uTorrent 3.6.0 Build 47196

Overview

The uTorrent is a versatile and powerful BitTorrent client designed specifically for the Windows operating system. The highpoints of this client are efficiency in terms of resource usage without cutting corners on the amount of features it can provide. In fact, although you can schedule it to download several files simultaneously, prioritize certain downloads and allocate the bandwidth that you see fit for each and every one of them, you will never notice it loading more than 6 megabytes of your RAM memory. Since torrents are considered to be among the first P2P methods of file transfer currently, the uTorrent client is simply a must have tool, especially since it is free of charge. However, as a word of advice, using it to duplicate copyrighted files without the owner’s consent is considered illegal. Therefore, the uTorrent should be used carefully and within the letter of the law.

Installation

As mentioned, the uTorrent client is an utility created solely for Windows users. The supported operating systems so far include Windows 2000, NT, XP, 2003, Vista and 7. Consequentially, for older Windows versions or for the Linux of Mac OS X, users should consider alternative utilities. The program is quite lightweight, as the downloadable kit only requires 5 megabytes. As a side note, the first window that pops once you run the uTorrent will warn users regarding fraudulent attempts to commercialize this free client. Moreover, during the installation you will be offered the possibility to download a promotional music album free of charge. This option is not mandatory for the normal functioning of the program. In addition, you can install the uTorrent bar and it is worth mentioning that this feature can prove to be quite useful at times.

Interface

The first screen you will notice once the uTorrent client is fully installed will provide you guidance to the general functioning of torrents and the particular program. If you have worked with torrent clients before then you can skip the tutorial by checking the option of hiding the screen permanently in the top right corner. In terms of interface design, uTorrent is rather minimalistic. However, that does not mean that it does not provide easy access to all of its features. The window is divided into three subsections. The upper section contains the traditional option bar and three active extra buttons that enable users to add torrents, add a torrent from an URL and create their very own torrent. However, it also contains options start, pause, remove or prioritize the torrent files, but they are only active once a torrent file is being processed.  The lower left section enables you to monitor the torrent files, find content and use the RSS feeds feature, while the lower right section will display the list of torrents currently being downloaded or uploaded and their progress.

Pros

uTorrent is an amazing torrent client that allows simple and convenient file transfer from all over the internet. Moreover, since the greatest problem torrent users encounter is the lack of seeding, this torrent client enables you to locate and download files as soon as they become available via the RSS feed and the search bar features. In addition, the uTorrent includes a remote downloading option, for added versatility. Since it does not require a lot of space nor does it hog resources, the uTorrent is quite portable and can be carried around on an USB flash. No matter how large or how small a file is, the application is quite stable. Lastly, probably the greatest aspect regarding uTorrent is how easy you can set the priorities and allocate bandwidth. All in all, it allows you to tap into the full transfer potential, even when there are few seeders.

Cons                

While uTorrent does enable users the possibility of changing the default skin, the alternatives are not listed under the preference menu and will require downloading and installing them manually.

Alternatives

Other torrent clients worth mentioning in this category include ABC [ Yet Another Bittorrent Client ], BitBuddy, BitSpirit, BitTornado or GTorrent.  

Conclusion

Apart from the mildly inconvenient skin management that this torrent client comes with, the features included and the ability to manage file P2P file transfer easily recommend it as one of the best software utilities in its category.