A popular file sharing service developed by Bram Cohen that prevents people from downloading constantly unless they are willing to share in the overall transmission load on the network. Released in the summer of 2001, BitTorrent is similar to KaZaA and other distributed swapping services where users download from other users and do not use a centralized directory as in the original Napster service. However, BitTorrent is also different than all of them because it makes every downloading user an uploading user.
Large Files Become Torrents
Instead of downloading an entire file, BitTorrent breaks a file into chunks and distributes them among several participating users. When you download a "torrent," you are also uploading it to another user. BitTorrent balances the load because broadband download and upload speeds are not the same. Users download files faster than they can upload them, which makes them less interested in sharing bandwidth to upload to someone else. BitTorrent ensures every user participates in uploading.
BitTorrent has become widely used for transferring huge program files as well as pirated movies. In 2004, one estimate placed BitTorrent files as a third of all Internet traffic. Although the specific amount for BitTorrent may vary, the combination of all file sharing applications in use account for a huge chunk of traffic. For more information, visit www.bittorrent.com. See peer-to-peer network, Napster and KaZaA.
Large Files Become Torrents
Instead of downloading an entire file, BitTorrent breaks a file into chunks and distributes them among several participating users. When you download a "torrent," you are also uploading it to another user. BitTorrent balances the load because broadband download and upload speeds are not the same. Users download files faster than they can upload them, which makes them less interested in sharing bandwidth to upload to someone else. BitTorrent ensures every user participates in uploading.
BitTorrent has become widely used for transferring huge program files as well as pirated movies. In 2004, one estimate placed BitTorrent files as a third of all Internet traffic. Although the specific amount for BitTorrent may vary, the combination of all file sharing applications in use account for a huge chunk of traffic. For more information, visit www.bittorrent.com. See peer-to-peer network, Napster and KaZaA.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Vuze 4.3.0.4 (Windows)
- Vuze is the most powerful bittorrent software application to Find, Download, and Play HD video content on the Web. With the latest release, you get powerful new search capabilities, along with the ability to play your HD videos on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and...
- Software downloads 2009-11-21
- Google Chrome OS has arrived as free VMWare download
- Somebody will make it available in a more public area, I'm sure.Being that it's open source, somebody's going to make it available in a more public area, I'm sure. I'll wait until then.RE: Google Chrome OS has arrived as free VMWare downloadthat's not the real release... that's a linux based...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- Vuze 4.3.0.4 (Mac)
- Vuze is the most powerful bittorrent software application to Find, Download, and Play HD video content on the Web. With the latest release, you get powerful new search capabilities, along with the ability to play your HD videos on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and...
- Software downloads 2009-11-20
- Tixati 1.21 (Windows)
- Tixati is a free and easy to use BitTorrent client featuring detailed views of all seed, peer, and file transfer properties. Also included are powerful bandwidth charting and throttling capabilities, and a full DHT implementation.
- Software downloads 2009-11-20
- Boost Machine 1.5.8 (Windows)
- BoostMachine is an all in one downloading optimization utility compatible with all BitTorrent clients; an exceptional tool well thought out to do one thing only: take full advantage of your torrents download speed. How does it do it? BoostMachine offers several advanced features which help you maximize the performance of...
- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- MP3 Rocket 5.3.4 (Windows)
- MP3Rocket the fastest file sharing download software for mp3 music and movies. Award winning software providing the smartest and fastest access to millions of songs, MP3s, movies, TV shows, live channels and games. MP3Rocket combines powerful Gnutella and BitTorrent technologies with effortless live channel streaming to give you the world's...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- KavaMovies 1.4.4 (Mac)
- KavaMovies lets you organize the movies you've seen, the movies you want to see, and the movies in your collection. It connects to the internet and downloads tons of information about each of your movies in realtime. Imgagine making a list of all the movies you've ever seen? You'd be...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- BeeThink IP Blocker 1.2 (Windows)
- BeeThink IP Blocker blocks unwanted IP addresses based on IP blocklists. It monitors network activities in real-time and prevents the connection between a server/website and certain IP addresses or ranges of addresses. BeeThink IP Blocker effectively bans undesired connections from those computers to a website, mail server, or other Internet...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- OpenSUSE Education announces Li-f-e 11.2
- Li-f-e is OpenSUSE's Linux for Education product. While this product has been quietly maturing, it has, to some extent fallen off my radar. However, the latest features announced today with this release of OpenSUSE's educational distribution have me downloading as fast as my BitTorrent client will allow. by...
- Blog posts 2009-11-17
- Synology Disk Station DS409slim - NAS server
- Synology Disk Station DS409slim is a true miniature powerhouse in the network-attached storage device market. It's the first 2.5-inch hard drive-based NAS server we've reviewed that offers hot-swappable capability. However, that is its least impressive feature. The server did well in our performance tests and, like other Synology products we've...
- Product reviews 2009-11-16
- Net Transport 2.89 build 502 (Windows)
- NetTransport is fast, exciting, and powerful downloading manager, now supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP/FTPS over SSL/SFTP over Secure Shell, MMS Microsoft Media Services, RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol), BitTorrent, eMule, RTMP Real Time Messaging Protocol / RTMPT HTTP Tunneling / RTMPS over SSL. NetTransport also have flexible 'File Manager' to manage your downloaded...
- Software downloads 2009-11-16
- BitSpirit 3.6.0.330 Stable (Windows)
- This is a BitTorrent client which provides full BitTorrent protocol implementation and many personalized features.It supports simultaneous downloads, download queue, UPnP port-maping, NAT traversalUDP transport, select downloads from multiple files torrent package, disk cache, chatting with other peers, torrent market, ipfilter, etc. In 3.0 or above versions of BitSpirit, it...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- VIP Torrent 3.0 (Windows)
- VIP Torrent is a P2P file-sharing application for music, MP3, movies, software, documents, and games downloads. You may now take advantage of the BitTorrent Pro decentralized network to share, search for, and download about any file you want to. VIP Torrent offers an intuitive user interface, fast-resume, disk caching, very...
- Software downloads 2009-11-12
- BitComet 1.16 (Windows)
- BitComet is a fast and easy-to-use BitTorrent/HTTP/FTP download client. It is P2P file-sharing freeware and one of the most popular P2P protocols designed for high-speed distribution. BitComet supports simultaneous downloads, DHT networks trackerless, a download queue, selected downloads in the Torrent package, fast-resume, disk caching, speed limits, auto port mapping,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-10
- FrostWire 4.18.4 (Windows)
- FrostWire is a fork of the very popular LimeWire PRO Gnutella/Bittorrent client. The purpose of FrostWire is to keep and maintain the freedoms that LimeWire LLC may be forced to withdraw. Share any type of file on Gnutella and the Bittorrent network.
- Software downloads 2009-11-08
- FrostWire 4.18.4 (Mac)
- FrostWire is a fork of the very popular LimeWire PRO Gnutella/Bittorrent client. The purpose of FrostWire is to keep and maintain the freedoms that LimeWire LLC may be forced to withdraw. Share any type of file on Gnutella and the Bittorrent network.
- Software downloads 2009-11-07
- Copyright associations want enforcement for free
- The defender of status quo?What a tired old rant. Use technology and the law to enforce ill advised and ill gotten copyright protection.The internet has revolutionized mankind's ability to communicate and share knowledge and culture, and you want to put it under lock and key to deny mankind that benefit?How...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-05
- uTorrent 2.0 beta 16850 (Windows)
- uTorrent is a powerful and efficient BitTorrent client. Most of the features present in other BitTorrent clients are present in uTorrent, including bandwidth prioritization, scheduling, RSS auto-downloading, and Mainline DHT. Additionally, uTorrent supports the protocol encryption joint specification and peer exchange. Unlike many torrent clients, it does not hog valuable...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- Artemis 2.6.9 (Windows)
- Artemis is a P2P file-sharing application for music, mp3, movies, software, documents, and games downloads. You may now take advantage of the BitTorrent Pro decentralized network to share, search for, and download about any file you want to. Artemis offers an intuitive user interface, fast-resume, disk caching, very low CPU...
- Software downloads 2009-11-03
- ZapShares 3.2 (Windows)
- Using P2P file sharing software such as LimeWire, uTorrent, Azureus Vuze, BitTorrent, eMule, or Ares to share music, movies, or software can expose you to lawsuits by copyright holders and identity theft. ZapShares scans and monitors your computer, identifying potential security threats caused by file sharing software, and ensures that...
- Software downloads 2009-10-27
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