On the latest turn of the file-sharing debate in OS X inspired by Apple's 4.01 iTunes update, which prevents users from sharing except on a network, MacFixit has released a report that some "users have been experimenting with a full iTunes 4.01 installation, in addition to retaining the older 4.0 release".
Some apparently with success.
For once, I'm not going to write a long piece full of views on the ethics of file sharing. In short, I prefer largely to abide by copyright restrictions and certainly to loot my bank account for software I like, but the broad debate when it comes to paying for music and the record company "majors" is a complex one, with good arguments on both sides.
A new spin has been given to the old clash, of course, with the iTunes Music Store, which I inspected tonight with Marianne. For the time being (though there are ways round this), we "froggies", along with most of the world, can only browse the place.
But I was surprised, and she very pleased, at what she found there.
Today also saw the release of an upgrade to one "peer to peer" (OK, François, "P2P"!) file-sharing "application" (programme), the Gnutella client Acquisition 0.92 for X (1.6 MB download, $15 if it really grabs you).
The better known Limewire (4.2 MB; $9.50 if you're so inclined for a "pro" version) saw a thorough overhaul a couple of weeks ago which promised, among other things:
"•Better search results, especially for rare files.
•Lower bandwidth use, leaving more bandwidth for faster downloads (...)
•Better grouping of search results for better downloads and FEWER CORRUPT FILES!"
(I'll fix their typo, not their yelling.) These developments supposedly address the most widespread complaints about a Java "app" whose quirks could block up your machine.
When it comes to accessing the KaZaA P2P network (that better?) Marianne raves about to an alarming degree, Mac users finally have "Kazaa for MacOs X (sort of)", Neo (1.9 MB, donation-ware) in its 0.90 beta shape.
 The May issue of 'Univers Macworld' (no website), in a timely article on peer-to-peer matters, gave its rosette to a very different kind of application Direct Connect (688 KB, in its 1.0 "preview" incarnation).
Its developers at 'NeoModus' ask people:
"tired of other file-sharing communities such as Napster, Gnutella, and Scour? Tired of Napster Clones in general? Looking for something new? Get ready to change the way you think about peer-to-peer file-sharing. NeoModus Direct Connect offers a complete set of tools to locate any type of media.
Unlike other impersonal, server-driven file-sharing networks, Direct Connect offers a community-oriented, open, user-controlled network. Moreover, Direct Connect's network architecture is built on a peer-to-peer foundation; users run, control, and maintain the network. Users are able to share any type of file - absolutely no restrictions."
Well, there's only one way to find out. I plan to give the lot a go, and see what works best.
'Univers Macworld' dubs as "indispensable", for anybody really into file-sharing, another donation-ware programme called CarraFix (a French job).
It's said to "to fix network congestions, often caused by your servers or some P2P programs, on Mac OS X.
CarraFix brings features called 'bandwidth throttling', 'traffic shaping' and 'Quality Of Service' to Mac OS X. These features are efficient ways to improve your connection throughput in both download and upload".
There's a caveat, apart from being careful which version you download (3.6 MB for the Jaguar one). It's the kind of gadget where it's a very "good idea" to read the frequently asked questions at the Carrafix site before messing around with it.
"Indispensable", though? Hmm. We'll see about that...
The pic's got nothing to do with all this. Sometimes I'm asked whatever happened to some software of the good old days and especially whether I've kept any of it. The answer, for friends seeking that kind of thing, is frequently "yes". When I saw this lonely Noël 1996 edition of the predecessor to 'Univers Macworld' going for a song, I snapped it up.
It'll be intriguing to liberate it from the plastic and find out just what's on that CD!
12:46:34 AM link 
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