Windows Media Player or 
RealPlayer. If
you find one of these, use it to play the excerpt. If you find both, choose
either one.(Click on your question to see our answer.)
Question: Which player should I choose: Windows Media Player or RealPlayer?
Answer: If you don't know whether one or both of
these players is installed on your computer, look under "All Programs" in the
<<Start>> menu. The entries look like
Windows Media Player or RealPlayer. If
you find one of these, use it to play the excerpt. If you find both, choose
either one.
Question: What if I don't have either player installed?
Answer: If you don't have either player, you may have another player (such as musicmatch JUKEBOX or QuickTime) that is compatible with one or both of the file types or you may have no player at all. Test this by trying first one player then the other. (It won't hurt to try a player even if it isn't installed.) If you hear the audio with one or the other, that means that you have some player compatible with its files. Just choose that player to listen to the excerpt. If neither one works, you may decide to download and install one of the players. (Both players are currently available free of charge. In addition, they both have premium versions available for a fee. The free versions are sufficient to play the excerpts on this website.)
Question: How do I get Windows Media Player?
Answer: Windows Media Player is available for PC's running Windows 95 and later. It is also available for Macintosh computers running OS 8.1 and later. Free versions are available. To download Windows Media Player, click here, choose the desired version and follow the instructions. Note that Microsoft Plus! SuperPac is a premium version available at additional cost. (Software vendors often change their product specifications and download procedures. This information is current as of this writing.)
Question: How do I get RealPlayer?
Answer: RealPlayer is available for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Unix. Free versions are available. To download RealPlayer click here and follow instruction. For the free version, click on the FREE RealPlayer link in the top right of the page. Note that "Free Download" doesn't mean free player. (Software vendors often change their product specifications and download procedures. This information is current as of this writing.)
Question: Can I use any program other than Windows Media Player or RealPlayer?
Answer: Several other players such as musicmatch JUKEBOX or QuickTime can be configured to play audio files usually associated with Windows Media Player or RealPlayer. If you have one of these or some other player installed, try the Listen to an Excerpt links on our website. Chances are one of them will work. If neither works, try reconfiguring your player to accept the file types. (Open your player and look in the Tools, Preferences or Options menu for a Media Type or File Type. Select wma for Windows Media Player files or rm for RealPlayer files.)
Question: My audio player fills my computer screen; what do I do?
Answer: Most audio players can appear in two or three different sizes. If your audio player fills your computer screen while you are trying to see something else, look for a button in the upper right corner of the screen that changes the size of the window. This button can look like: two overlapping boxes, like a dash or like a dart (arrow head). If you see one of these buttons, try it. (You will probably see a button nearby that looks like an 'X' This button will stop and close your player.) If this doesn't work for you, go all the way to the bottom of your screen (the Taskbar) and click on the button for the program you want to see to bring its window to the front.
Question: What if my player does not work as you describe?
Answer: There are many different players and most of them have multiple versions. If your player doesn't work exactly as described here, try the player's Help menu for details.