Files

WMA - Windows Media Audio
Microsoft's respond to MP3, the Windows Media Audio-standard. As it is part of the Windows Media package, Windows Media Audio 8 was presented in early December 2000 and it is until now the best Windows Media product.
Windows Media Audio among other things is firmly integrated in Microsoft's Windows Media Player.
Microsoft promises with this version almost CD-quality with just a third of the source-file's size.
Above all WMA offers the advantage that copyright-protected songs cannot be published any further (Digital Rights Management). That's not the only reason why many music- and movie-corporations meanwhile decided in favour of WMA instead of MP3. Like MP3 WMA is almost predestined for the internet by offering streaming capabilities (see MP3 for details) both with WMA and WMV (Windows Media Video).

WAV
One of the first audio-standards; WAVE-files are virtually of the same quality as data on audio-CDs and therefore offer the best quality. At the same time these files are very large (10 MB / min.), that's why they are unsuitable for everyday exchange via the internet.

WMA sucks because it lets Microsoft control your computer. mp3 is better because they can't control it.