From Toggle
BitTorrent is the first computer program designed for sharing great numbers of data through Bittorrent network, being in touch millions of people all around the world to share movies, songs, photographs, and many more things.
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[edit] Descriptions
When Bittorrent is mentioned, it is referred as a form of sharing files with different users from all over the world, based on a network with the same name, and on which different applications can act.
In the case of Bittorrent, the first thing to mention is that it is first on a large list of "clients" which has become larger throughout the years, many of them are practically direct copies of it.
The first thing worth to be mention of BitTorrent is that it is a tool which has been deeply improved from its launch to nowadays. With Bittorrent, the user can search and download to the computer the number of files he wishes, without any limit. One of the advantages of downloading things with this utility is that it can be pause at any time, so this offers the user the possibility of organizing himself and his resources as he wish and need it.
These downloads are performed through “torrent”, which can be in diverse Internet servers. However, one of the main characteristics of BitTorrent is that it has a well-developed search engine of torrent files, so the user can search for the necessary content throughout all the network of networks.
It is possible to manage downloads as you wish; since the program assigns priorities with the objective that one person can get certain files before others. But downloads are not all what BitTorrent has, since the main idea is sharing files with other people: in this way, the program allows sharing contents that are already stores on the hard drive, as well as the creation of torrents from your own PC. Then, after creating them, the user can upload it to a Web site, or share it with the rest of the BitTorrent network (allowing the searching engines to find it).
[edit] History
As it was mentioned before, Bittorrent was one of the first “clients”, especially Developer for interchanging files within a homonymous network. This cause that at the beginning it was practically the unique program used to that end.
But, as it is an open code program, rivals began to spread and each of them offered different characteristics. As users take the decision of using a program or not, many of them chose the new options, but BitTorrent still kept being the main reference.
The main advantage of torrent networks is that user can share files: this means that a person can make available the rest of user to any type of content from the computer, which sometimes are protected by copyright. As a consequence, programs and Web sites are constantly required by those rights owners, generating legal disputes which have end in different results.
The fact is that BitTorrent protocol has still not arrived to your home, and it offers anyone the enough flexibility for sharing and protecting contents. This means that the user has the chance of creating private “trackers” and authorizing only a restricting group for downloading information. There are working groups which use huge files, so the BitTorrent network has become a fundamental ally.
From version 6.0, BitTorrent has suffered a great technological and institutional change, since form being an open code program became into owner software, and of being programmed in Python for being totally written in C++. The program itself has been converted into a modified UTorrent. This changes have not reduced the use of the characteristics, but they have no been quite well received by programmers who user BiTtorrent as the main reference for developing projects.
[edit] Features
- Original
While talking about BitTorrent, different things can be mention (a network, a protocol, a software type, etc), so happens that all of them can be associated with this program BitTorrent is an original program designed for functioning as client in the P2P interchange networks, which means that it always has the same innovation to offer the best benefits to all users.
- Searching Engine
One of the ways of finding torrent files for downloading is through Internet sites. But this program has an additional advantage of using a really fast searching engine, since with just entering some keywords the user can have a large list of results. As each site publish only what information of its interest, each characteristic of the utility is really interesting for avoiding this limit.
- Light
One problem of the torrent file interchanging is that it generally takes up much broadband and computer resources. However, BitTorrent has been created for fully using all the protocol benefits without wasting resources in vain. The program only takes what it need for functioning, authorizing the rest of connected people to also share files (which finally affects the local download speed).
- Safe:
A particularly frustrating aspect is to finish a download and that its files do not work properly. This does not happen if you download through torrent, since the task is supported by the collaboration of thousands of users at the same time. In this sense, BitTorrent is a pioneer in this system, and it achieves all downloads to be correctly finished every time.
- Parallel downloads
Unlike what happens when downloading with other mediums, the torrent files do not have limitations regarding the quantity of simultaneous downloads that can be made. The unique limitation is in the Internet connection broad band (which will result in a slow down of the individual speed of each file) or the hard drive available space. However, there are other benefits of this protocol that can be used to make this task more flexible.
- Information present at the interface
BitTorrent shows all the downloading data directly in the main interface of the utility. Thus, it is possible to know the status of transferences with only take a look at it. Among other data, the user can know the transference rate of each torrent, the completed percentage of the download, the number of connected people, and the resting time for finishing the task.
- Emergency saving of data already downloaded
Although torrent file downloading can be paused or stopped without losing information, the fact is that it achieves this from the data “packs”. They are saved as they are being completed, but a power cut or a fault on the PC can cause the entire incomplete package to be lost. BitTorrent is different, since it saves every downloaded byte to avoid this kind of problems.
- Statistics
When a download is performed through torrent, information is sent and received at any time. If the user wants to know the detail information about these transferences, he should only visit the statistic section that this application has. He even can have access to any type of graphics, which improves the interpretation of data and helps recognizing the use of this utility.
- .Torrent file creator
As it has been mentioned before, although downloads are a very important factor in BitTorrent world, it is not the unique one, since the program has been designed for sharing files. If the user wishes his work (or another thing) to be known by millions of people around the world, he can create a torrent file using this program as a platform.
- Priorities
While performing many parallel downloads, if they are of great size, it is possible that the download speed will be notably limited. As a result, BitTorrent authorizes users to establish priorities within their files, to canalize great quantity of resources to one in particular.
Although this affects the rest of files, the most urgent ones will be quickly downloaded.
- Intelligent Trackers
It is necessary to focus on files going to the computer for each download performed by torrent. This is achieved by trackers. BitTorrent has intelligent trackers that are constantly updated which give the user the change of renewing the downloaded sources, as well as offering to the rest of the community the contents which are already downloaded to your PC.
[edit] Minimum Requirements
- Processor : 800 MHz or similar.
- 'Ram Memory: 128MB.
- Graphic Card: 64 MB.
- Internet Connection : ADSL or similar.
- Network Card : 10 Mbps.
- Free disk space : 900 MB.
- Operative System : Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
[edit] Recommended Requirements
- Processor : 2.0 GHz o higher.
- 'Ram Memory: 512 MB or higher.
- Graphic Card: 128 MB (with 3D acceleration) or higher.
- Internet Connection : ADSL2 or ADSL2+.
- Network Card : 100 or 1000 Mbps.
- Free disk space : 900 MB or higher.
- Operative System : Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP/VISTA.
[edit] Versions
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[edit] Videos
There is no video for this programs
[edit] Manuals
[edit] Plugins
- BitTorrent SpeedUp Pro
This program is an added element for P2P client which allows increasing the downloading speed, the amount of simultaneous downloads and some automatic skills.
- BitTorrent Acceleration Tool
A powerful tool which allows increasing downloading speed performed from BitTorrent, and it also allows visualizing details about them to keep a strict control.
- BitTorrent Acceleration Patch
It is a patch for P2P program which allows increasing speed in all the software aspects. Unlike other added elements, it works totally in an automatic way without needing any change or manual modification.
- Firestorm
This little plugin will allow Firefox browser being compatible with Bittorrent downloading manager. Thus, you can have access to all P2P options directly form Firefox.
[edit] FAQ
- BitTorrent, is difficult to use?
- How can I have access to advanced settings?
- I do not want to cancel my downloading, but I need one of them urgently, what can I do?
- It has been few days that I am downloading a file and it does not finish, what is happening?
- Why when using BitTorrent does my computer surf slowly?
[edit] Related Programs
- 2 Find MP3
- ABC (Yet Another Bittorrent Client)
- AMule
- ApexDC++
- Arctic Torrent
- Ares
- Ares Galaxy
- Ares Galaxy Turbo Accelerator