Everyone seems to rave about Windows Media Player 9, but I don't like it.

> I don't like the "auto playlist" feature.
> I don't like the "ratings" feature. If I didn't like a track, it wouldn't be on my computer anyway.

I've disabled these two, so they aren't a problem any more, but the rest of my gripes aren't so easily resolved.

> The alphabetical sort doesn't work properly, possibly because I've got "too many" tracks (about 75) in some of my playlists.
> Editing playlists to correct this deficiency is much more laborious than with earlier versions that didn't have the auto-sort feature.
> For some unknown reason, a few wav entries can't be edited, to type the singer's name in for example, with particular performers having to remain anonymous. Perhaps it doesn't like their music?
> When editing newly added tracks, the "auto complete" feature is worse than useless, remembering only a few names and failing to differentiate between performer and title.
> I don't like the gigantic "information" box that appears whenever the cursor hovers over a listing, completely obscuring the next half dozen entries, when all I have to do if I want to find the details is to scroll sideways.
> On entering a playlist, I don't like the way the entries are slowly written down the screen, wasting several seconds when I'm trying to find a particular track.
> The "artist" listing, a useful feature of version 7, now only includes tracks copied from CD, whereas before it showed everything.
> In the "privacy" settings, I've unchecked all the boxes connected with internet access, "sending unique ID" etc, but this doesn't seem to make any difference. It still wants to "phone home".

Most annoying of all though, it periodically refuses to play anything copied from CD, insisting that I go on line to ask Bill Gates' permission to "migrate my licences". What the hell's that all about? I've bought the CDs, and I wasn't aware that Bill had joined the "Performing Rights Society" (or whatever they're calling it nowadays), so why should I have to get Micro$oft's permission to play my own music?

More worrying is the message saying I can only do this a limited number of times. It happens about every couple of weeks, so how long am I going to be able to play music on my PC?

I'm planning to add a second HD later in the year, after which I'll be reinstalling Windows, and this will be my opportunity to ditch WMP 9 and revert to the much more user-friendly version 7.

Finally, does anyone know what happened to version 8? They seemed to go straight from 7 to 9, or did I blink and miss it?

There is intelligent life on Earth, but I'm only visiting.