Features of uTorrent

uTorrent includes everything you would expect from a complete, reliable torrent downloader: highly detailed stats, support for RSS feeds, automatic shutdown, download scheduler and more. There are a couple things that uTorrent is missing though: a full torrent search tool and a built-in player to preview your downloads.

uTorrent 3 lets you play media in streaming as you download, rate and comment torrent files, drag and drop files to share them, and disable the UDP tracker.

Ideal for all user levels

Since version 3 uTorrent has sported a totally redesigned interface: more usable, easier to use and a perfect match for uTorrent’s web interface.

Just like previous versions, uTorrent 3 is easy enough to use for everyone no matter what their level of computer expertise is, but it also includes dozens of configuration settings that will please the most tech-savvy users. Also, this new version includes several beginner-oriented guides to make sure everybody can make the most of it.

Light on system resources

After a quick installation process (although there are quite a few prompts to install browser add-ons etc) and a handy built-in speed test to make the initial setting much easier, uTorrent is ready. The program takes up minimal hard drive and PC resources, which enables you to have a good amount of torrents downloading and still be able to use your computer without any lag.

Conclusion

If you're searching for a reliable, fast and lightweight torrent client, look no further: uTorrent is what you need.

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Usability

Complications arise later on when trying to share files between computers: you'll have to do it through network sharing on Windows because it's not a feature Hamachi itself supports. In the end, I have to admit we were unable to share files over Hamachi during our tests – you know how stubborn Windows folder sharing configuration can get. Oh well, at least we could have a chat – a very safe one, of course.

Quality

Hamachi features a simple interface that enables you to create personal safe networks in just a couple of steps. At first sight, it all looks very easy to use. Plus your connection is conveniently protected by an AES-256 encryption algorithm.

Conclusion

Hamachi is a great solution to establish safe, private P2P connections between two computers; unfortunately it's not as easy to use as it seems at first sight.

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Features

Thanks to a straightforward, uncluttered interface BitTorrent appears as a user friendly torrent client that beginners will feel comfortable with. We particularly appreciated the integrated search box to look for files on the BitTorrent website. Once you’ve found the torrent you want, download it to your PC, open it up inside BitTorrent and let the client do the rest. The speed at which you download will depend on the number of seeds, that is people who have the complete file and are sharing it. The more seeds there are the quicker files will download.

You can set multiple torrent downloads and the downloading speed is fairly quick. It’s easy to configure the client and we suggest choosing the right port and setting upload and download rate limits to avoid hogging your bandwidth. It’s also good to set your downloads by priority to monitor more precisely how your torrents are doing.

Using BitTorrent

The file you want to download is cut up into small segments shared by users, creating what is called a swarm, and does not go through a central server, significantly reducing the bulk of file transfers. The BitTorrent client is actually the first P2P application to use this technology and became immensely popular when it was released. Torrents are considered by online users as a great way to download recently anything from movies to operating systems.

Competition

Compared to the exhaustive Azureus, BitTorrent is very simplistic. It doesn’t provide half as many statistics and doesn’t let you customize the interface. Integrating a search box is a great idea, but it limits searches to the BitTorrent website, not considered the most thorough source by torrent aficionados.

Conclusion

If you’re a newbie to the torrent world, BitTorrent is a good bet. It’s safe, stable and sharp. Associated with the huge database of legal torrents that is the BitTorrent website, it makes for a very rich P2P experience. Advanced users will probably frown upon its lack of options but others should give it a try.

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The new uTorrent 3 introduces lots of changes to the previous version. To begin with, the program sports a totally redesigned interface: more usable, easier to use and a perfect match for uTorrent’s web interface. Besides the new design, uTorrent 3 lets you play media in streaming as you download, rate and comment torrent files, drag and drop files to share them, and disable the UDP tracker.

After a quick installation process (although there are quite a few prompts to install browser add-ons etc) and a handy built-in speed test to make the initial setting much easier, uTorrent is ready. The program takes up minimal hard drive and PC resources, which enables you to have a good amount of torrents downloading and still be able to use your computer without any lag.

uTorrent's lightness and simplicity doesn't necessarily mean lack of features. On the contrary, the program includes everything you would expect from a complete, reliable torrent downloader: highly detailed stats, support for RSS feeds, automatic shutdown, download scheduler and more. There are a couple things that uTorrent is missing though: a full torrent search tool and a built-in player to preview your downloads.

Just like previous versions, uTorrent 3 is easy enough to use for everyone no matter what their level of computer expertise is, but it also includes dozens of configuration settings that will please the most tech-savvy users. Also, this new version includes several beginner-oriented guides to make sure everybody can make the most of it.

If you're searching for a reliable, fast and lightweight torrent client, look no further: uTorrent is what you need.

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Easy installtion and configuration

Installing Ares only takes a few minutes and the interface is simple enough that anybody will feel comfortable with it. When you start Ares, it lets you auto-scan your PC to find files you might like to share on the network. Beginners will be relieved to know that there is no complex configuration</strong> process - all you need to do is select the search tab and type the name of the file you want. Once it appears, double click to begin downloading. You’ll be able to check progress in the transfer tab. The recent update adds bittorrent support, opening Ares up to loads of new content.

Chat client

If you enjoy communicating with other users, click on the chat tab and connect to one of the thousands of channels available. You can pick up tips on how to use Ares better, ask which files other users recommend or just talk about your life in general. You can even insert emoticons into your conversation and keep a list of your favorite chat channels.

Detailed previews of files

Of all the P2P programs, Ares probably features the widest preview screen. You can set it to fit to screen or adjust it to your preference. This is a great way of making sure you’re downloading the right movie or to get a sneak peak at your downloads.

Unlike WinMX or FileNavigator, the two other spin-off Gnutella projects, Ares did not drop into obscurity and unites a flourishing community of users. However, the same old problems seem to arise. According to many Ares users, the application suffers from connection problems that make it difficult to properly search for a file or successfully complete downloads. Others will worry that Ares is a smaller network than the globally used Gnutella and does not offer as many download sources.

Conclusion

Ares is an ambitious project, and the fact that it still remains standing while eDonkey has fallen is characteristic of its reliability. Thanks to a strong community of users, a simple interface, a great preview page and multichat service, it's a sharing app that's still going strong. Ares is the P2P app of choice for anybody interested in sharing files over the internet.

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On the surface, iMesh looks polished and easy to use. The program features a tab bar that gives you access to different areas: Library, with all the media stored on your computer; Home, which is the main screen on iMesh; Search, where you can find, download and buy music and video; Discover, a tool do find new artists and music genres; and finally DJ, which plays music you may like based on a song or band of your choice.

The iMesh community is a great place to make friends, exchange messages and also share media libraries. You can also upload photos to your profile, and send songs over to friends. On the downside, we missed a bit more integration with other social services such as Twitter or Facebook.

iMesh also includes a powerful built-in player for audio and video – featuring a 10-band equalizer – plus a built-in CD burner to create custom media CD and DVD on the spot.

iMesh is a complete P2P client with which you can discover new bands, buy the music you like and make new friends.

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Similar to Limewire

In fact, FrostWire has more than just a few similarities to Limewire, although unlike the latter, it does not carry advertising and there are no annoying pop-ups. Just as Limewire was, FrostWire is straightforward and easy to use. A simple search bar, divided by category, makes it a breeze to browse for a file, whether it is a video, image, audio, or program. FrostWire also has a What’s New button to check out what popular files users have recently exchanged.

One particularly handy feature of FrostWire is a special direct connect option. If you know the IP address of one of your friends, type it in the box and FrostWire will browse to that user’s files. This is a quick way of sharing files with someone you know although it would be even better if you could enter the username of a user rather than the IP address.

Built in media player

In terms of speed, much will depend on the speed of your own connection. It definitely helps though if you've correctly opened your router's ports and whether you’re downloading a popular file or not. To avoid the risk of downloading copyrighted or adult material, FrostWire also allows you to apply content filters. Another handy feature of FrostWire is a built-in media player. Video and audio can be tested using Frostwire’s media player, which gives you an immediate preview of your file.

Not for profit

It should be noted that FrostWire is basically a stripped-down version of Limewire, but is a not-for-profit project. The developer claims it will never support Digital Rights Management (DRM) or any type of advertising. However, the demise of Limewire due to legal issues mean that FrostWire may well be targeted in the future for closure.

Conclusion

FrostWire for Mac is a hugely popular alternative for anyone who misses Limewire.

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Unlike similar apps where you can find all sorts of stuff – including adult material and viruses – BearShare only allows video and music file formats to be shared, and has done an excellent job in protecting users from viruses and other possible threats.

The program's installation changes your browser homepage and installs a toolbar unless you select the custom installation option. On the upside, BearShare features a clean, easy-to-use interface that you’ll immediately get to grips with. There’s a top tab bar with access to the program’s main functions and a handy built-in player to preview the files you’re looking for. As an extra, BearShare is fully compatible with iPod and other MP3 devices.

But BearShare is not just about browsing audio and video files; you can also use the Discover tool to play music genres according to your mood, or discover new artists and bands you didn’t know. BearShare’s social side lets you make friends with other people who share similar musical tastes, and includes a personal profile page, a contacts list and even a built-in messaging system.

BearShare has become a powerful, reliable LimeWire alternative since its shutdown. Good proof of this is that all LimeWire users can easily import their music library into BearShare and continue sharing music and video files – all legal, free and without risks.

BearShare is an excellent free application to legally share songs and videos, without the usual risks associated with such programs.

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BitComet allows you to exchange files with other users although it must only be used for those files which can be legally exchanged online. The interface is similar to that of eMule with features running down the left hand pane, control buttons across the top and the torrents that are downloading in the main window in the center. Once files have started downloading, the regular stop, pause, cancel, update etc options are all available on BitComet plus a handy "remove torrent & all files" option which removes all trace of an unwanted torrent from your PC.

Download speeds are OK although not as good as similar P2P apps such as uTorrent. One of the reasons for this is that BitComet doesn't have as many users as it once had as more effective and user friendly alternatives entered the market. One of the more handy features of BitComet however is a ‘preview media’ option, which forces the torrent to download sequentially instead of randomly thus allowing you to preview any multimedia downloads. It’s a great way to avoid broken links, but, on the downside, it will slow down your download considerably.

Most recently, BitComet are experimenting with a feature that enables you to download some or all of the data in torrents from non-bittorrent sources, or even from peers of other torrents with all, or some of the same content. Note that this release is also the first bittorrent client to issue a stable 64bit version

Another interesting feature on BitComet is the ‘intelligent disk cache’ which really comes into its own on high speed connections. If you are lucky enough to get download transfer rates of 500 kb/s or higher, activating it allows BitComet to cache the data to access the disk less frequently. The result of this is that it doesn’t slow down your PC as receiving large amounts of data can sometimes do.

One downside of BitComet is that you are pestered with ads from time to time within the main interface. The other downside is that the uninstall procedure is not particularly clean. The application directory remains as does the registry entry although you can remove the former manually and the latter with any good registry cleaner such as Revo.

There are simpler and more popular clients out there, such as uTorrent uTorrent and Azureus that offer better download rates with less fuss. However, if you have a particularly fast connection, can’t wait for your files to download before watching them and enjoy a torrent client with lots of whistles and bells, BitComet might be for you.

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Similar to FrostWire and LimeWire

MP3 Rocket is very similar to FrostWire and the now-defunct LimeWire, so if you are familiar with them, using the app will be a piece of cake. Even if you are not, it’s an easy-to-use application and suitable for anyone who wants to start downloading movies, music and other content – as long as there are no copyright issues, of course!

Managed Via Tabs

MP3 Rocket is based on tabs that allow you to quickly access the search engine, lists of popular files and torrents, your library of shared files and even online TV, radio, games and chat. The downloadable content is all free, but the ones suggested by MP3 Rocket are often links to pay-access web pages.

Poor quality audio and video player

MP3 Rocket can also be used as an audio and video player, but judged on these features it’s not very interesting and offers nothing that really make it stand out.

Conclusion

Ultimately MP3 Rocket is a solid app, although we’ve heard complaints in recent times that it’s no longer as reliable as it once was. Also bear in mind that as MP3 Rocket is Java based, it’s not suitable for older PCs. Overall, MP3 Rocket is a solid, if not awe-inspiring, P2P network client.

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Vuze’s interface is a complete shake-up to what Azureus users are used to. The BitTorrent developer has decided to focus on online multimedia content and introduce user participation. The first thing the user sees is a "Find, Download, Play" screen to introduce you to Vuze. You can browse files by using the left side menu, divided in time, main channels and tags. The menu at the top also links to hot and new content. Vuze takes the web 2.0 road and you'll see that most of the files have tags. You can write out a comment and leave a rating. The program also makes it a no brainer to send a video by email and link to content directly from your blog or website. Additionally, there are social bookmarking links for each file.

Downloading torrents is as simple as using the search bar, which the gives you options to search the Vuze site and results from the major bittorent sites such as Btjunkie. You can also easily add more sites to that list if you wish.

We won’t expand on the qualities of the Azureus client, for which you can read a review here. Vuze tries to innovate by adding social tools to the program and providing legal content in the Vuze HD Network. There are numerous channels to choose from, yet we were disappointed with the content in general. On some channels there's very little to watch and on others you don't necessarily find what you were hoping for. Much of the content feels cheap and throwaway, even if it is in glorious HD.

On the downside Vuze does nothing to atone for Azureus's principal drawback: the overuse of your RAM and DSL connection. Yes, Vuze is still a resource and bandwidth hog, and there's nothing you can do about it.

The whole interface is really simple, though the program is so heavy you will get some slow down, and the amount of legal content is still limited, Vuze is a promising application for sharing and enjoying legal content.

If you're already hooked on the original Azureus bittorrent client, take a leap into the future with Vuze.

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If you're using a BitTorrent client, you're going to want to ensure your PC is adequately protected against viruses that might be included in torrents.

uTorrent Plus gives users a few added perks above and beyond the basic uTorrent program. In addition to maintaining all the standard features in uTorrent 3, uTorrent Plus includes a number of unique features, notably integrated antivirus protection. This feature analyzes the incoming torrent and prevents malware infections before they can become an issue on your PC.

uTorrent Plus also includes a video format converter that comes with the ability to move files easily from device to device, as well as a great media player.

uTorrent Plus is a nice way to offer added protection and a few extra features to your uTorrent experience.

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uTorrent Portable is the standalone version of this reliable, lightweight torrent client. Like its older brother, uTorrent Portable lets you have a few files downloading simultaneously while still using the computer, without much lag.

The program's interface in uTorrent Portable is identical to the desktop version. You have different areas to track the list of active torrents, check extensive data for each one of them and organize your downloads with user-defined labels.

uTorrent Portable makes it easy for you to look for downloads. You can search for new torrents in the box on the top right corner of the interface, and also make use of the RSS feeds reader to receive information directly from your favorite torrent sites.

In short, uTorrent Portable is as good as its regular, installable version: a lightweight, incredibly fast, highly customizable torrent client that makes your downloading experience as simple and automated as possible.

uTorrent Portable lets you enjoy the power and ease of use of this great torrent client anywhere, anytime, without installation.

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A simple user interface goes a long way to making eMule a cinch to use. This doesn’t mean it lacks depth though, and its features are some of the most advanced we’ve seen in a P2P client. For instance, eMule lets you view all manner of information on machines you’re downloading from, call up charts outlining downloading stats and check download status through an advanced progress bar.

The fact that eMule uses a large network of servers means the search results are abundant, but there’s one major annoyance with the client – it’s very slow at downloading files. This is largely because of the way it handles download priority, which takes into account the number of servers you’re connected to, the connection speed, and size of the file. eMule also relies heavily on a ‘credit scoring’ system, whereby people who use the service a lot are rewarded with faster downloads. While some may champion this as being in the true spirit of file sharing, the system makes it awfully frustrating for users new to eMule who are penalized with ultra slow downloads.

Having said this, it’s not difficult to see why eMule has become the most popular P2P app, and if you’re prepared to break the law and download music over a network it makes for the perfect accomplice. If you love downloading, you'll love eMule.

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Ares was originally spun-off from the Gnutella project in 2002, and since then is one of the most widely used P2P apps. The Ares Mod interface is almost exactly the same as the original and simple enough for anyone to use although it claims to be quicker.

Like Ares, Ares Mod automatically scans your PC for files that you might want to share on the network although you don't need to complete this. You can search the Ares P2P network for files, choose the files you want to download and a transfer tab will display the progress of each.

There's also a chat tab to connect you with other users which includes a choice of emoticons and the ability to keep a list of your favorite chat channels. There's a wide preview screen which you can set to fit the screen or adjust it to your preferences which is useful for avoiding downloading of fake files.

It's hard to say whether Ares Mod really is faster than Ares but it does claim to support a greater number of seeds and sources when downloading files.

If you like Ares, then Ares Mod is definitely worth a try.

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