Microsoft Corp. today announced the final version of Windows Media® Player 10 will be available for download at 6 a.m. PDT on Sept. 2, 2004. The new player is designed to make it faster and easier for consumers to discover, download, play and transport their digital media, and includes the first built-in Digital Media Mall, which enables consumers to browse and acquire music and video from a broad number of online stores. The Digital Media Mall includes access in the United States to CinemaNow Inc., Musicmatch Inc., MusicNow LLC, Napster LLC, Wal-Mart Music Downloads and MSN® Music, a preview of which will be made available tomorrow. Windows Media Player 10 also enables consumers to transfer their music to more than 70 portable devices and automatically sync their entire media library -- music, video, recorded TV and pictures -- to new Windows Mobile (TM) -based Portable Media Centers, which Microsoft announced will be available tomorrow at retail.

"Windows Media Player 10 gives users the power of more music and choice, and for the first time makes it possible to sync high-quality music, video and photos to the latest portable devices," said Will Poole, senior vice president of the Windows Client Division at Microsoft. "Windows Media Player 10 is a key element of Microsoft's strategy to enable digital media everywhere, with even more to come later this year: more music and video, and more amazing devices for use in the home and on the go."