uTorrent for Mac is Coming: An Early Review
Written by Ernesto on June 26, 2007When BitTorrent Inc bought uTorrent, the most popular Windows BitTorrent client, they announced that they would begin porting it to both the Mac and Linux. They have. Here’s a preview of the “soon to be released” Mac version of uTorrent.
Up until now, BitTorrent users on a Mac haven’t had the chance to use the fastest, smallest, most portable and appealing BitTorrent client ever, but this is about to change. Unfortunately we don’t have a confirmed date for the official release yet, judging on the state of the BETA version that’s being tested at the moment, it wont take long.
Let’s start off with some screenshots.
The Installation Disk Image
Main Window with Downloads
Click to enlarge.
Speed
The main reason I like uTorrent so much is because downloads are considerably faster in it than in any other BitTorrent client. This held true when I compared uTorrent Mac to Transmission and Xtorrent. The downloads speeds in both couldn’t match uTorrent’s. Azureus was the only one that came close, just as I had expected.
Application Launch Time
uTorrent Mac, just like its Windows counterpart, is super-light. It launches immediately (not even 1 bounce in the Dock!). This is clearly one piece of well-coded software. Probably part of the reason why BitTorrent Inc decided to buy it.
Interface
uTorrent Mac has a simple, yet appealing interface that is easy to use and navigate. It’s not as stylish as Xtorrent’s, but then again, no one can create interfaces like David Watanabe.
Search
Though it may seem that uTorrent has some sort of built-in search functionality, currently only offered by BitRocket and Xtorrent on the Mac, it does not. Typing something such as “HDTV” into the search box and hitting return will merely open a BitTorrent.com search page in your default browser.
Conclusion
It’s too early to draw conclusions but it’s a great first impression, especially for a pre-release version.
It’s worth mentioning that some Mac users such as myself like uTorrent so much, we even prefer running it under emulation than using one of the available Mac BitTorrent clients. uTorrent is not only the most popular Windows BitTorrent client according to a poll we conducted last year, but also the winner of our BitTorrent clients comparison.
Many of you are probably dying to download uTorrent Mac. Hang in there, it’s coming real soon.
Previously: Windows Worm Uses BitTorrent to Propagate
Next: Anti-Piracy Organization Tries to Shut Down Demonoid
83 Responses
I’m hoping they make it for powerpcs too.
Looking good so far. I’m awaiting a more mature release before I start using it reliably as my main torrenting software.
Nice sleek desing!
i know what those 2 files are
Awesome! I too use uTorrent through Parallels on my Mac because all the current Mac clients suck in one way or another. I can’t wait to get my hands on this.
“…but then again, no one can create interfaces like David Watanabe.”
Nobody has the cold heart steal gnu licensed code, charge, and not release source like Watanabe either.
/rant
^ Agreed. And he hides reports about bugs in his software. Don’t give that asshat any more face time than his delusional fans already do.
How do the transfer speeds compare to BitTyrant?
wow, can’t wait to use it!
Can you select individual files for download? That’s something I really miss on the mac (without going to Java and Azureus).
Are all Windows Features retained?
Like FIle selection?
DHT Support?
Does uTorrent do RSS filtering and does it implement something like SafePeer? Azureus is not the best client out there, but unless this supports at least some equivalent plugins it won’t be as useful and you won’t be as protected. If it does, and its as fast as everyone on the PC side says I’ll switch in an instant. The only reason I use Azureus is for the features. It does seem like a resource hog and the interface is slow. Speaking of interface, does uTorrent have a web interface so I can control it while I’m away from home?
really looking foward to this release. I have been running transmission builds from svn daily and transmission is comming along nicely. I hear utorrent is suppose to be the shit and I can’t wait to give it a shot.
Any word on a linux release? While this is good news, since soon I can ditch Azureus on my Mac, I want to give it the boot from my linux boxes too. Great app, downloads fast, gives me lots of control, just not resource friendly (not to mention extremely bloated on OSX, and prone to never ever killing off processes properly when exiting, leaving orphaned processes).
:P
Give us the SVN trunk URL :D
hope the linux version can run on the command line with only the web interface as a gui, would be great on my server :)
“Can you select individual files for download? That’s something I really miss on the mac (without going to Java and Azureus).”
If it’s anything like the Windows client, yes. That’s one of my favorite features of uTorrent.
Using deluge(on linux), from svn daily, its also coming along well . Although its still a baby, its good :)
I want to test uTorrent on my Mac!
Pls, give us the SVN trunk URL!!
Run uTorrent only on a Intel Mac or on both Macs (Universal Binary)
So will be!
Sorry but… isn’t it something similar to bitrocket?
I mean…
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/641398521_1df847af3b_o.png
23: You’ve never used Windows uTorrent, have you? Your question should be “didn’t the BitRocket UI come from the Windows uTorrent?”
I can’t wait for this to come out officially. Transmission is trying to stay too lightweight and user friendly at the expense of reasonable features. uTorrent is a good combination of looks, power, and friendliness and I won’t be sorry when I get to drag Transmission to the Trash.
Well right, but, Jolix did not “somehow” copy the interface of uTorrent”. I’m sorry if I do a terrible mistake, but I need, we need, a real BT Client, yeah, with solid suport, isn’t yet, open source, but the one?
I think Azu’ is good, but not good enough…
the Interface is too similar to that of BitRocket.
Read #24 “Sherlock”. uTorrent’s UI was first.
Does it have selective file downloading?
[quote comment="124834"]hope the linux version can run on the command line with only the web interface as a gui, would be great on my server :)[/quote]
check out http://tf-b4rt.berlios.de/
http://enjoys.it/2007/06/28/%c2%b5torrent-for-osx-alpha-soon/
Seems like the developers are progressing nicely with porting µtorrent to OSX. There has been another post announcing a possible public alpha release in the next two weeks:
http://enjoys.it/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/screenshot-1.png
\o/
I hope it runs on PPC Mac’s.
I saw, on reference to this, two screenshots, hope to see more, on my Mac!
The logo for uTorrent does not go well with OS X at all, it fits nicely with Windows (not Vista) but I hope they re-design a Mac OS X logo, something smoother with Mac’s colours and transparenty, you know how nicely Apple does their logos (I’ll admit it, Microsoft will never beat them in icons)
“No one is more idiot than a wannabe”
i want it now! For the icon… well, there is Adam Bett or MacThemes
It’s a spitting image of the current bitrocket.
Those dismissing uTorrent because the “UI looks the same as BitRocket” have obviously neither used uTorrent (and BitRocket concurrently) because they don’t realize that the feature set of uTorrent is amazingly more advanced.
Also, these people mostly likely don’t have access to torrent sites that do matter that have strict guidelines on how a client will interact with the tracker.
uTorrent provides (for the first time) a viable solution for BitTorrent on OS X that is lightweight, adequate in features, and compatible with many top private trackers.
So NO IT IS NOT A COPY OF BITROCKET, which is trash software, it is a mac client that will render the rest obsolete.
I think if both UI look the same it might be because jolix (Bitrocket dev) might be the one porting uTorrent to mac. This post doesn’t say yes, but it doesn’t say no either;)
http://www.bitrocket.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=332&pid=1733&st=0&#entry1733
And the fact that the BR SVN hasn’t been updated for more than a month tells me that he might be working on something else…
But one thing I wonder if all that turns out to be true is: Is it gonna be BR with a new GUI or a real port. i.e.; Will it still be using Libtorrent (which doesn’t support encryption as of yet) or the one specific to uTorrent. If yes will it have all the same features as his windows counterpart?
Luigi
To me, it looks like the windows version of uTorrent, which has been around longer than BitRocket. BitRocket has been out since September, where as uTorrent was released publically in September, of 2005. A full year before hand. Don’t think that Strigeus time traveled to the future to get the interface design for uTorrent.
Well, nothing so far…
Yeeeeeeeah
I tested all torrent apps for mac, but non of them had a function with I can
choose which file I want
to download and which not ….
uTorrent on windows has this function. wait up …
Canned:
http://enjoys.it/2007/07/28/µtorrent-for-osx-its-been-stopped/
[quote comment="138632"]Yeeeeeeeah
I tested all torrent apps for mac, but non of them had a function with I can
choose which file I want
to download and which not ….
uTorrent on windows has this function. wait up …[/quote]
I use KTorrent on OSX Tiger. It works well.
any relese date yet??
/ adl
@adl: As I said before, this project was canned. It’s no longer being developed. They might find another developer to pick up the project. but for now…
http://enjoys.it/2007/07/28/µtorrent-for-osx-its-been-stopped/
That sucks big time, so witch client should i us? now im using Azureus.
[quote comment="138632"]Yeeeeeeeah
I tested all torrent apps for mac, but non of them had a function with I can
choose which file I want
to download and which not ….
uTorrent on windows has this function. wait up …[/quote]
You can select which file you want to download in Azureus. By tested do you mean… didn’t test at all?
http://enjoys.it/2007/07/28/%c2%b5torrent-for-osx-its-been-stopped/
Looks like this may have come to a halt again…
Oh and the latest versions of Transmission also let you select certain files only to download.
When????
can anyone tell me where i could find the beta download? thanks
Hi, all. Nice site…I really like your site ! Good job man.%
non aspetto altro che vedere all’opera utorrent
Good god!!! What the hell is taking so long. It seams like its month since I first read this. Im sick of waiting. Just release a beta for christ sake!
New Transmission svn has all the goodies now. You have to download an alpha, but it supports torrent creation, individual file dl’s, and RC4 encryption for all y’all on Comcast and ISP traffic shapers.
Getting upwrds of 400k down on a manual config. Niiiice.
God damn why is this project taking so damn long?
[quote comment="187671"]God damn why is this project taking so damn long?[/quote]
I totally agree.
I think is dead. Or, if not, will be not as windoze client. I will buy more RAM for Azureus and this is it. No reason to expect uTorrent for Mac.
where is utorrent for mac?
It’s officially dead now. They gave up because uTorrent uses to many strange windows api calls so it cannot be ported withtout a complete rewrite which basically means it will be a totally different, less lightweight, less fast, application
expect an official statement soon
^^^^^
Haha I’m not the only one running utorrent in Paralles!! :D
Use mininova.org
They have the most mac torrents out there that I noticed. Some jackarses dont label that its win or mac (a duh!) but there are alot of mac stuff. So much so that I read some p*ssy comments from win users that their arent any good design apps for windows on there. HAA HAA.
Mac people stick together and use mininova.org
where the is utorrent for mac how much longer do we have to wait?
I’m pretty sure this is just vaporware…
any body know where we can get uTorrent Beta for mac ?/
cheers
I think is dead with no statement. See, also, BitTorrent 4.27.2, no more development. So, don’t wait from Bittorrent Inc for a good mac bittorrent client. Get more RAM. Go Azureus!
it’s been 6 months already…… still frigin waitin’
http://gytd.iespana.es
If you’re using an mac (or linux), you can use the windows uTorrent app by installing Darwine (X11 install required) and run uTorrent with the WinHelper app. I’ve run it successfully and easily on my Macbook Pro.
You should be able to run this easily under Wine on linux also. I just ran the installer and uTorrent was uncompressed into the “Program Files” folder. It utilized my internet connection with zero configuration.
Transmission now is the shiznit!
Paralles is the WORST piece of junk EVER!
Its 2008 use boot camp
But Transmission is now where u should b
Ye, When is it actually being released then!
Where the fucking hell is uTorrent Mac? I’m sorry but “coming real soon” in June of last year… it should fucking be here by now. Useless cunts!
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Thanks
Jack
it’s been nearly a year torrentfreak.
what is your definition of “soon”?
I’ve been running utorrent on the crossover free trial. Its still better than some other clients. I guess when im not downloading anything on utorrent i will download crossover. I can’t wait for this!
nmktm
Does any1 know when this comes?
I am willing to donate 10,000 USD to this project. Please contact me.
Want uTorrent on Mac!!!
X2lhbU gihiroef jsgiosjiogjdso igjiosdjgiodsg jwguj 94wjsdfkj gkjgl4wg dsgds
I don’t know …
There have been posts from 2005 discussing when the mac version of uTorrent will be released. When and if it’s ever going to be released, the BitTorrent protocol might have ceased to exist. Use Transmission instead, at least their software exist, and updates frequently too.
yay i have a mac that runs better then my PC i need this
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