On the Ubuntu Forums 'cafe' discussions pages the subject of 'will Apple  port itunes to Linux' I made a post complaining about the general weakness of all [I've tried] media players on Linux.
My contention is that most seem fine for playing 'pop' or short pieces but if like me you only listen to classical music including complete Operas non of them measure up.
Now I switched to Ubuntu after trying Suse,  and I like it very much, currently using Jaunty. But the only thing I really miss about windows is Media Player, I know it may be a large program but it does all I want that is, displays album covers in the file, Rips, picks up track info' Allegro etc, and allows me to use headings like Conductor, Soloist and so on.
I know the open community may well think this is heresy but when all is said and done WMP works well, and whatever software you use as an 'end user' in the market it should fore-fill your need, work correctly, be instinctive to use, k like all software it will crash at times, but if Linux ever gets out of the 'geek' community any software has to compete at the basic computer users level.
Look at open office 3 and Kontact both smooth and as good as anything out there.
Sorry if I have offended any of nervous disposition , but as I said I like Linux and want it to succeed but it needs good professional programs that are better then the competitors , not quite there yet.
I have no idea how this strike through got there and I cannot get rid of it, Sorry.

I agree with you, that software should be useable by anyone starting a computer, except software for professional use of course. But it seems, that you forget a basic point here. OpenSource software is developed by volunteers, mostly in their spare time. So you can't compare the manpower of companies like M$ or Apple with the handful (5 or so) developers, who are working on Amarok (or any other mediaplayer). It's your right to critizise (I do! Sometimes in a harsh way), but it would be better to explain the developers which features you would like to see in their software (btw. another distinction to commercial software).
The developers need to focus on the masses first, and unfortunately the masses are listening to pop music.
Most software in Windows is large, because it tries to have any function you need (or not). Unix uses another approach: Smaller apps, which do their special jobs. I don't even like these multifunction devices. The printer dies, and you also loose your fax and your scanner.
The problem with headings like Conductor, Soloist or generally any tag is, that it could be implemented, but needs changes in the database tables or new tables. I don't think that the implemention of the tags into the playlist editor is very hard. But as stated above, it's a matter of (developers') time.
"...large program but it does all I want..." and some things you don't want, if you would  detect them

Greetings
m0nk

Yes I know what you are saying, and I understand that Linux cannot spend Zillions [and charge the same] but I still think that a ripper built in would be a good thing.
As to headings why not have blank ones say five, that the user can fill in with what they wish, you would have the normal ones like track, artiest etc.  As in most players you tick the boxes for the columns you need,  blanks could have the same tick box.
In addition as lots of open source software has plug-ins for different distros etc could it be done that way.
I guess the best way might be to buy a stand alone portable hard say 100Gb drive install windows XP  and WMP but then you cannot run two O/S at the same time.