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Finding Files For Free Is As Easy As Saying “Limewire.”

LimeApple’s Steve Jobs says that less than 5-percent of all the music on an average iPod comes from the iTunes Store.

With file sharing utilities so easy to use these days, what’s not to like. Install something like Limewire, find files, share files, pay nothing.

Attention, Windows and Mac users. File sharing is not always legal. Most of the time it’s illegal. It’s also easy with Mac and Windows utilities such as Limewire.

What’s interesting about Limewire and file sharing, P2P utilities is how their descriptions tend to ignore or cover up their true intent. Illegally share music and video files over the internet.

Granted, some files can be shared between anonymous users, but most P2P tools are designed for one thing-- share with others what you’ve got, and share with yourself what they’ve got.

Limewire is an easy to use utility which searches the internet for a file you want, whether music, video, digital photo, even applications. The utility is long on features, short on instructions, especially the ever important “what is this utility designed to do.” You’re expected to know or figure it out.

The latest Limewire has built-in support for Bittorrent, so there are more ways to find and download files to your Mac.

Once you connect, your Mac becomes a storage point for files you download, so that others can use your Mac to download files to their Macs.

Limewire as a handy notification system so you know when a file download is completed. It works behind firewalls, integrates with iTunes for both Mac and Windows.

Searching is easy. Enter the song or video or artist or file name you’re looking for, and wait a few minutes. Then select a result and begin downloading. Limewire is quick, but file downloads are often dependent upon the number of other users who have the same file available.

Of all the P2P utilities I’ve used on the Mac, my favorite is Limewire because it’s easier to set up and run. How about the legality of “sharing” files? Remember Napster? The new one is legal and bleeding money. The old Napster was ruled a participant to stealing.

For all intents and purposes, Limewire can be used to do the same thing. With the legal hounds from the Recording Industry Association of America rounding up and suing P2P users for downloading music, Limewire is definitely a “buyer beware” opportunity.

So, my question for the day is, do you use a file sharing, P2P application on your Mac? If so, which one? What kinds of files do you download? Talk Back to Mac360 readers in the Comments section below.

Check out the daily list of our 9 Word mini-Reviews at NoodleMac, and Kate's daily in-depth Mac software reviews at PixoBebo.

   • Article by Alexis Kayhill • Published on Monday, June 16, 2008
   • Category: Low End • 6 Reader comment(s) • Email This • Digg This • Shop Now
  Page 1 of 1 Page(s) for this article.

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Mac360 readers talk back. View their comments below or post your own comment to this article. Comments are moderated by the Mac360 staff. Or, post comments in the Mac360 Forums. It's mostly anonymous, there's no obligation, and no cost, so join in-- it's free, fun, low in calories, low in carbs, non-fat, and mildly addictive-- like chocolate and blondes.

Readers Talk Back:
kacy says:

Frostwire supposedly has all the features of the upgraded Limewire for free. I can’t tell if it’s a makes a difference. They both seem slow. IMO, P2P file sharing is a hit or miss. It’s hard enough to find files you want and then, you have to question the quality of what you’re getting. Transmission is a nice open source bit torrent app.

   — Posted on Fri Dec 21 at 12:11 am by kacy

JCS says:

Limewire is terribly slow (at least since I last used it)!

Bit Torrenting is much faster and more people participate.

You can find several Bit Torrent programs for Mac, but the one I *prefer* is ‘Bits on Wheels’ or BoW if you prefer. Try it out, it is a natively Mac program and have never had it crash on me that I recall.

   — Posted on Tue Dec 18 at 2:35 pm by JCS

Mister Ron says:

My son has been using Limewire and other file sharing programs to make his band’s music freely available to the public. It’s good publicity for an unsigned artist, and is perfectly legal, until the record companies take that away just as they did mp3.com, the old Napster, etc.

In the long run, it’s about control of the market and keeping indies out—NOT about piracy…

   — Posted on Sat Dec 15 at 11:13 pm by Mister Ron

Pir4t3 says:

Anyone found the serial number for this yet?

   — Posted on Fri Dec 14 at 12:32 pm by Pir4t3

dorkhero says:

Try ‘Poisoned’. It’s free, runs natively in OS X without having to use Java.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20289

   — Posted on Fri Dec 14 at 12:00 pm by dorkhero

PiratesrUs says:

Frankly, you are nuts to use Limewire unless you know what you are doing to block out the RIAA from getting your IP.

There are better and safer ways to get music and vid files...The best has been a part of the Internet since its earliest days and your ISP probably offers it to you at no extra charge. And that’s all I am saying about that because those of us you use it, don’t talk about it.

   — Posted on Fri Dec 14 at 10:36 am by PiratesrUs

  Page 1 of 1 Page(s) for Comments on this article.
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