
Dave Watanabe has released v1.1 beta of Xtorrent, his excellent BitTorrent client. With this major x.1 release, Watanabe has included some significant new features like individual file selection, file prioritization, individual file completion status, and improved privacy options. Watanabe has updated Xtorrent's UI to help bring some of these features directly to the user, and I'm also noticing what I think are a couple of new preferences, such as the ability to individually toggle whether audio and/or video are added to iTunes after being completely downloaded. The new features are definitely welcome, and Watanabe is optimistic about some planned features down the road.
After trying far too many Mac OS X BitTorrent clients, I finally decided on Xtorrent and have been a happy owner. A base single user license costs $24, with the option to purchase lifetime upgrades for only $9 more.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-02-2007 @ 2:10PM
Rob Roark said...
Hmm, seems slightly odd that it takes Transmission getting these new features for XTorrent to finally get them. ONce a talentless hack, always a talentless hack Mr. Watanabe.
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8-02-2007 @ 2:11PM
adisor19 said...
Nothing can touch Azureus in terms of usability, options and price. Azureus FTW !!!1
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8-02-2007 @ 2:44PM
joe said...
Rob, keep in mind that xtorrent utilizes libtransmision so there will be some feature duplication between the two. (correct me if I am wrong). Regardless I am looking forward to the new features and will be trying out the new beta. It has a great interface and I personally love the rss feeds.
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8-02-2007 @ 2:51PM
NutMac said...
Watanabe treats his customers like dirt. That's enough reason not to endorse his products.
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8-02-2007 @ 3:04PM
inrpce said...
@commenter #4, It's be cause he himself, is dirt.
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8-02-2007 @ 3:07PM
ME said...
NutMac,
I have newsfire, and i like it alot, but i concur with your statements on Watanabe people's skills are not lacking, they are just not present!
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8-02-2007 @ 3:10PM
jeff said...
how does it protect user as far as privacy goes.
i got a letter from my ISP few months ago about an episode I downloaded from torrent using transmission.
it was from HBO and i haven't download anything since then.
does it have proxy built in?
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8-02-2007 @ 3:14PM
Rae said...
As soon as I saw this headline, I was like "how long before this thread turns into a Watanabe-bash-fest". Not long, it seems.
Anyway . . . XTorrent is pretty, but I'll hold off and stick with Azureus (until μTorrent is released for Mac, that is)
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8-02-2007 @ 3:19PM
Paul Dunlop said...
I must admit, as much as I try to give Dave some credit, I've bought three things off him, and whenever I've had a license issue or.... any issue at all to think of, he just totally ignores you. Takes you cash and that's that. No support, no help, nothing. It's a shame he makes such good software that's let down by.... him?
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8-02-2007 @ 3:19PM
Bratling said...
Man, bunch of Watanabe-haters here. What's up with that? Did he pee in your breakfast cereal or something?
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8-02-2007 @ 3:22PM
Ben said...
hmm... I still use Azureus for my BT downloads, and I have little to no complaints about it- would this, or any other BT client be any better?
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8-02-2007 @ 3:29PM
Sean said...
LOL. Transmission developers created these features and Watanabe takes them and acts like he invented them or something. It's funny that he only updates Xtorrent after the Transmission features are done and tested. Doesn't even give any credit to transmission. The worst part is that TUAW rarely covers Transmission and every minor point release of xtorrent is featured here. Get the free, open source nightly builds of Transmission from here: http://transmission.bogg.org/
They get the features first and best of all it is free and open source - why pay $25 for a bittorrent client?
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8-02-2007 @ 3:30PM
rrob said...
Note that there are several sites (oink, ILT, etc.) that reject XTorrent because of incorrect protocol usage. Oink allows Transmission, so maybe they use different versions of the underlying libtransmission lib. I agree with Rae, can't wait for the Mac µTorrent to go public.
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8-02-2007 @ 3:40PM
Entica said...
μTorrent can't get released soon enough! If μTorrent is anywhere half as good as the PC flavour (the only reason I own a PC), it will destroy Xtorrent and Watanabe can disappear into a bad memory. Charging for a BT client is crazy own it's own, add in the fact that the code is just libtransmission and it makes charging for Xtorrent mind boggling ridiculous. Stay clear and wait for μTorrent. Use Transmission for the time being.
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8-02-2007 @ 4:06PM
Steve Grenier said...
I don't know why all you people have problems with Watanabe. I've emailed him a few times and he responds to me. I don't know why he ignores some of you, maybe don't be a dick?
As for Xtorrent, its my favorite torrent app, the built in search is one of my favorite features if not my favorite, I'm really looking forward to this new version.
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8-02-2007 @ 4:21PM
BartRS said...
Not sure why all the bashing either. If XTorrent shares the same library with Transmission it's obviously they're going to share features. He's adding his work to integrate the library with a nice UI (I haven't used it, but it looks nice in the picture), so I think it's fair he charges for it. You buy it if you want, so I don't understand again all the bashing.
As far as customer support goes, I own Newsfire and he always replied with helpful information everytime I asked for help. No complaints on my part here.
I currently use Azureus exclusively. I tried many other clients, but always come back to Azureus.
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8-02-2007 @ 4:22PM
Zeke said...
As others have said, just wait for μTorrent for Mac -- it'll blow everything else out of the water. I use it on a WinXP system and I can't think of any reason why I'd use anything else, much less something I'd have to PAY for to download torrents. It's the complete antithesis of the idea of filesharing!
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8-02-2007 @ 4:27PM
Chris Brummel said...
µTorrent has halted development:
http://enjoys.it/2007/07/28/µtorrent-for-osx-its-been-stopped/
I'm no fan of Dave Watanabe's handling of customer relations, but guys, seriously... From day 1 of releasing the first beta of XTorrent, this feature was on his list of to-dos. It's been out for a while, so it's not like he's stealing from Transmission. Also, I'm much more interested in his implementation than Transmissions.
But this is FAR from a feature that Transmission should be credited for. Now, whomever gets a WebUI first is going to be my main client. I'm betting on Transmission (which, by the way, is not going to be "their idea" either).
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8-02-2007 @ 5:24PM
Rhywun said...
I used to use Transmission, until Xtorrent came out with its built-in search. That feature alone is worth the price to me. As for the developer, the software runs well enough that I've never needed to contact him in the 8 months or so I've been using it (knock on wood). As always, YMMV. Finally, Azureus might be great for experts but the rest of us don't necessarily have the time to invest getting it to actually work (I gave up after several hours myself) - flame away!
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8-02-2007 @ 6:06PM
Hawkman said...
Chris Brummel - of course he's "stealing" from Transmission; XTorrent is merely a GUI for libtransmission, which he charges money for. Exactly like Acquisition.
This guy takes from the open source community, adds his mongrel GUI full of quick copies of the latest idea Apple has (whether it's appropriate or not) and then flogs it for money.
Not to mention the dubious morality of charging money for a tool which allows people to steal stuff.
All this, with a bad attitude to boot. What more could you ask for in a developer?
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