jukeboxes
MediaMonkey Standard
- CNET editors' rating: 5.0 stars
Despite a glut of free player/encoders, it's tough to find one that meets our expectations--something that performs the functions of iTunes with more customization and better stability. MediaMonkey has proven itself with excellent library management tools that keep even the largest digital-music collections well organized. Stir that up with integrated CD and DVD burning, a stellar interface, a full-featured encoder, and the ability to sync with portable MP3 players, and you have a compelling product.
To paraphrase "Pulp Fiction," it's the little extras that make MediaMonkey great. Auto-Rename and Auto-Tag features keep untagged tracks from falling through the cracks. Party mode locks down your library while still allowing song requests. Auto DJ plays songs even when there are no requests in the queue, and the all-important iPod and portable device synchronization works well, allowing you to identify track locations on the device--that's more than iTunes does. Third-party plug-ins are available for tinkering, and the interface is reasonably modular and customizable.
For $20, MediaMonkey Gold adds advanced features, such as sleep timer, scripting, previewing, and on-the-fly file conversion when syncing with a portable device, but the free version is exceptional at what it does.
Apple iTunes
- CNET editors' rating: 4.5 stars
iTunes is hardly the most graceful jukebox for Windows, but despite the persistent bloat problems, occasional stability issues, and a static interface, it's hard to ignore what Apple's jukebox can do. The Genius sidebar makes recommendations based on what other iTunes listeners like, and the Genius playlist is a "smart" list where you choose a song, and then it fills out the rest of the playlist using the same algorithm as the sidebar. Both require an iTunes Store account.
The essentials are more or less covered, including enhanced video abilities, ringtone editing for the iPhone, new ways to view your library, iPod integration, smart playlists, CD burning, label printing, the ability to rip files in multiple formats (except WMA), and network sharing. Along with the Album, Cover Flow, and Grid view options, which let you flip through CDs and movies visually, iTunes 9 comes with a number of feature enhancements mostly to improve upon the way you interact with iTunes, your devices, and the iTunes Store. You now can selectively sync specific artists or playlists, or sync your photos by specific albums or faces. Rounding out the feature set are parental controls and a smart-shuffle option. The podcast-catching is functional, but isn't as advanced as in other players. iTunes 9 offers a laundry list of useful features, with the benefits outweighing the costs.
