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Mannequin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2005
28
0
California
Hi, I apologize if someone asked this already, I tried to find it but I didn't see it. Anyway i'm new to mac, I recently got a 15in powerbook, yay! But I can't figure out how to listen to audio files on sites like amazon.com. I read some posts and figured out that a lot of people use vlc? so I downloaded that and still when i click to listen to a sample of something on amazon it prompts me to download it in stead of just playing it, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Should I just download windows media player?
 

Eniregnat

macrumors 68000
Jan 22, 2003
1,841
1
In your head.
Aside from QT and iTunes (actualy, iTunes uses the QT codec), it's a good idea to have a few other media players. I loath the use of the RealPlayer/RealOne Player, but it is necessary to decode streams encoded in the most recent RM proprietary format. WMP (links below) is also a player that would be beneficial to have.

Tiger will not natively unpack a .sitx file. (M$ compresses the WMP installer files in this format).
You will need StuffIt Expander
Download WMP 9 (I think). There is a problem with some streams that were once available to WMP under 10.3 and earlier. It looks like 10.4 blocks them, even with the firewall off. There are threads about this problem.

Any way, I hope this helps.

Usually Amazon.com offers 2 different options for media format. If they automatically keep downloading, try Command Clicking (right click- if your one of those sane 2 button users), and Safari should play the media in a new tab (or window)- dependent on settings.
 

Mannequin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2005
28
0
California
Thanks!

Thank you for your help! I will download real player and WMP 9 as well as Stuffit.

And the files I was trying to listen to were just the samples of music on amazon, I think it did offer real or wma... thats mostly all I was trying to listen to when I was browsing music :)
 

Mannequin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2005
28
0
California
another stupid question

actually I have another stupid question... I'm so used to pc and so unfamiliar with mac that I'm not even sure where I should be downloading these things to, the applications folder? I just downloaded VLC to my desktop but I know if I keep doing that its just going to be a mess... hehe so, where should I actually download these things to? thanks!
 

stevep

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2004
876
4
UK
Mannequin said:
actually I have another stupid question... I'm so used to pc and so unfamiliar with mac that I'm not even sure where I should be downloading these things to, the applications folder? I just downloaded VLC to my desktop but I know if I keep doing that its just going to be a mess... hehe so, where should I actually download these things to? thanks!
Just download to the desktop, unstuff and (for small programs with no installer) drag the app to the Applications folder. You can then ditch the stuffed file, or archive it somewhere if you want.
For bigger apps which show an install icon after unstuffing, the installer will usually ask where you want to install it to, or will automatically install it to the correct folder.
 
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