Last month, desktop Linux distributor Lindows.com began making its Linux CD images available for download via BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file-transfer application thats popular for moving large files over the Internet.
Ive used BitTorrent to download CD images in the past, but Lindows.com is the first company Ive seen that takes commercial advantage of the application.
By delivering its product on a P2P network, Lindows.com has boosted download capacity without additional hardware or bandwidth costs, and the company is passing savings to its customers. When delivered over BitTorrent, Lindows 4.5 costs $25, half the normal cost.
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When I downloaded a Lindows.com CD image to a Windows XP machine using BitTorrent, the process ran fairly smoothly, but it couldve been better. For one thing, users need a BitTorrent client to start a download, and Lindows.com doesnt offer one on its site.
Instead, I was directed to a different Web site to get a client, which I had to install before going back to open the BitTorrent link at Lindows.com. Its not an arduous procedure, but its less simple than youd expect from a company that sets out to make software installation as easy as click and run.
For more information, check out www.lindows.com/p2p.
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