In the beginning...

Right.... where to begin... Firstly - download kazaalite from my webspace and install it. http://taoski.users.btopenworld.com/klitekpp242e.exe This will allow you to download music and apps etc. But... make sure you have got an up to date anti virus on your PC first! If you have'nt - there is also a full copy of Mcafee antivirus on my webspace too. As for games etc..... the latest greatest place i have found at the moment is http://www.suprnova.org which is a site listing torrent files. What are torrent files i hear you cry? Don't blubber any longer friend.... here is the answer. Bittorrent is a program that downloads the torrent files - the torrent files are the descriptor of the file/files you are getting from the people sharing and downloading. you will need to get the bittorrent software 1st from here: http://www.bittornado.com/ Install it - then go to suprnova - see a game/movie/app/comic/tv show/audiobook you like. http://www.suprnova.org :- The website shows 2 days worth of files available to download. They are split up into various sections - Games, Movies, Music, TV etc. :- The content changes every day but they also keep a database of old .torrents too which you can search by clicking on the search button at the top of the Suprnova screen. :- The numbers next to the entries are to show the number of people sharing a full copy of the file and the number of people currently downloading that file. The people sharing the full copy of the file are known as "seeders" and the people downloading are known as "peers". :- Right Click a link of a file you want to download and save the .torrent file to a handy folder you created earlier (i just save them to my desktop). :- Double click the torrent file you saved (it will default to the bittornado application) and a window will open asking you to choose where you want to save the file to. :- Choose where you want to save it to. I always save the files to the same place and then move them into a relevant location after they have finished downloading. :- If you need to reboot or something happens to your PC and the transfer is cut off - double click the .torrent file again and point it to the same save location and it will carry on where it left off. :- By the way, there is no "program icon" for the Bittornado program - It only kicks in after you load a .torrent file. Note: Do don't choose anything in the listings with a red 0 - or you will be in for a long wait. :- You sometimes get red error messages on the bittornado window about being "unable to connect to tracker". The tracker is a server where the torrent files are "announced" to the world and it keeps the records of who is downloading the file at that time. When you attempt to download a file - it goes to the tracker server first to get the details of who has the file - which are sometimes down or too busy. I just minimise the windows and leave it running. You will get on it eventually. :- When you minimise the bittornado window, it appears in the system tray next to the clock. The icon is grey when it is still downloading or white when it has finished. Just double click it to see it again. :- Sometimes Bittorrent is not the fastest thing on the planet - but all the downloads are regulated and are killed off if they are not what they say they are. There is also a forum on there where u can request stuff and inform people of bad files. :- There are other sites listing torrents too - but most of them are in a forum type format and you need to register. Suprnova is the best. Easynews: :- For fast downloads - I pay for access to a website called http://www.easynews.com where i get 6 gigabytes a month download for about £7. Easynews is a web interface to all the newsgroups. Most normal newsgroup servers only have a file retention of a few days - but easynews has 25 days! :- You could get the stuff from other free newsgroup servers - but i have tried... and it aint easy.... you have to go all over the shop looking for missing file parts and stuff... its rubbish. :- There is loads and loads and loads of stuff on easynews and it goes as fast as my little ADSL legs will carry the data to my PC! 60kb a sec max all the time - and you can also use the download accelerator program with it too for extra stability and speed. Well worth looking into. I get all my XBOX games, music and apps from easynews and my films and TV episodes from suprnova. Other stuff / links you might need: :- http://doa2.host.sk is/was the original link for kazaalite. It was removed by the real Kazaa people but there are a few tools/utils on there that are useful.. especially the Kazaalite Codec Pack needed for watching Dixv films and stuff you have downloaded. :- Install the google toolbar as it comes with a good popup window blocker... essential if you are messing around on some dodgy sites that decend into popup hell. http://astalavista.box.sk - a good place to get cracks/serals for programs. :- BITTORRENT FAQ: http://www.dessent.net/btfaq/ Get a copy of WINRAR - you will need this for unzipping/unrarring files you get from suprnova. Its like winzip - only better. Get it from suprnova/kazaa. :- If you are after a "download app" that will keep the downloads going after a line drop - or a reboot - i use Download Accelerator (or DAP). Do a search on Kazaa under applications for DAP or download accelerator and u will find one with a crack/serial too. Version 5.3 i think... The Real World: In my so called "real world" - as an example - i hardly ever use Kazaa that much anymore. Sites like easynews and suprnova make like alot easier for me as i can look at the list of stuff available and think "oh - i'll get that, and that ... and that" rather than going to kazaa and thinking... what shall i search for. I use Kazaa for getting the odd song here and there - in fact mostly one off songs and stuff for the kids. Suprnova and easynews also have music posted as the entire album ripped by the same person at the same MP3 rate... not just one track at a time - like you used to do with kazaa. You can also find things on Suprnova like. "Pink floyd - entire discography" ripped as MP3 - as 1 file to download. And the beauty of the torrent files is that often you will download a link like that and when the files are created - they are all in their own album folders already and named correctly. Most excellent. Also suprnova lists 2 days worth of new stuff on the homepage - so you can just scroll through and see whats been added in the last few hours. And there are links along the top for other files type you can go back to if need be. The End.... for now: Check back here for more updates soon as things never stand still for long on my PC. Send me a comment too - just to let me know that this has all been worth it! Taoski.