eMule - The eDonkey based P2P file sharing client
By George Norman - Software Editor
Added on 04 Sep 2009(1960 Views)



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


Link to this Review:


Software News
Wolfram Alpha App 1.1 with Better Specialized Keyboards
The team behind computational knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha announced the release of an iPhone specific app last year, in October. The one thing that people complained about at the time...
09 Feb 2010
Linus Shows Nexus One Some Love, Google Shows Nexus One Users Some Love
Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, says that when he got the original Google Phone, the G1, he was unimpressed. At the time Google gave him the device – that what I meant by “he got the G1”. Linus, who says...
09 Feb 2010
Google Superbowl Ad Draws Attention to the Need for Privacy
Back in January, on International Data Privacy Day, Mountain View-based search engine giant drew attention to its guiding privacy principles. In case you’re not familiar with...
09 Feb 2010
Free Software Alert: EASEUS Partition Master Professional Edition 5.0.1
The latest release of EASEUS Partition Master Professional Edition is version 5.0.1, and the company that developed the software is now giving it away for free. But you need to hurry up. This is a time limited offer...
09 Feb 2010
MSN Games and Windows Live Messenger Welcome FarmVille
The short description of FarmVille is this: “FarmVille is a game where you can farm with your friends.” Basically you get a plot of land and you have to plant crops, harvest them, make money to buy...
09 Feb 2010
Bill Cosby Is Not Dead, Just the Victim of Malware Spreaders
It’s the Kanye West and Johnny Depp story all over again. People with malicious intent have started a rumor that popular comedian and actor Bill Cosby, 72, died of natural causes, in his chair at home....
09 Feb 2010
Recommended Tools



FindMySoft certifies that eMule is SAFE TO INSTALL and does not contain any adware, spyware or viruses that might harm your computer or steal your information
eMule does not contain any spyware, trojans or viruses and it is considered to be "Safe To Install". Embed Award
Options
Top Downloads
7. AIM
11. Nero
13. Picasa
14. Winamp
15. iTunes
19. eMule
21. WinRAR
22. WinZip
Link to us:
HTML code for linking to eMule
Reviews
New Software