I need some advice from the Mac users here so I can get started in setting up BitTorrent?

1) What BitTorrent client do Mac users prefer? BitTorrent Offical? Azureus?

2) What shn, flac conversion tools do Mac users prefer? xACT? MacFLAC? Shorten for Mac?

Thanks in advance!

I use Azureus... I think it's great for managing multiple torrents. Skip MacFLAC and Shorten... just get xACT, it's all you'll need.

Thanks, Knight Rider!

I've read that Azureus is the most dynamic BitTorrent client, but I've also read it has some bugs, especially on my computer--DP Power Mac G5.


Another question:

What do I need for using BitTorrent to download DVDs? Is there anything like xACT for video file compression conversion?

As long as you have enough RAM, you shouldn't have any problems with Azureus on a dual processor G5. The latest version of Azureus doesn't crash much anymore, but it is a bit of a memory hog. And it does have a slow memory leak, but a simple restart every now and then will free up that memory (something you're probably not used to doing with OS X). I'm running a PBook 1.25 G4 with 764 MB of RAM, and I usually restart once every couple days when I'm using Azureus.
To burn downloaded dvd's, I'd recommend Roxio Popcorn. You can get it for $30 from Amazon. It will compress dual layer discs (>4.7GB) and can burn both dual and single layer discs. You'll still need a separate program to strip the encryption off copy protected dvd's.

What advantages does Azureus have over the official BitTorrent?

Azureus. It is just more polished than the official client, has more stats. Az does't bog down the whole system. Its faster as well for me. I used the official client for 4 months. On day on Azureus and I was hooked. I have a Dual 533 G4 and it has not crashed on me yet. Hope this helps.