Tixati makes torrents easy for beginners (and will impress advanced users)

Tixati makes torrents easy for beginners (and will impress advanced users):

Tixati is a simple and easy to use, free BitTorrent client. It installs quickly without java or .NET and provides advanced features like RSS, IP filters, and the ability to schedule events based on a number of factors. Unlike some of other popular ‘freeware’ BitTorrent clients, it has no annoying ads, no spyware or crapware installers. Available for Windows and Linux.

I’ve used a number of BitTorrent clients over the years and few have impressed me. I find most of them to be pretty much the same, offering the same options and features, with very little to distinguish them from each other besides their various logos. However, Tixati has impressed me in couple of key areas, which I will focus on in this posting.

First, the fact that it doesn’t require the installation or use of java or even the .net framework is great. This makes the client’s digital footprint in both storage and active use of resources much smaller by comparison. Consider that Tixati provides other features that are common to most BitTorrent programs, such as automatic peer selection, support for multiple file types (.torrent and magnet links), and the ability to specify storage locations of downloaded files. Then consider that it does all of these things without java or the .net framework installed. To me, that is impressive. The installation file is only six megabytes, and I suspect the lack of those additional languages has something to do with that tiny size.

Second, on the Tixati website, there’s lots of online support like Finding Content Guide and Optimizing Tixati Guide. The first is a guide to where and how you can find content to download via BitTorrent files and, ostensibly, Tixati. The second is just what it sounds like, a small guide to getting the most out of your use of Tixati through smart manipulation of the various settings available in the program. It also, basically, serves as a good preview of what you can expect from Tixati overall. The content guide is a decent introduction to BitTorrents overall, and it of course makes mention that “As with any other internet tool, such as your web-browser or email client, it is your responsibility to comply with your local copyright laws and other rules and regulations.” The content guide shows you how to use common search engine sites like Google and Yahoo! as well as specialized sites that specifically deal with torrent files alone through a short tutorial that uses Tixati, of course, as the example program to use for downloading said files once they are found.

The point that impressed me about these guides is that they exist at all and that Tixati has a built-in help system, activated by pressing F1. With freeware in general, and BitTorrent client programs in specific, I have noticed a distinct lack of documentation for many of them. Often, developers put out their work first and their documentation second, but sometimes not at all. It was nice to see this kind of attention to the user experience from a freeware torrent client.

A short list of features taken from their website:

Simple and easy to use Ultra-fast downloading algorithms DHT, PEX, and Magnet Link support Easy and quick install – no java, no .NET Super-efficient peer selection and choking RC4 connection encryption for added security

Detailed bandwidth management and charting UDP Peer Connections and NAT router hole-punching Advanced features such as RSS, IPFiltering, Event Scheduler NO Spyware NO Ads NO Nonsense

I didn’t find a real downside to the program and it’s worth mentioning that they have a Windows version and a Linux version as well. Its small size also means they are able to provide a Portable version that fits on a USB flash drive or other portable media and is self-contained. That means you don’t have to worry which OS is installed on the computer you plan to use to run it because the executable binaries are included for Linux, and for Windows in what they call a ‘platform-neutral’ configuration. That means there is no difference between the two versions insofar as the available options are concerned.

Overall, I would recommend this client program to anyone who is just starting out with torrent files, and it is even worth a look from those of us that are comfortable with the one(s) we already use. If for whatever reason you want an alternative to uTorrent that is light and straightforward, give this one a try.

Version tested: v1.74

Compatibility: Windows, Linux

You can download all versions of Tixati here.