In October 1991, when Microsoft first shipped the Windows 3.0 operating system with Multimedia Extensions and introduced audio playback capability, many consumers were still getting used to CD players as a way of experiencing music. Few envisioned the heights digital media would scale over the next decade. Fast-forward to fall 2001, when digital-music downloads are popular, hit movies can be viewed online and today's PCs double as home video-editing machines. The evidence is abundant: digital media has arrived. So it's no surprise that as Microsoft officially launches Windows XP this week, digital media is a centerpiece of the new operating system. Windows XP incorporates more than a decade of Microsoft expertise in developing the best software for enjoying digital media. Following Windows 3.0, the digital media experience evolved with Windows Media Player versions for Windows 95 and Windows 98. In 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) marked the debut of Windows Media Player 7 -- the first all-in-one digital media player. Today, Windows XP is setting new benchmarks for convenience, speed and quality in digital media.