LimeWire (Classic) 4.0.10

From its start as a post-Napster clone to its leading role as the quintessential Gnutella client, LimeWire has been one of the highest-profile P2P applications. Version 4.0 further ups the ante with a combination of new features, an updated interface, and better network performance.

On the surface, the refined and zippier Java interface houses a few new features, such as a connection-quality meter and a button matrix for zeroing in on specific file types. The search interface now features a progress bar, and file information, such as artist and album, is more clearly displayed. Though the improved network performance gave us considerably more search results than previous versions, we didn't notice much improvement in download speeds or file availability. We liked the What's New feature, which lists files recently added to the network. The check box to filter out adult content also was a nice touch.

The new features and overall functionality make this by far the most mature version of LimeWire. Despite a few performance flaws, this new version offers a breath of fresh air in the P2P category.