CNET Editors' note: You will be taken to a third-party site to complete your download. Using P2P and file-sharing software to distribute copyrighted material without authorization is illegal in the United States and many other countries. CBS Interactive does not encourage or condone the illegal duplication or distribution of copyrighted content.
CNET Editors' review
Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites based on torrents have made it possible for users to share and download huge files without the need for large servers to host them. Torrents technology breaks big files down into many tiny chunks, each hosted on the PCs of individual members of the P2P network. There are dozens of file-sharing clients available, most of them free; some promise power and flexibility, and others focus on making the file-sharing experience as easy as possible. Goforsharing's Sharetastic 1.7 is a bit of both. It's designed to make it as easy as possible not only to find and download shared files, but also to find files and content that suits your tastes, based on extensive configurable settings as well as past downloads.
Sharetastic's interface is more typical of pricey utilities than freeware, with the sort of colorful, logo-heavy layout elements common to Registry cleaners and antivirus tools: graphical displays; large, bold text; and colorful differentiation of search results. Sharetastic searches the Gnutella, Gnutella2, eDonkey, and BitTorrent networks and displays its results in a user-configurable queue. There's an integrated media player for previewing audio and video downloads, and many other features that make it easy to manage your downloads, such as an unusual amount of network data and a sophisticated file-management system. It quickly searches for, locates, and downloads selected files.
Sharetastic 1.7 is freeware. It installs desktop icons without asking and leaves folders behind after it's uninstalled. It's certified for all versions of Windows from 95 to 7, including server editions.
Publisher's Description
From Goforsharing:
Sharetastic is a straightforward, solid file sharing program that simply knows what a user wants--it loads up exceptional features such as ghost ratings, a completely user-configurable queue area, and multi-network. This application supports Gnutella2, Gnutella, eDonkey, and BitTorrent networks. You'll have no problem installing it (in seconds) and then managing it--searching, checking the network status, customizing the interface couldn't be easier. You'll get extremely quick search results and the possibility to preview files as they download due to an integrated media player for common audio and video formats Sharetastic includes. Sharetastic was developed with optimum performance from any number of sources in mind. The download queue is managed automatically but users can choose to operate manually and change the status of files themselves. A very complex file-management system is made up of folders variedly divided and categorized. What you'll definitely love about Sharetastic is its interface--neat and having all things so reasonably arranged. It has an upper and lower tool bar. The former is all about network connections, views, tools and help documentation while the lower graphical toolbar is actually your best friend when it comes to navigation functions like "home", "library", "media player", "search" and "transfers". In terms of ease and user-friendliness Sharetastic gets ahead of most of p2p clients currently available. Just hit the "Home" button and you'll see--all the options right there for you to see and best manage them. The application offers you much more information about the files and machines on the network than many of its "brothers" and, moreover it does a far better job at tracking the status of your many downloads. Sharetastic focuses on intuitiveness (its layout proves it) and stability.
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All versions:
3.4 starsout of 7 votes
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Current version:
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Results 1-7 of 7
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"simple to use and easy to navigate"
Version: Sharetastic 2.1
Pros
ability to resume and the auto search for more sources
Cons
i could not view sample video of partial downloads
Summary
the program is easy to use and navigate.having the abiltity to resume and find more sources was helpful.did not like the fact that you could not view sample vidoe of partial downloads.
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"shareaza clone, an even bigger ram hog!"
Version: Sharetastic 1.7
Pros
fast install/uninstall
Cons
Looks and feels like a child version of Shareaza. But slower. Auto port forward didn't work. Takes very long to connect to networks. Ask Toolbar installed even though I opted out. Annoying.
Summary
just another clone
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"Ripoff Program"
Version: Sharetastic 1.3
Pros
Well at least they stole from a good program
Cons
No original thought here
Summary
Just download shareaza. Why settle for a hack program
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"works great in XP and doesnt hog resources"
Version: Sharetastic 1.3
Pros
Simple, easy
Works great in XP
Fastest transfering
Wont HOOK onto windows system files
Downloads off all major p2p networks
Downloads torrents off any torrent site
Search is fast with alot of hits
No ads or banners to deal with in the GUICons
Custom install asks if you want the Ask toolbar installed, uncheck it, when it shows what will be installed, there are checkmarks in the boxes to install Ask toolbar but they are dimmed and uncheckable
Add remove programs uninstalls toolbarSummary
Ive used all the "bit" "torrent" named programs (bittorrent,utorrent,VIPtorrent, bit comet..etc) including Vuze. I finally figured out that they are all the same exact thing no matter how they say they arent. Just one look at the GUI and its obvious. But looks can be deveicing. Every one of those programs had too much control on my system. Once they were started and tranfering it was impossible to do anything else. Internet Explorer couldnt load webpages telling me I wasnt online and it wouldnt even allow a simple card game to play off my desktop. All those programs did the same thing and all of them would basically stall out after an hour into transfering. I had to use windows Task Manager to close the programs and sometimes that wouldnt work along with having to restart my computer every single time I tried using those programs in order to have my computer usable.
I tought Id give it one more try and went looking for a program NOT like all those clones. I found Sharetastic and installed it...it passed my test because Im typing this review at the same time the program is running. My transfers are still moving along and havent slowed down at all...not even after 5 hours.
Everyones system is alittle different then the next...but if you have more then one CPU and a fast caple internet connection and youve done your homework finding out what settings to set the program to work on your computer then the program should work the way they advertise it does. Just because everyone is using something doesnt make it good.
Downloading torrents is something that remains in the "gray area" of whats ok and what is not. Because of this programs like bittorrent and its clones get on the band wagon cuz they see this as a way of making you view ads....ads...ads...like a punishment. They promise anything just so they can get their programs on your computer, once their in they dont ask they just change your system in such a way that it cant be called malware or adware or spyware or a virus. Custom installations ask if you want a toolbar etc...uncheck the box and you wont see the toolbar but you well feel the effects of it...cuz they installed it anyway and left out the part that you can visually see.
I said all that because we have choices .....if people stopped using their controlling software they would stop designing it to be that way.
Little known Sharetastic isnt fancy ...a simple uncrowded GUI, options with explainations. It starts when you want it to and it transfers until you tell it to stop.
Its everything those "other" programs arent and dont want you to have. -
"A must have download client"
Version: Sharetastic 1.3
Pros
Fast search engine / plenty of results
Cons
No complaints.
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"impressing p2p app"
Version: Sharetastic 1.3
Pros
download speed
Cons
i like it. no cons.
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"I do not feel secure"
Version: Sharetastic 1.2
Pros
I seems to be fast--
Cons
I has a lot a faulty files --
I do not fell secure when I download from this.
Its like Shareaza, when It became no goodSummary
It is not the sharing program for me
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