uTorrent Goes Freemium: $24.95/Yr Option For Extra Features

[qubit]

Well, it looks like the freemium model of selling software is working quite well in the industry, as Bram Cohen's very popular BitTorrent application, uTorrent, has just adopted this model. Known for being fast, efficient and light on system resources, it has now gained a few pounds, sorry features in version 3, some of which are available only for a subscription of $24.95 per year. These include things like an antivirus scanner powered by BitDefender, a media player and integrated support for converting popular video file types such as MPEG4, H.264, Theora, and VP8, as well as MP3, AAC and AC-3 audio files. The media player is interesting, in that it allows playback of videos that are still downloading. Note that this feature is also available in the free version.

For those that still want to hang on to the lean and mean free version, it's still available and isn't going away any time soon. Both versions can be compared here. Perhaps it's ironic that this legal application which is often used for software "piracy" can now itself be pirated… Cohen's take on this will be interesting.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Mussels]

torrenting the cracked version of utorrent via utorrent will cause irony sensors to overload and explode, much like googling google.

 

[Bo$$]

torrenting the cracked version of utorrent via utorrent will cause irony sensors to overload and explode, much like googling google.

torrenting the cracked version of utorrent via utorrent on a copy of a torrent windows 7

 

[W1zzard]

i doubt many people are going to pay for these sorta useless features.

with taxes and everything considered he needs around 2000 subscribers to make somewhat of a living. if he worked fulltime for a big software developer he could easily make much more, unless a miracle happens and he gets about 10k+ subscribers

he should have patented the bt algo and extorted $$ from everyone who uses it

 

[AlienIsGOD]

Somewhat off topic, but this reminded me to d/l the free version as I reinstalled 7 the other day

 

[Fx]

I can only see this as attractive to people that arent savvy with technology and just want their stuff to work

I prefer to pick out my own selection of AV, conversion SW, and media player+codecs and remote access SW

nt uTorrent, gg

 

[qubit]

Somewhat off topic, but this reminded me to d/l the free version as I reinstalled 7 the other day

I've got v2.something on my machine and when I asked it to check for updates today, it said there were none! Perhaps it only looks within the current 2.x version range?

 

[ironwolf]

Do when do expect to see this on the shelves at Best Buy?

 

[btarunr]

Limewiring Limewire Pro, encore.

 

[Nesters]

I believe some will still pay just to support him and he might actually get those 2k subs...

 

[blibba]

i doubt many people are going to pay for these sorta useless features.

with taxes and everything considered he needs around 2000 subscribers to make somewhat of a living. if he worked fulltime for a big software developer he could easily make much more, unless a miracle happens and he gets about 10k+ subscribers

he should have patented the bt algo and extorted $$ from everyone who uses it

But that would be immoral!

I think this should be interpreted as a way of encouraging contributions. He's not stupid, he knows people will pirate it, but he wants to make it obvious that he's put some work in and perhaps deserves a reward, and he estimates that is product is worth $24.95 per year of use.

 

[Delta6326]

I bet he get a lot more than the 2k ther are many non-tech savy people that torrent and they will see this $25/Yr deal and be like " Awesome now I can pay just $25 and then I won't be doing illegal stuff and still save money!"

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

#1 user of uTorrent: Pirates
What do pirates do? Not pay for things. Good luck with this business model!

 

[kid41212003]

He thinks the majority of utorrenters are going to spend money?

 

[pantherx12]

Well, it looks like the freemium model of selling software is working quite well in the industry, as Bram Cohen's very popular BitTorrent application, uTorrent, has just adopted this model. Known for being fast, efficient and light on system resources, it has now gained a few pounds, sorry features in version 3, some of which are available only for a subscription of $24.95 per year. These include things like an antivirus scanner powered by BitDefender, a media player and integrated support for converting popular video file types such as MPEG4, H.264, Theora, and VP8, as well as MP3, AAC and AC-3 audio files. The media player is interesting, in that it allows playback of videos that are still downloading. Note that this feature is also available in the free version.

For those that still want to hang on to the lean and mean free version, it's still available and isn't going away any time soon. Both versions can be compared here. Perhaps it's ironic that this legal application which is often used for software "piracy" can now itself be pirated… Cohen's take on this will be interesting.

[url]http://www.techpowerup.com/img/11-12-11/2011-12-08-image-6_thm.png[/URL]

Source: TechSpot

Ha ha, so all the "features" they are offering can all be had for free from else where.

You can already stream through utorrent, you can convert videos just by downloading a program from else where most people have an anti virus already.

Man this guy is going to get like tens of sales!

 

[a_ump]

yea i don't really understand the logic besides the idea of he feels desire to be rewarded in some way.

 

[Creepio]

VLC Media Player already allows you to view incomplete video files ( you need to have at least 50% or more of the video file dled first or it gets too pixelated to watch though ). Just saying...

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

VLC Media Player already allows you to view incomplete video files ( you need to have at least 50% or more of the video file dled first or it gets too pixelated to watch though ). Just saying...

But this actually downloads parts of the file in order when streaming, so you can watch as you download, versus with VLC, if you watch an incomplete file, you might hit 20 minutes of nothingness. The streaming has been available in other clients for quite some time, it is nothing new. Also, this made me lol:

Ok so apparently you all pay for media players and converters? I did not know this.
I guess they want us to BUY media players and BUY converters. Some of us might pay for AV but you sure don't pay $50 a year, or probably even pay, you might just use utorrent to get it.

Talk about a failed business model, this guy is an idiot.

 

[pantherx12]

But this actually downloads parts of the file in order when streaming, so you can watch as you download, versus with VLC, if you watch an incomplete file, you might hit 20 minutes of nothingness. The streaming has been available in other clients for quite some time, it is nothing new. Also, this made me lol:

It's available in what ever build of utorrent I'm using at the moment

Just have to remember to hit it as soon as it's starting to download other wise your just wasting banding downloading in a willy nilly order.

 

[BrooksyX]

People still torrent?

Seems quite useless to me. I doubt the majority users of utorrent are going to pay for this as the whole reason they are using utorrent is to get free software.

Personally I stopped using torrents years ago. Not worth it.

 

[kid41212003]

People still torrent?

Seems quite useless to me.

Personally I stopped using torrents years ago. Not worth it.

I can't disagree anymore.

I believe the majority of open-source/free (Linux) software are distributed through torrent. It helps reduce server cost.

 

[BrooksyX]

I can't disagree anymore.

I believe the majority of open-source/free (Linux) software are distributed through torrent. It helps reduce server cost.

At least 8 out of 10 things downloaded through torrent are not open source/linux software. And if you disagree with that you are very naive.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Personally I stopped using torrents years ago. Not worth it.

I started using Usenet. It saturates any available connection, and you don't have to upload data back.

Regarding open source software, a ton of it is distributed via torrent, and for that reason I still have a torrent client installed. Although I am paranoid enough to use it in conjunction with I2P even if the content is open source.

 

[kid41212003]

At least 8 out of 10 things downloaded through torrent are not open source/linux software. And if you disagree with that you are very naive.

That's not the point i was trying to make though.

Torrent has its use.

In fact, I see a lot of big name companies using it to distribute their patches such as Blizzard, THQ, EA, and more.

The downloader that they use is just a simple torrent client.

 

[W1zzard]

The downloader that they use is just a simple torrent client.

most companies tack on a simple http downloader to ensure users with torrent blocked in firewall etc. still get the data