Ares is a successful P2P application that will give you free, direct access to
a huge file sharing community. Bittorrent and Gnutella were the big names in
the peer to peer (P2P) world until Ares came along. It was spun-off from
Gnutella in 2002, and since then has been building a strong and dedicated base
of users.
Easy installtion and
configuration
Installing Ares only
takes a few minutes and the interface is simple enough that anybody will feel
comfortable with it. When you start Ares, it lets you auto-scan your PC to find
files you might like to share on the network. Beginners will be relieved to know
that there is no complex configuration</strong> process - all you need to
do is select the search tab and type the name of the file you want. Once it
appears, double click to begin downloading. You’ll be able to check progress in
the transfer tab. The recent update adds bittorrent support, opening Ares up to
loads of new content.
Chat client
If you enjoy
communicating with other users, click on the chat tab and connect to one of the
thousands of channels available. You can pick up tips on how to use Ares
better, ask which files other users recommend or just talk about your life in
general. You can even insert emoticons into your conversation and keep a list
of your favorite chat channels.
Detailed previews of
files
Of all the P2P
programs, Ares probably features the widest preview screen. You can set it to
fit to screen or adjust it to your preference. This is a great way of making
sure you’re downloading the right movie or to get a sneak peak at your
downloads.
Unlike WinMX or FileNavigator, the two other spin-off Gnutella projects, Ares
did not drop into obscurity and unites a flourishing community of users.
However, the same old problems seem to arise. According to many Ares users, the
application suffers from connection problems that make it difficult to properly
search for a file or successfully complete downloads. Others will worry that
Ares is a smaller network than the globally used Gnutella and does not offer as
many download sources.
Conclusion
Ares is an ambitious
project, and the fact that it still remains standing while eDonkey has fallen
is characteristic of its reliability. Thanks to a strong community of users, a
simple interface, a great preview page and multichat service, it's a sharing
app that's still going strong. Ares is the P2P app of choice for anybody
interested in sharing files over the internet.
Recent changes
·Latest versions
support BitTorrent protocol and Shoutcast radio stations
Review last updated:
13/03/13
Pros
· Big preview screen
· Built-in browser
· Decentralized and quick network
· Auto-scan your PC for files
Cons
· Connectivity problems
· Fewer sources than Gnutella
