2. How We Tested

There is no perfect way to rate P2P applications, so we made up our own methods. To measure download rates, we searched for Red vs. Blue episodes with the most sources with each application then measured the average and maximum download times for that episode. We also searched for episodes with only one source, and measured its download time to test the likelihood of finishing a download of rare material. For this test, if the file didn't start downloading within 30 minutes, we gave up. Of course, due to the highly variable nature of P2P technology, your results may be very different from mine!

For variety of content, I searched each network for DVR-MS files and recorded the number of files found. DVR-MS files usually come from tuners in systems running Windows MCE. I didn't download any of these files since they may have contained copyrighted content.

Adware, Annoyances And Basics

I consider "Adware" as any program or add-in that comes from a third party that exists simply to annoy you; whether this is through ads, toolbars, or changing your browser home page. Although just about every program in this review claims to not track your personal information, I generally don't trust any application that tries to hide what it is doing or doesn't ask permission before installing. I also consider any program that tries to hide in the Windows task bar or system tray when you close it as a negative, but not those that properly move to the task bar when you minimize them.

I tested for adware by scanning for with Ad-Aware and using the auto-detect feature in Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition (provided by my school). I don't consider cookies as adware since even Internet Explorer lets you block and delete cookies. Finally, despite what whenUSave says, I consider it to be adware since it provides unrequested advertising.

If you are new to downloading, here are a few pointers to get you started. Many may consider these to be common sense but here they are anyway:

Know the size and file type you are downloading. An MP3 should be about 3 MB for a typical song and a movie should be between 700 MB and 5 GB. Don't trust software that asks for your personal information when you register. Don't share personal files. Most programs have you specify a folder where you place content to be shared. Don't ever set this folder to be your entire hard drive! Popular and newer files are most likely to be fake or possible decoy files. Avoid them. Scan any programs or files you download with up-to-date anti-virus software before using them.