LimeWire 5.0 Alpha Released
It’s the new LimeWire – that’s right, the Gnutella application that has managed to survive and prosper since the beginning of this decade. LimeWire launched in 2000, not too long after the launch of Napster. Eight years later, LimeWire is still here but Napster is not. Whether or not Shawn Fanning wanted to turn Napster into a music store doesn’t matter much any more. For better or worse, the P2P world went on without Napster. And today we have the launch of the new LimeWire alpha with social sharing.
Commercialized P2P has become next to impossible in today’s digital marketplace. BitTorrent has given up the gig completely, killing off the BEN (BitTorrent Entertainment Network) last week. It’s a tough market to be in, especially when P2P companies not only have to compete against themselves, but against the iTunes juggernaut as well. It also doesn’t help that most TV shows are provided free and on demand by studios.
So what are we left with? BitTorrent is returning to its roots and those who are left, such as LimeWire, are trying to reestablish themselves in a fractured P2P world. But luckily for the LimeWire client, it remains one of the most popular P2P clients in use today. Depending on whose statistics you believe, it very well might be the most common P2P application. And if it’s true that LimeWire is indeed the most popular, then today’s news might very valuable for the social sharer.
Slyck reported last month that LimeWire was preparing their totally overhauled P2P application, version 5.0. Now out of pre-alpha testing and into the public realm, the new LimeWire appears to be be something quite revolutionary. There’s no flashy graphics, no unnecessary features – the new LimeWire alpha is intuitive without being juvenile. The changes are significant, but so far, the LimeWire experience that millions have grown to appreciate has remained intact and indeed furthered. Let’s take a look:
There’s no hiding the fact that LimeWire 5.0 is an alpha release, so why not just shout it out on the welcome screen? We’re not too sure what will ultimately replace the welcome screen; however, if the integration of the music store is any indication, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to believe something store-related will eventually take up residence. Trying to integrate content that’s non-P2P related has been problematic at best in the P2P world. Vuze (Azureus) is the only other mainstream P2P application to have successfully done so, but that success has to be weighed against those who thank the heavens for Vuze’s classic-view option.
We talked before about the LimeWire’s intuitive interface. It’s a marked improvement over the current LimeWire versions – not that there’s anything wrong with the current model; however, 5.0’s interface is impressive and seamlessly integrates the social networking features. Below we see a sample search for Great Songs by the Slyck Orchestra. Viewing other user’s libraries is simple and it’s a breeze to add individuals to your social network. We’re not too sure how thrilled end users will be that their IP address is prominently displayed, however.
The new LimeWire is rather slick, and we’re most impressed with the positive changes to the interface. The social networking feature, which creates a small and personalized environment for sharing, should be popular with both paranoid and outgoing file-sharers alike.