LimeWire is a peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) client for the Java Platform, which uses the Gnutella network to locate files as well as share files. Released under the GNU General Public License, LimeWire is free software. It also encourages the user to pay a fee, which will then give the user access to LimeWire PRO. Recently Limewire opened its own store.
As of May 31, 2008, LimeWire for Windows had been downloaded 147,396,768 times. [1]
As with all file-sharing programs, using LimeWire to download or upload copyrighted files without permission from the authors is generally illegal. Using it to distribute files with permission from the authors, or files that are out of copyright, is generally legal. For more information, see File sharing and the law.
Here are some tips and useful features that will help you get the most out of LimeWire 4.9.
1. LimeWire is written in Java programming language and will run on any computer with the ability to run Java version 1.1.8 that is connected to the Internet.
2. It’s best to use different P2P programs to get certain files. LimeWire is best suited for songs and video files, especially recent ones. For CD images and programs, I use BitTorrent/Azureus. I only use WinMX if I can’t find the files I want on those first two, and I don’t even have Kazaa installed (too many viruses and trojans!).
3. When searching for files, first do a general search and find the specific file you want. Then do a more targeted search on that file, and you will get more results, and thus, a faster download.
4. If you’re like me and fetch download speeds from 30 kb/s up to 200 kb/s per file, downloading more than 4 files at once may put a strain on your computer. If this happens, your computer will get extremely sluggish, and it will become difficult to do anything else on it. Because of this, I recommend choosing your downloads in the morning or at night, and leaving the computer to do its hard work while you sleep or away during the day.
5. LimeWire has a cool “Recently Added” button that lets you search for new files. Also, there’s a place that lets you see what other users are typing in their search boxes. Both of these features help when you are bored but you don’t know what to download.
6. When you remove a download from the transfer list, it isn’t deleted; it’s actually in a folder called “Incomplete”. If you are tight on hard drive space, it’s a good idea to check this folder (found in the library screen) and delete its contents every so often. Make sure you empty the trash bin too!
Limewire is a popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing application. Free Limewire clients are available downloads for Windows, Linux and Macintosh operating systems. Check these .
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