Popular BitTorrent Clients in Review - Azureus
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Azureus is a Java-based, cross-platform freeware BitTorrent client licensed under the GNU GPL. It is one of the oldest clients (2003) and according to the SourceForge statistics, also the most popular, having been downloaded 156,825,483 times at the time of writing this article. It's recognized as the most stable and feature-laden client.
The bundled feature list is really impressive. It allows multiple torrent downloads, upload and download speed limitation (globally or per torrent), configuring advanced seeding rules, and adjusting disk cache. It supports fast resume, can use proxies, its interface is highly customizable, and of course, we cannot forget about DHT support. It also uses only one port for all of the torrents, and includes an IRC plug-in to ask for help with ease.
The latest stable release of Azureus at the time of writing is 3.0.3.4. Starting from version 3, Azureus redefined the way they approach P2P file-sharing, launching a new platform called Vuze Platform. Vuze is a media sharing application that acts just like YouTube, but is limited only to high-definition video content. Vuze also sells DRM-protected content.
(Screenshot of Vuze's most downloaded content.)
Moreover, since Azureus 3.0, the user has been required to accept a modified version of the GNU GPL license prior to using the application. That also includes the Vuze-license and prohibitions for people under the age of 18. This is because Vuze sports a graphic browser as a main interface, where mature content may be presented.
All in all, Azureus is a very stable BT client that's jam-packed with dozens of features. It sports unique functions, such as the Vuze platform, and incorporates its very own DHT support, which is incompatible with the original BitTorrent release. Due to its Java nature, it is very resource intensive and some people find that it "eats up" their RAM. You also need a fairly powerful CPU. If your rig is antique, forget about Azureus.
Azureus mostly benefits those avid BitTorrent users that are truly going to use some of its outstanding functions and are willing to spare enough system resources. For the casual user that does not want to be heavily involved in the "inner structures" of the BT protocol, then Azureus may be overkill. Critics say Azureus is trying to reinvent the wheel. Anyway, try it out and see for yourself.
Summing up, we hand Azureus 8 points out of 10. We subtracted one for its performance and resource clogging, but unfortunately that's what developers need to put up with when working with Java in specific cases. Likewise, another point is lost due to its high level of complexity. Its design is by no means intuitive.
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