Comments on: Amazon Music Selection

By: kamalesh

kamalesh — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:40:23 +0000

Thx for the site info, Dion. For those looking around for the Music Sampler icon at the URL, note that it is degraded…if you’re using Safari3 or Opera v9.23 (as far as I can see).

Smooth move, AMZN.

By: lex

lex — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:57:43 +0000

I personally like RealPlayer, because I like lengthy installation processes that leave malware on my machine and can’t be installed. So what’s everyone’s problem?

By: Bernd Matzner

Bernd Matzner — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:51:09 +0000

@Paul – thanks for hint about the Dust Selector extension. That will be helpful… Bernd

By: Van

Van — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:20:36 +0000

RealPlayer? WHAT. Why are they making users install 3rd party software just to stream music?

By: Brad Harris

Brad Harris — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:31:36 +0000

Inline js/css might cut load times down a little the first time, but you’ll never be able to cache any of that, so as soon as you visit it again, load times are worse than they would be if it had been externalized. What a mess.

By: Jody Brewster

Jody Brewster — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:54:26 +0000

So where is the icon again? LOL, boy does this site have featuritis. Like BAD. Its horrible.

By: gonchuki

gonchuki — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:23:49 +0000

the pain!!! the pain!!!

seriously, I used to work with people that loved to do the same thing as Amazon.
Once a coworker threw around 1200 lines of inline javascript into a login page… yes, 1200 lines in a login page… just for a fade effect and showing a throbber. (needless to say the concept of showing a fade effect and a throbber on a login page is completely wrong)

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:03:42 +0000

Realplayer needs to be left for dead, like I thought it was until I stumbled upon this on Sunday. The install process alone for the plugin was just horrible and I had to avoid extraneous stuff all along the way. Why was Flash not used if they insists on a plugin?

By: Jesse Kuhnert

Jesse Kuhnert — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:43:42 +0000

At least now we understand better why the “slim” amazon was created.

I do like the inlined css/javascript – seems like it would possibly cut down on load time? (hard to tell with so much other content loading)

(why o why jsf amazon? those poor tortured devs :( )

By: Scott Schiller

Scott Schiller — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:37:12 +0000

They could’ve used MP3s and SoundManager 2 (JS/Flash API), but I’ll admit I’m completely biased. ;) I think historically they’ve used Real/WMA/QT, so it’d presumably be a ton of work to migrate all their existing audio.

I’ve found the sampler useful in the past, particularly when looking to listen to samples of obscure tracks for record searches, previewing albums etc.

By: Jeffrey

Jeffrey — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:46:13 +0000

RealPlayer!? Forget it. While I admire the AJAX/JS prowess that this represents, I find Amazon’s continued embracing of Real to be a wart on the tip of their nose. What is wrong with a simple invisible Javascript driven Flash MP3 player for song samples?

Real must be paying Amazon to keep things the way they are.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:44:28 +0000

I can understand the performance needs behind putting all js and css in the doc to save on http requests for a site like amazon.

however, the real player plugin? Come on….

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:43:56 +0000

!!! Run away!!!!!!!!!!

By: GBUK

GBUK — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:36:51 +0000

@Paul +1

if you look at the source code of the main site itself, it is the same mess!!! Imagine how much bandidth they would save if they externalized their CSS and JS…

By: BillyG

BillyG — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:34:05 +0000

You should’ve mentioned RealPlayer first…

By: hemper_ua

hemper_ua — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:16:50 +0000

OMG! Interesting how they manage the code ? =)

By: Paul Annesley

Paul Annesley — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:06:00 +0000

I viewed source on your advice, so I hold you responsible for the nightmares I'll be having tonight. 76 blank lines (some with extra whitespace) between the top of the document and the opening HTML tag. I guess with that many lines already they couldn't really justify a DOCTYPE. Nearly 1000 lines of inline CSS, coming to massive 32kb. 81 of the selectors aren't even being used, according to Dust-Me Selectors. And then a whopping 76kb of inline JavaScript. You're certainly right about it being a bad boy.

By: Laurent Haan

Laurent Haan — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:59:04 +0000

I’m unable to find the “Music Sampler” icon. I’m not logged into Amazon.com and accessing it from Luxembourg. Thanks for a hint on where that icon could be.

By: Ryan Breen

Ryan Breen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:33:35 +0000

Excellent choice, Dion. Also pick up the Patton Oswalt while you’re in there :-)