This is perhaps the coolest feature (from my standpoint) in the entire program. Of course, you'll probably find your own favorite feature as there are many to choose from.

Simply put, the Virtual Drives system allows you to catalog MP3 files on CD-R, DVD-R, Zip, Jaz, SuperDisk, Clik, or even Backup Tapes (I guess?) locally on your hard drive. You can then browse your collection quickly without spending all that time inserting and ejecting discs. Perhaps the biggest advantage to Virtual Drives is the improved Search capability. You can search gigabytes of MP3 files for any criteria in seconds! ... again, without having to insert and eject all your removable media. And another big plus: you can export your virtual drives and send them to other ShufflePlay 2.50 users and they will be able to import and browse them as if they had your disks! Exciting stuff, huh?

Create virtual drives by using the easy Create Image function under Tools > Virtual Drives > Add New Image. They will then appear below the real drives in the Folders pane.

Most of the functions of real drives can still apply to virtual drives. You can put together a playlist from your virtual files for export to text or HTML. And perhaps the most popular application, you can Search your collection without wasting time inserting, mounting, and removing discs.

Keeping your hard drive as a Virtual volume? You will have to update it periodically, and the Update function is the tool that will do it for you effortlessly. Just tell it what virtual drive to update and where to update it from, and it will do the rest.

Ever wanted to show someone else all the stuff you have on you computer, except they live hundreds or thousands of miles/kilometers away? You have probably tried the old "dir/s *.mp3 > my_list.txt" trick and e-mailed them your list that way. Have you ever tried sifting through 4000 lines of DIR listings looking for one file? Then download it and find it's not in the right bitrate? Or not from the correct album?

Introducing the Virtual Drive Import and Export capabilities. Save any or all of your virtual drives to a *.SVD file, then zip it up and send over e-mail, ICQ, or whatever everyone uses to keep in touch these days. All your friend has to do is use the Import function (conveniently located by the Export function).

Note: At present, you have to import SVD files into ShufflePlay to view them.

> Read about the powerful Search capabilities