CNET Editors' review
BitTorrent hadn't seen a major update in about two years, but that was before it bought out uTorrent. Now, adopting its new sibling's interface has completely reinvigorated the original BitTorrent client.
Previously, BT had lacked features that other torrent innovators had spent time testing and investing in. Now, in one fell swoop, BT has access to everything it lacked. You can pick which files in a torrent you want to download, throttle your Internet connection to suit your whims, muck about with the Web UI and, basically, do everything that uTorrent can do.
There's an RSS tracker and search bar, just like in uTorrent, but there's where we encounter one key difference. Where uTorrent's search takes you to the MiniNova torrent site, BitTorrent's goes to BitTorrent.com, a pay-for-most-content site. There's also a menu bar item in the BitTorrent client called Get Stuff, with links to Movies, TV, Music, and Games at the BitTorrent content site.
Without a doubt, BitTorrent has taken drastic steps to reverse course and unsink its sinking ship. Although BT still eats more memory than its new sibling, it's hogging significantly less than before. The install file reflects the new code, shrinking from nearly 6MB for version 5 to less than 1MB for version 6.
BT also comes with a small piece of software called DNA. The BT site calls it protocol for "Delivery Network Acceleration," but beyond a nebulous description, it's hard to tell what exactly it does.
Publisher's Description
From BitTorrent:
BitTorrent's software client allows you to quickly download high-quality digital content such as video, music, and games. Available in over 20 languages, it leverages our community of over 70 million users to securely deliver files to your PC faster than anything else out there.
Features include detailed graphs and stats on the health of digital media files provide you a safer, more controlled downloading experience, local peer discovery and automatic port mapping increase file transfer speed without the need to reconfigure routers or other hardware, and dynamic bandwidth management allows you to download content without disrupting Web browsing, e-mail, or other applications.
New lightweight client based on uTorrent, local peer discover, a configurable bandwidth schedule, an RSS downloader, and other new features. BitTorrent DNA, which stands for Delivery Network Accelerator. Version 6.0.2 build 8388 includes unspecified updates.
What's new in this version: Version 6.0.2 build 8388 includes unspecified updates.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 687 votes
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Current version:
3.6 starsout of 70 votes
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My rating:
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"I like it better then vuze"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
downloads are fast
Cons
sometimes hard to configure or bad downloads or fakes
Summary
pretty damn good i reckomed
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"You get what you pay for..."
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
In the early days, it was a godsend to the bandwidth impoverished
Cons
If you go into downtown Beirut, Baghdad, Kabul, or L.A., you'd best be well armed! So, too, in the land of Torrent.
Summary
When the concept of bittorrent first came about, it was the savior of the low internet bandwidth user. It gave them the ability to get software via a background, sharing process which they could not otherwise have gotten.
Now, it's the haven of the internet terrorist. More often than not, you're likely to infect your system with all manner of evil internet beasties! And the purveyors of the system disclaim all fault for this while still offering the user sites that they well know are out to get the user and invade their privacy and maliciously assault their systems.
But, you get what you pay for. If it costs you nothing, well, what exactly are you expecting to ger, The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine? With the amount of software one needs to have on hand to protect against the ill-conceived torrent providers, one might as well have just paid the price one thinks they are saving!
Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware! Or, better stated, let the one who seeks to attain without buying beware. There are lots of people in the world who are glad to feed your fantasy as they pick your pocket! -
"Good for everything !"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
Easy to use, even as a beginner !
Cons
i'm still learning but, to be able to download the sample seperatly to the main file.
Summary
Fantastic !
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"Pretty good, not complicated to use."
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
Excellent, fast and easy to use.
Cons
Slow at times.
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"Excellent torrent client; but that DNA concerns me"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
Full of features: lots of info about torrent activity and controls to tweak the download & uploading processes.
Nice layout.
Easy on system resources (running Vista SP1, 2 GB of RAM).
Minimal impact on internet throughput for other activities.Cons
The DNA exe and process is active all the time; even when BitTorrent is not running; more about this in the summary.
Summary
Though I've read and re-read the 'explanation' on the BT website of the DNA process, I find it vague and unsettling; like listening to a software solution presentation from a marketing guy. The fact that DNA runs all the time, even when BitTorrent is not, is troubling. I handled that by just preventing it from running at startup using Sysinternals' Autoruns (but there are many similar pgms out there). And DNA can be uninstalled separately from BT.
I'm always mystified by the alarmists (easily recognized; they usually type in CAPS), who spew dire warnings that the install exe is "a virus", "a trojan", "a BigMac with cheese, as identified by their AV software. Good-god, if 10,000 people have downloaded software and only a handful of you received warnings of something nefarious, wouldn't it be reasonable to consider that your AV is giving a fall-positive? You can always cross-check with another AV product and you don't even need to install it, since there are many, many online virus scans. If the virus flag your AV software throws up is sufficient to discourage you from using the download, fine, that's reasonable. But can you get some control over the need to do a public parade with sandwich boards warning that 'the end is nigh'. Balance, my friends! Sheeesh.
Several posters have complained that the client, and in fact the entire process of 'bit-torrenting' is confusing and requires a steep learning curve. If you're new to the bit-torrent world, yes, the process requires some effort. But there are many resources out there to guide you; be patient; take a deep breath; and learn. -
"Good, but not great"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
Lots of files available and reasonably easy to configure. I like the IP masking and the cool screens. A small initial download gets this working in a flash. I also like not having to configure the router and/or firewall like you do with BitComet.
Cons
I compared identical downloads with BitComet and sadly BitTorrent fell way behind using identical PC's and servers at the same time. It was about 50% slower. It also did not have some of the goodies like BitComet. Still, far better than most others.
Summary
I would rate BitTorrent highly in comparison to the majority of P2P's simply for the ease of use, consistent speeds and fast start-up. As stated before, It is not as fast as BitComet (once you get past that painful NAT config), but well ahead of most others. If I was to download sensitive info, I would definitely use BitTorrent due to it's IP privacy, something that IP srvers etc monitor from time to time.
I expected BitTorrent to be a bit of a bandwidth hog, like all others, and it seems it is no different in this respect. As for resources, it is extremely light (about 9meg+ RAM average and 1% CPU on dual 2.4 processor)compared to BitComet/EMule (100meg+ RAM and 1% CPU). It means you can still use demanding programs while downloading. I recommend BitTorrent especially for older and slower machines rather than BitComet due to this resource issue. However, I will prefer BitComet on my machines due to the extra download speed. Both have similar search engines and torrents so really the choice is speed-hog vs not-so-fast and light on resources. -
"Very quick in getting me where I want to go."
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
I like how many options there are to be able to find what I am looking for.
Cons
I sometimes need help to figure out how to properly download then burn movies.
Summary
I feel that there should be a quick button to press that will lead you through each step to get you where you need to be.
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"My Kaspersky said that this file is TROJAN."
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
well maybe this software is good but my kaspersky showed that it is a Trojan.
Cons
well maybe this software is good but my kaspersky showed that it is a Trojan.
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"The update helped big time"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
1) fast
2) many options (bandwidth alocation, force start, priority settings, pause, stop, delete)
3) looks coolCons
i really can't think of anything
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"Sufficiently Good"
Version: BitTorrent 6.0.2 build 8388
Pros
Can do most torrents effectively.
Cons
None in particular
Summary
Must Try
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