WinMX - Another program I was recommended by a friend to download was this - WinMX. Its a client that connects to the OpenNap network. In the connection window, (see screenshot below) however, you're not given much information on what servers you actually do connect to. In fact, just by looking at the "Servers" window, many newbies to the world of file-sharing would immediately be scared away.

But there is plenty of features that will beg them to stay. The layout of the interface is pretty easy to get to grips with - the old tabbed toolbar at the top allowing for easy navigation. However, when you get into the tabs and see all the options and configurations you can set, it all starts to feel very cluttered and unorganised. It almost just seems that the makers of this program had all the great ideas of what features and customisations the user will be able to have - and then chucked them all into various windows. This is probably the most off-putting fact of WinMX.

But there are a lot of cool features that are available in this program. The search window is completely packed with options in which you can search by. You can search for simply just Pictures / Audio / Video, or you can search for MP3 Audio (any bitrate), or MP3 Audio (specified bitrate), or ANY file (with any bitrate) - it's all very customisable. The fact that all these options are only available on one drop down menu, it does make the interface look cluttered once again. Morpheus showed everyone best how do deal with this situation by opening new options every time you search for a certain type of media. You can also have infinite multiple searches, which open up separate search windows - which is pretty cool, but it makes the already-cluttered-interface look even more disorganised.

The displayment (hmm......never heard of that word before:) of the results is pretty fast, and there is a column on the right of the results showing the availability of the file in the form of a queue status - so you'll know which users are busy, and which are not. I did, however, run into problems when I was trying to get a couple of files. You see, when I chose to download a file, I selected the user which apparently no queue (or had no users currently downloading from him. However, even after this, there were still problems trying to connect to the other user. And, when the transfer eventually did begin, I was immediately cut off. I don't know whether that was the fault of the program, or the selfishness of the dickhead at the other end of the network who didn't want to share his files (what a dickhead), but I thought it was something to point out to you. That said, it did only happen a couple of times...

As for downloads - the speeds are good (when you eventually do get connected to the other user - which can take some time), and the transfers are usually reliable (see screenshot). However, there isn't the feature, which I've seen work so well in Morpheus and iMesh, in which you can download 1 file from multiple sources. That is a shame, coz it really does speed up a download. But resumable downloads are available, so if you get disconnected from the net or whatever, you can continue the transfer. Oh, and another feature this program has, is if you get "Transfer Errored" by a user, you can simply connect to another user who has the same file and continue the transfer - which is pretty cool.

My searches to find rare files was good - usually, the only place (before they started blocking files out) to get Punjabi MP3s was Napster, but I did find quite a few here. Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention - WinMX does include a HotList! Its a welcome feature that can't be used to its full advantage much due to the fact that WinMX connects to a decentralised network so you may add a person one day to the hotlist, but, even if they are online again, it'll be hard for WinMX to pick up on it. But still, its nice to have it there...

A couple of downsides to using this program that I have to mention is the fact that this program doesn't have any internal players - but as I say for every client that don't - it doesn't really matter. The program is quite user friendly though, the first time you get into the program, you'll notice many pop-up boxes asking various questions about how best you want the program to function (see screenshot). Which is pretty cool :).           

SUMMARY: WinMX is a good program to use to get MP3s from and, I guess, videos too. You'll find it hard to get connected to loads of users, but there are so many files available anyway, just keep trying different users. I wouldn't recommend you use this program if you are new to the world of file sharing - the interface just seems too unorganised and cluttered to me (sorry I have to keep mentioning it).

Pros : Lots of files - Lots of options - Multiple searches - Good search facility

Cons : Interface is too unorganised and cluttered - Not one for the newbies - Hard to get connections to other uses to download the files

[ READ COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM ]