[quote name='rygar']The best p2p program for you ultimately depends on what you are downloading and your downloading style.
Kazaa Lite: meh. I've never been too fond of kazaalite. for one, the people you always hear about getting busted use kazaa. but generally this shouldnt be a problem since you can disable uploads. it's good for getting things relatively quickly, but imo there are way too many fakes on that network for my liking. if i have to hear one more mp3 with weird glitching sounds 30 sec into it, i swear i'll throw my comp. out the window.
BitTorrent: yeah, it's fast, yeah, it's pretty easy to use, but whoever said that it was under the radar is dead wrong. I haven't used it in a while but I definately remember hearing about people getting in trouble with it...and it doesnt help that you have to upload exactly what you're downloading. also it's really only good for popular files that were just released.
irc: i haven't used this is a good 3-4 years but i doubt much has changed. it is very easy to leech, but the interface isnt always friendly and it takes some getting used to. maybe i was approaching it wrong but i absolutely hated this for filesharing. most of my time was spent in huuuuge queues and i dont think it was possible to d/l the same file off 2 people at the same time.
winmx: i thought this had spyware...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
eMule/eDonkey/overnet: these are all part of the ed2k network and is what i have been using consistently for the past 2 years. each file has a hash (like an id), and you can link to that file using its hash so that you know exactly what you are getting. there are link sites out there that post verified ed2k links to files so if you use these wisely you will never ever get a virus/fake--i never have. unfortunately the biggest and best of these sites, sharereactor, was shut down just under a month ago. The search function built into the program will suffice as well, but you just have to be careful with what you download. speeds an be slow but this all depends on your settings. also you are forced to upload. you are encouraged to u/l what you are d/l ing (there is a credit system) but i have found some ways around that if you want to u/l something that won't attract so much attention. however with emule it is more of a 'slow and steady' type of thing. speeds arent always phenomenal, but you'll get your file eventually-even the rare ones. often you also have to wait in long queues, but you can d/l off of multiple people (unlike irc, i think). emule works best if you have your comp on for long periods of time.
DC++/DirectConnect: I use this only because of school. (we have a bandwidth limit and dc++ activity doesnt contribute to it as long as it is beween residence halls). like someone said earlier there sometimes is a minimum about you have to share. I never liked this....I mean, how are you supposed to even get stuff to share if they kick you out because you arent sharing enough. speeds are pretty good (but perhaps this is because everyone on the hub is on a t3 line...).[/quote]
Thanks for the info. I downloaded LimeWire, but I read a Tech TV article on eMule, so I'm itchin' to try that.