Filed under: Software, Internet Tools
Xtorrent 1.0 v40 released with per-torrent bandwidth throttling, list of big features to come
Using his crystal ball, however, Watanabe also announced three major features we can strike off the request list: selective file downloading, encryption, and torrentcast auto-downloading (though I should point out that Xtorrent can already subscribe to RSS feeds of torrents - it just doesn't auto-snag 'em yet). Dave announced that these features are "absolutely" planned for a future release (or spread out across more than one), though we'll all just have to sit tight as these things naturally fall under the tried and true "they'll be done when they're done" policy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Aaron Gyes said 10:54PM on 4-18-2007
Dave is an ass. He uses libtransmission. You can be sure he means not that he plans on implementing selective downloading and encryption, but that he'll be sure to scoop them up after the hard working folks working on Transmission finish them up (they are planned for the next release).
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Sean said 10:29PM on 4-18-2007
This stuff is all in the FREE open source Transmission. Since Watanabe uses libtransmission he gets all those features for free without doing any work. Get the real thing for free here: http://transmission.m0k.org/
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Jon Kantro said 11:40PM on 4-18-2007
Hey TUAW, why don't you cover Transmission's release rather this shareware torrent garbage, when this today was Transmission's FIRST major release in over a year!
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Eric said 10:48PM on 4-18-2007
Why do people trust a thief with their money? Watanabe has time and again stolen the underlying code to his applications without proper credit or licensing.
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Nate LaCourse said 10:49PM on 4-18-2007
Transmission v.7 was just released today too. Big improvements over the last release version, which was nearly a year old.
BTW, looks like I'll be the first in this thread to direct the obligatory "Boo Hiss" Watanabe's way.
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Nate LaCourse said 10:50PM on 4-18-2007
Damn, Eric beat me to the punch.
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rich said 10:51PM on 4-18-2007
what a ripoff. this guy is using the transmission team's codebase and is taking credit for their work.
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Dripps said 10:58PM on 4-18-2007
Geez I purchased this a bit ago before the price went up, not knowing there was an issue with this. I don't want to support a unscrupulous programmer. Where do I read up?
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Mark S said 11:03PM on 4-18-2007
David Watanabe isn't stealing code from anyone. The libtransmission code is released under the MIT license agreement. He's essentially free to do with it as he pleases. While the code may be free, he is adding a bit of value to it by making a better interface and adding some features. And if you take the time to actually download Xtorrent and look in the "About Xtorrent" section of the app, he clearly gives credit to the Transmission team. He's not trying to hide the fact that he is using open source code. The same with Acquisition; he clearly states that he is using a Limewire core.
Enough with the "stolen code" acusations already! Both Xtorrent and Transmission share some of the same features and each have their differences. They're both very good Bit Torrent clients. Just pick the one that serves your needs the best.
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Gimp said 11:14PM on 4-18-2007
He did not Steal code.
but he acts as if these are HIS features, when they're NOT. also, I highly dislike that tuaw posts about Xtorrent, but not about Transmission. if i could find a contact page id be complaining.
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ricosuave said 11:12PM on 4-18-2007
Mark S = David Watanabe
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Aaron Gyes said 11:48PM on 4-18-2007
Mark S is completely correct, however I still think it is unscrupulous to market these features as something he is responsible for, and promising work that other people are about to do, all the while getting hailed by Mac blogs and making money.
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Master Jedi Dan said 11:18PM on 4-18-2007
This fool wants us to pay him for a BitTorrent client? What is he smoking?
@ Mark S. -- I think we'll all be getting our clients free, rather than be ripped off by some stooge.
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David S said 11:24PM on 4-18-2007
Much has been said about Watanabe's use of libtransmission with minimal attribution to the Transmission team. It's fine for him to use open source code and give credit conspicuously; but Watanabe constantly walks a fine line by releasing "original" products and hiding the source of the underlying code in a footnote. Announcing "new features" to his product without mentioning that the lion's share of the work to implement those features is actually done by another dev team--that seems pretty close to crossing the line into appropriation of someone else's work. So a touch of resentment is understandable.
That said, I do appreciate the beautiful work he's done with XTorrent--he has added valuable features and usability that simply aren't available in Transmission. My gripe with him at this point is that the activation regime he added to XTorrent is among the most obnoxious I've ever seen. Randomly disabled searches, bandwidth caps, and a nag screen you can't close. It's a total turnoff, and it's actually encouraging me not to register.
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Harold said 11:22PM on 4-18-2007
Dave Watanabe is also a cheater, cheated on his boyfriend
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Bill Gates said 11:31PM on 4-18-2007
Is there a link to get this code?
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Jay said 11:58PM on 4-18-2007
Woah! I see Watanabe's as popular as ever...
Personally, I don't care what he puts into his software, or how much better than the competition it ever may get (it rarely does), or even if its price were $0.... his attitude is repulsive.
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Robert Jones said 11:57PM on 4-18-2007
So does this version have a new feature called "Not banned from most private trackers"? No? then I'll stick with Azureus, thanks.
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Mary said 3:18AM on 4-19-2007
"So does this version have a new feature called "Not banned from most private trackers"? No? then I'll stick with Azureus, thanks."
Exactly. Watanabe's reputation speaks for itself, so I won't bother adding my opinion, which is pretty much the same as everyone else's apart from, it seems, Mr. Chartier.
The main point here is that Transmission, Xtorrent, or any other libtransmission based client, will eventually be banned from most private trackers because they hammer them senseless.
So all in all, no thanks. Especially given DW's repugnant attitude to his customers.
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jahpraiseherb said 4:08AM on 4-19-2007
"The main point here is that Transmission, Xtorrent, or any other libtransmission based client, will eventually be banned from most private trackers because they hammer them senseless."
Uh no. Tracker issues in the libtransmission core were resolved in this release and in fact have been resolved for some time.
The problem with Wantanabe as others have said is not the fact he uses libtransmission (the MIT licence means he is perfectly entitled to do so). The issue is that he doesn't adequately acknowledge the source of his 'new features', and his arrogant attitude.
A TINY footnote was ONLY posted on the front page of his website at the insistance of one of the Transmission developers. Surely this indicates not only a lack of courtesy and respect, but also a lack of professionalism.
Furthermore to claim that certain features are "are absolutely planned for future versions" is quite arrogant, given that he is not going to be writing those features himself but rather expecting them to pop up in the next release of Transmission.
However the worst thing is that blogs such as this one shower DW and XTorrent with praise and yet ignore the real work which has gone on with the Transmission project. Transmission had a major release yesterday, not some 'build 40 update'. But TUAW couldn't care - they've been suckered hook line and sinker into the DW reality distortion field.
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