eMule 0.50a

One day, many, many years ago, a group of developers believed they could take eDonkey and make it a bit better. What they came up with is eMule, a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing client that one can use on their Windows-powered machine free of charge. Over time – the many, many years ago I mentioned before refers to 2002 – the eMule P2P client grew to become one of the best known and most popular eDonkey network clients out there. And for good reason, since eMule comes with more features than what the standard eDonkey client has to offer.

Thanks to eMule, the process of getting a particular file (music, video, photos, etc) off the internet and onto your computer, becomes a very simple one. All you have to do is download and install the software, launch eMule, use the search field to locate a file you want to download, and launch the download. A simple UI (user interface) lets you see details about the download – including a handy progress bar and charts on your download stats.

To ensure that you don’t waste your time and that the file you download reaches you safely, eMule checks the aforementioned file for corruptions. When the download is complete you can be sure that what you have stored on your computer is an error-free file. For multiple downloads, eMule comes with the option to prioritize downloads as well as a source management feature.

The thing I like most in a P2P file sharing client is the ability to show a preview of the download I’ve just initiated. I want to make sure that the music file I’m downloading is the one I want to get; I also want to make sure that the video file I’m downloading is the one I want to watch, not one that will just waste my time. eMule comes with just such a function that lets you preview videos and archives before the download process is complete.

Speaking of files you want to download, eMule will most certainly help you locate a specific file as it provides several search possibilities: local and global servers, web based searches (Jigle and Filedonkey), and Kad. The multitude of servers eMule uses also means that it is practically impossible to shut down – unlike other P2P clients that only use one central server. On the downside, if you are new to eMule you will find the download speeds are incredibly slow. This is because eMule uses a “credit scoring” system – users who upload a lot are awarded with fast download speeds, while those who rarely use eMule have to contend with low download speeds.

You can use eMule, in the localized version of your choice (support for 52 languages in total) free of charge. Not only is eMule free, it is also open source. This means that any developer out there that wants to help make the P2P file sharing client better, can easily do so. This is great for the end user as each new version of eMule comes with new features and enhancements. It is also great as it guarantees eMule does not come bundled with annoying adware and irritating spyware.

Pros
Comes free of charge
Preview function
Not based on a central server
Simple UI (user interface)
Easy to use
Does not come bundled with adware or spyware
Extensive language support
Open source

Cons
New users have to contend with painfully slow download speeds

eMule has been reviewed by George Norman on 04 Sep 2009. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated eMule 5 out of 5 stars, naming it Essential