Torrents - downloadable data files created by users of the online peer-to-peer file-sharing system BitTorrent - are a roaring success with software thieves and people too slack, or tight, to buy games, music or video content from a shop. The neat format for large, high-speed internet downloads gathered from multiple sources enables users to freely obtain cutting-edge content - from documentary filmmaker Michael Moore's new movie, Sicko, to the beta of Apple's latest Macintosh operating system upgrade, Leopard. That is, for now.
The possibility that the sites' internet protocol addresses could be turned over to the authorities may help deter copyright infringement on BitTorrent file-sharing networks. We should all be wary of toying with torrents. With some sites, you never know exactly what material is being sucked from cyberspace onto your hard drive until you open the file. I recently wanted to watch a documentary on Dennis Rader, the American serial killer known as the BTK strangler (the acronym stands for his modus operandi - bind, torture and kill). I downloaded a torrent that turned out to be a movie with a French soundtrack.
So I advise anyone who tinkers with torrents to consider something less hazardous, such as cave diving. But if you must, the following are my three top torrent clients - programs used for preparing, requesting and transmitting any computer file over a network, using the BitTorrent protocol.
Sometimes the program crashes, so be prepared to assume the position - spread your fingers and hit Control-Alt-Delete. With luck, the bugs that make this client unstable will have been fixed by the time you read this. BitComet is constantly upgrading, which can be both a blessing and an annoyance.