“The original Bittorrent client”

The torrent phenomenon is one of the most hyped about in the world of technology among Peer to Peer (P2P) users. It consists of sharing large files, like movies, software, or games anonymously and quickly with other peers. 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 released movies or tv shows.

Thanks to a straightforward, uncluttered interface Bittorrent appears as a friendly torrent client that beginners will feel comfortable with. Once you’ve found the torrent you want, download it to your Mac, open it up inside Bittorrent and let the client do its job. 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.

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.

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.

Languages:

English

OS requirements for BitTorrent:

OS: Mac OS X

Minimum requirements:

Mac OS X 10.2 or later

Pros

Does not contain spyware
Easy configuration
Works with official bittorrent website

Cons

Non-customizable interface
Limited download statistics

Laws concerning the use of this piece of software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of those laws.

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From the publisher of BitTorrent

BitTorrent gives you the same freedom to publish previously enjoyed by only a select few with special equipment and lots of money. ("Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one" -- journalist A.J. Liebling.)

You have something terrific to publish -- a large music or video file, software, a game or anything else that many people would like to have. But the more popular your file becomes, the more you are punished by soaring bandwidth costs. If your file becomes phenomenally successful and a flash crowd of hundreds or thousands try to get it at once, your server simply crashes and no one gets it.

There is a solution to this vicious cycle. BitTorrent, the result of over two years of intensive development, is a simple and free software product that addresses all of these problems. The key to scaleable and robust distribution is cooperation. With BitTorrent, those who get your file tap into their upload capacity to give the file to others at the same time. Those that provide the most to others get the best treatment in return. ("Give and ye shall receive!")

Cooperative distribution can grow almost without limit, because each new participant brings not only demand, but also supply. Instead of a vicious cycle, popularity creates a virtuous circle. And because each new participant brings new resources to the distribution, you get limitless scalability for a nearly fixed cost. BitTorrent is not just a concept, but has an easy-to-use implementation capable of swarming downloads across unreliable networks. BitTorrent has been embraced by numerous publishers to distribute to millions of users.

Posts about BitTorrent in our blog

Azureus fights Bittorrent throttling ISPs by Cyril Roger
How to: Access BitTorrent at the office by Cyril Roger
BitTorrent goes mainstream with Orb by Nicholas Mead
Head to Head - Transmission vs Tomato Torrent by Cyril Roger
Has beta testing gone too far? by Nicholas Mead

+ Read more posts about BitTorrent

User opinions about BitTorrent (1)

cyril.roger (82 User opinions)

Neither good nor bad

7/10
about BitTorrent - 16 Mar 2006

I set up bittorrent on my Mac. It seems like it's the easiest one to get to grips with, and honestly I don't have the courage to set up everything in Azureus. You have to admit that the Bittorrent ... read more
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