I’m definitely behind the times here, but I finally discovered that I need one and don’t have it. A brief search reveals numerous freeware programs available. My one caveat is that I have dialup only so one configured for broadband isn’t going to help. So what’s good for 50k in WinXP?
Well, you won’t be able to download much quickly with dialup, but Utorrent is the way to go.
Utorrent is simple, small, and quick.
Use it for legal torrent only, of course.
I’ll second uTorrent. I’ve used Azureus in the past, but it annoyed me with all the notifications for every little thing the program did.
Utorrent works fine. I also used to use Azureus years ago.
Utorrent is really the only way to go. Far and away the best.
Another vote for µTorrent.
Yep, µTorrent all the way.
Well since everyone is chickening out and not telling you the hard truth allow me.
You need a copy of utorrent!
Just make sure you don’t download a copy of Rio by Duran Duran.
For 20 minutes.
add another for utorrent
uTorrent is great, but I’m currently using BitTorrent 6. Works great. I used Azureus in the past; I think it’s called Vuze or something now. Very bloated.
utorrent is the only client I have run that does not suck up my system resources on long DL/Seeding.
Then again, I am far from a pro, so YMMV.
What do you guys have against Azureus, might I ask?
I have a powerful dedicated machine that runs it, so I see no problems with it. I just picked it because it was the easiest to use at the time I got it. Plus I like that cute frog logo 
Don’t want to debate just wondering why uTorrent is better (my bro uses that one).
Why does it take so long to d/l? I get that there are various sources for a file, and that at the start downloading is slow because it’s getting a file from one or a few sources and that it speeds up in the middle as more ‘seeds’ are accessed. But why does it slow down near the end? Also, why does it take 24-36 hours do d/l a file on high-speed cable? (I think I have bittorrent.)
I dunno, you just have to have patience.
I can download at like 800kbps (I rarely do…eats up the bandwidth for the entire house) but can only upload at 60kbps. But I only allow upload for 29kbps (so I can actually use the Internet at the same time). Then I have 10 slots open for upload, and always have a ton of shit uploading - it is wise and courteous to upload to a ratio of at least 1:1 - so you’re only going to get around 2.9kbps (or less) from me as a seeder. Then, when I’m at around 1:1 I stop seeding so I can seed something else.
So, I’ve downloaded thanks to my peers (the tracker) and have uploaded the same amount to my peers (the tracker) and I don’t give a rat’s ass if you are done or not, because with the BT protocol you only get a teeny bit from me anyway. (yes, I do give much more consideration to low-seeded files).
Anyway, it’s not a one-to-one thing. You get what you get. People aren’t sitting around waiting for you to get your files - especially on a public tracker. Lots and lots and lots of leeching going on there (no uploading).
So, it’s fast if the file is popular and everyone is sharing. It’s a crapshoot otherwise. Speed can vary widely for each file and over the course of one download.
For Windows: uTorrent
For Mac: Transmission
I was pointed towards uTorrent.
Though the rest of my internet is hijacked when I am downloading/uploading torrents. I am sure this isn’t utorrents fault
I don’t get this business about uploading content to keep in everyone’s good books. How do you know what to upload? Do they choose content from a list of files you’ve made available, and isn’t there any danger in allowing access to your files, even if they are in a seperate folder?
It’s automatic–different parts of the same file.
I never use BitTorrent anymore; Rogers, my ISP, throttles BT traffic so hard that I call it BitTrickle. Sucks when that new Linux distribution or Magnatunes release is legally available only by BT. Fortunately, that’s almost never the case now. I get a lot of SourceForge downloads the old-fashioned way–FTP.
Azureus used to be pretty good, but then they did some sort of deal to turn themselves into an online music store or something, and their interface grew so cluttered with promotions and glitz that I abandoned the program.
I see it as follows: Leave ‘up’ the things you’ve downloaded. Until your ratio is over 1 (that means people have downloaded it from you as much as you’ve downloaded it.
If everyone just downloaded and switched off when they’d finished the system would break down, or downloads would be extremely slow.
Most ISPs have a slower up rate than down rate so you have to leave a file ‘seeding’ for far longer than it took for you to download it.