07/07/2005, 6:10am, EDT

Thursday, July 7th

Opera preview adds BitTorrent file-sharing technology

Opera Software today launched a technical preview of the Opera browser with support for BitTorrent. The company says that integrating the popular file-downloading technology in the Opera 8.02 browser preview offers end users a faster download process by utilizing full bandwidth and reducing the chance of in-transfer delay when multiple users download the same file. "With BitTorrent, Opera hopes to make it easier for users to download the large amount of legal material available, such as Linux software and computer game demos. The Opera browser will also be offered for download as a torrent file." The BitTorrent protocol differs from FTP and HTTP--also supported by Operat--by offering a more efficient method for downloading a large files: individuals downloading the same file are able to assist each other in the download process.

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bobolicious

brilliant...

07/07, 6:47am, EDT

now if we could just get java working...

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l008com

Cool

07/07, 7:27am, EDT

I wouldn't say its more efficient, but it is much faster. Kinda like a cadillac is faster than a honda.

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testudo

Wow

07/07, 9:02am, EDT

Are they actually trying to imply there's users who use BitTorrent for legal purposes?

And since they specifically mention use for legal downloads, what are they doing to prevent all those illegal downloads?

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rok

re: "legal material"

07/07, 9:16am, EDT

ah, they called it a technology for use in transfer of "legal material." so that gets them off the hook from any repurcussions resulting from the recent supreme court ruling. now let's get those wAreZ and bootleg mp3's a-streamin'!!! (*kidding, of course.... sharing illegal files is wrong, evil, and the number one way satan enters young people's nether regions, so don't do it*)

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slipperfrog

re: "legal material"

07/07, 9:44am, EDT

Of course people use BT to distribute and recieve legitimate materials. It's used to distribute Linux and BSD distros for one thing. Bootleg concerts (check out dimeadozen.org and bt.etree.org) by artists who have given their permission for their shows to be distributed. Game demos and add-on levels.

Just because MOST people use it for copyright infringement doesn't mean that's its only use. And that's hardly the fault of the technology.

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testudo

Re: legal material

07/07, 12:07pm, EDT

Bootleg concerts (check out dimeadozen.org and bt.etree.org) by artists who have given their permission for their shows to be distributed. Game demos and add-on levels.

How can a concert be 'bootleg' if you've got permissions to distribute it.

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Ralf_Wiggum

legality

07/08, 12:12pm, EDT

slipperfrog said "Just because MOST people use it for copyright infringement doesn't mean that's its only use." Indeed - in the same way, most people speed on the roads, but that doesn't mean we should shut them.

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