Wow, Mark, you've pretty effectively summed up some of the biggest limitations in the current player software.

And I know you're not trying to put down the current software or anything, you're just being honest about some major top-level player features you'd like to see. I think a lot of people would like to see a player with those features. I mean, we all agree that the current player is great, but there's nothing wrong with shooting for the ultimate in perfection.

As I understand it, the only thing preventing a highly skilled developer from implementing a totally new player with those features is time.

Some of them (like the recording limitation and lack of Ogg support) have valid reasons for not existing in the current player software. But with enough time and energy, even those could be worked around.

One thing we need to consider when looking at the idea of writing new player software is this: In addition to implementing those new features, you also have to effectively re-implement all the features it currently has. Even if you grossly underestimate the number of man-hours required to do that, it's still a daunting task.