Limewire

Like Bearshare, Limewire is another Gnutella-based decentralized peer-to-peer software program. Although problematic at times, Limewire has some really cool features and a tight interface to back it up. The search engine is straightforward and familiar: Type in keywords, specify the type of file you want and hit "search." Your results can be organized by file quality and connection speed, and Limewire will rank the results by star ratings to indicate which ones will most likely be successful. The coolest feature of Limewire is something called the "Smart Download," which downloads the file with the fastest connection automatically for you, or gives you the option to search for similar file names. A community option allows you to connect to specific areas or global regions, allowing you to easily parse through material of particular interests. A big nuisance, however, is the absence of an estimate for how long a download will take to complete.