We've released LimeWire 3.6.3 beta, available from your pro download page as well as from the free page at:

http://www.limewire.com/english/content/beta.shtml

This version adds several pro-only improvements that significantly improve the searching and downloading experience for pro users. Pro users will receive more search results, and they'll be able to download more quickly.

In addition, this version fixes issues with iTunes scripting, for which we owe yet another big thanks to Roger Kapsi for his excellent work. 3.6.3 also adds the preliminary architecture to more robustly determine whether or not you're firewalled, and that's about it for changes over 3.6.2.

Thanks very much as always for everyone's assistance testing the betas.

-LimeWire Team

Here is a little pessemistic view of those pro chages:
Well, I for one don't like to have 6 leafs connections.... I much prefer to have 4 or even 3 and 2 connections (maybe let the pro users to set the number of connections from 2 to 6....) because I'm much more an uploader than a downloader. The pro version should really be about customisation of LW (more GUI and core options, not download/serches favoritism over the free version). I don't think people will pay to get a better dling/searching LW than the free version, they are more likely to pirate it and decrease the performance of the network. I mean that people should pay to help improve the network by knowing your pionneer work and not because they have to in order to dl files. And for searches, I'm searching for things that won't get the 40 results/ultrapeer anyway so I take it as a waste of bandwidth..

Conclusion: the pro version is fine as it is even if it could use of more customisations to distance the free version.

On another view, I have to say that LW runs really great in 10.3 panther, as LW uses less ram over time than in 10.2 and the os x look is much improved, especially the tabs.. hum.. good! And I haven't got a gui freeze since updating.

Also I think the leaf/ultrapeer could be increased to 40 or even 50. The bandwidth is not an issue anymore (even on IDSN 64kbps). This could make searches much faster. I know Adam is a little against it but I'd say go for it especially since OOB could cut down ultrapeer routing bandwidth 30% and that NIO technology is hopefully coming soon to a near galaxy.

Merci beaucoup

Your points are very well taken. The pro/free issue really comes down to what motivates people to buy pro. I agree with you that many, many people buy pro to support the idealism of the project, and I'd love it if everyone bought it for these reasons. The piracy issue is definitely a concern, and it's somewhat likely that more people will pirate pro as a result of these changes. If that starts to happen on a large enough scale, you're correct that it would hurt the network, in which case we could always go back.

So, I guess I'd say just think of this as an experiment. I very much sympathize with your views, but we need to experiment with various ideas to boost pro sales.

On the idea to have Ultrapeers hold more leaves, I agree that recent improvements have significantly reduced overall resources needed to find files. I guess I don't agree that the way to take advantage of those new resources is to increase the number of leaves/ultrapeer, simply because we'd be unnecessarily increasing the worst-case load (Ultrapeers). We really need Ultrapeers to run successfully on DSL connections with limited upstream capacity (as low as 10 KB/s), which we're now able to do. We could potentially use a couple more KB/s upstream by adding more leaf connections, but we don't have a whole lot of wiggle room between our current upstream use and the DSL limit while still making the system usable. You're right that we could make searches faster, though, so it's definitely something to consider.

Well, I took a bit of a hiatus, but I've come back now.

Hmm...the whole pro/free thing kind of botehrs me. People will pirate it. Never underestimate how easy it is to pirate things or how determined people will be to distribute it.

Secondly, doesn't it seem as if you're gyping the free people? I mean, from the user standpoint, the user loves LW b/c I get the same options in free as I do in pro. I feel that the user distrusts and dislikes the product that puts "extra" features in the pro version to make them buy it, because then the user feels as if (correctly might I add) that they're being manipulated by the company to buy it.

Can't complain with any of the other changes.

[Edit] By the way...it's FANTASTIC that we finally got the tip of the day. That could really reduce the number of simple problems people run into.

Hi Blackbird,

I'm glad you like the tip of the day. Unfortunately, in order to continue producing more features and keeping the core network alive and viable, people need to buy the program. The features included in the Pro version do not diminish the current experience for any Free users. In fact, while developing we are essentially using the 'free' version, which means that any changes we make are catered to keep the Free version as smooth as possible. Pro features are just that -- features that will encourage people to buy the program. It may feel like we're manipulating users to buy the software, and in a way that may be a correct way of stating it... but the fact of the matter remains that money is required to keep LimeWire alive. Indirectly, we're even keeping users of derivatives of LimeWire happy too by continuously improving the core of LimeWire, even though many of those users won't like to acknowledge the fact that their favorite software exists because of LimeWire.

I'm glad you enjoy using LimeWire, and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy using it, as new features are added and the overall experience improves.

Thanks,
Sam

sberlin:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing Limewire in the slightest. I love you guys and your program, and I understand how from your end, in order for LW to be developed it needs money. I'm just trying to vocalize how many of the users might see it. Playing a little devil's advocate I suppose.

Hi Blackbird,

It's good to play devil's advociate, and in many ways it ends up being incredibly hepful. Many additions to the program are debated internally (as well as commented on externally), and in the end the product ends up being better because everyone's voice is heard and included when theorizing how the end-result should be fleshed out.

I'm just vocalicizing how on own our end it is important to ensure that people have reasons to buy the Pro version. Encouraging Pro use will inevitably discourage Free users, but there isn't much we can do about that.

I hope that additions to the Pro version will encourage people to buy it while also keeping the Free version as or more usable (due to more supporters and ultimately more features for everyone).

Bonjour Sam/Adam,

1)I'd like an option in the upload preference panel to: Limit the number of concurrent uploads of one file to _ and I'd like to see the default to 2 or 3. With partial file sharing it should help spread files faster without clugging the upload queue with a popular big file.

2)a button in connection tab: Suggest to this old ultrapeer to upgrade and put directly the download link in a pop up window (like chat).

3)an option in connections to try to connect only to lan nodes like ones in university (with Rendez vous it should be easy)

Merci et bonne chance

(edit) LW is now connecting to 3 other vendor ultrapeers, the problem is that it is nearly always Morpheus ones... I think they should be banned (never got a morpheus result even with morpheus ultrapeer connections in at least 6 months.... -even when serching for morpheus itself...-). I'd much prefer to connect to bearshare, GTK, Phex and Swapper ultrappers instead of giving Morpheus users dl slots (I've tried Morpheus with each release version and 85% of the search results are Limewire based....).

Here Here.

Correct me on my terminology, but also...

I stopped sharing a great deal of my content starting a little while ago (due to recent happenings), and ONLY Morpheus [edit and Bearshare] clients still try to initiate transfers of files that I don't share now. Is this something wrong with morpheus "rehashing"? Please, correct me on the terminology.