BitTorrent, Good or Bad?

[wightstraker]

Not using an application like a torrent client for fear of wearing out the HDD, etc. is like buying a car but not driving it because every time you start it, it causes engine wear.

I second that.

If you're really concerned about the damage serious torrenting might cause, get a scratch disk. Realistically though, I don't think I'd worry about it. Bit Torrent has its advantages, too.

 

[~Shard~]

*sigh* the hard drive failures. My little sister has an emac that died because she torrented every night. My powerbook died from torrenting overnight. Just don't do it often, ya know?

I doubt torrenting was the sole cause of the HDD failures. How do you prove that? I ran Azureus 24 hours a day 7 days a week (apart from downtime for reboots, installs, etc.) for the better part of 3 years solid and my 4-year old G4 iMac's HDD never failed once - it's still going strong in fact...

 

[Bunzi2k4]

hmm, I had a 160 gig hd in my pc for 2 years or so and the hd died. All my little sister did was watch anime and torrent. I can't think of much else that damaged the hard drives...

Also, I don't drive my car because i don't want to wear out my tires!

 

[~Shard~]

All my little sister did was watch anime and torrent. I can't think of much else that damaged the hard drives...

Sounds like a bad drive then - must have been a Maxtor.

 

[Bunzi2k4]

maybe, but replacing hard drives is kind of expensive for a college kid. I only torrent a couple of hours at a time now fearing another downed HD.

 

[~Shard~]

maybe, but replacing hard drives is kind of expensive for a college kid. I only torrent a couple of hours at a time now fearing another downed HD.

Yep, it definitely isn't always a cheap fix. Hopefully that won't be the case for you this time!

 

[mad jew]

I ran Azureus 24 hours a day 7 days a week (apart from downtime for reboots, installs, etc.) for the better part of 3 years solid and my 4-year old G4 iMac's HDD never failed once - it's still going strong in fact...

Having a torrent app open can have different effects depending on how large and how fast your downloads are. Running it flat out for three years straight might have some sort of effect, me thinks.

 

[~Shard~]

Having a torrent app open can have different effects depending on how large and how fast your downloads are. Running it flat out for three years straight might have some sort of effect, me thinks.

Agreed, I would think so too, yet here we are and no ill effects - she's still running strong. Facts don't lie!

 

[JSchwage]

I love reading the replies of the people who have no idea what they're talking about in this thread. Bittorrent in no way "damages" your Mac.

 

[~Shard~]

I love reading the replies of the people who have no idea what they're talking about in this thread. Bittorrent in no way "damages" your Mac.

Exactly. Torrent applications cause no more wear and tear than Photoshop, FCP, etc., which in my mind is all neglible anyway. Better stop using your web browser as well, I hear it uses up the disc cache!

 

[Bunzi2k4]

I dunno, I just don't like the idea of leaving the computer on all the time. That's all

 

[Eidorian]

I dunno, I just don't like the idea of leaving the computer on all the time. That's all

You might be better leaving it on.

 

[~Shard~]

I dunno, I just don't like the idea of leaving the computer on all the time. That's all

Actually, constantly shutting down and restarting your computer probably results in more wear and tear on it than leaving it constantly running. I always leave mine running, you should probably consider doing the same if you are concerned about such matters.

 

[Eric1285]

I prefer Usenet to bittorrent. Sure, I pay $30 a month for the privilege of having up to 20 connections and 200 day retention, but the speed trounces that of bittorrent (unless you only download really popular stuff with lots and lots of seeders). I also like having the 256-bit SSL encryption. Nobody knows what I'm downloading except me. Bittorrent is nice for stuff that's a bit harder to find. That, and it's free.

 

[cashel]

It can limit your Mac's lifespan as it constantly accesses your hard drive and cycles your CPU (amongst other components).

Ok, thanks. Interesting that it can do damage to the HD

lol it's no different than downloading stuff off the internet regularly and multitasking on a mac. It doesn't really harm anything. Could it shorten the lifespan? Sure, but chances are that by the time it dies, you're going to need a new laptop anyway...

I prefer Usenet to bittorrent. Sure, I pay $30 a month for the privilege of having up to 20 connections and 200 day retention, but the speed trounces that of bittorrent (unless you only download really popular stuff with lots and lots of seeders). I also like having the 256-bit SSL encryption. Nobody knows what I'm downloading except me. Bittorrent is nice for stuff that's a bit harder to find. That, and it's free.

I do to, it's well worth the money, but Usenet doesn't have everything.