Napster - The Experience

Last week, I described the explosive growth of Napster, an Internet software application that allows MP3 files to be shared within a special Web community. Here is a closer look.

The Napster Web site (www.napster.com) allows music fans to download the free Napster 2.0 beta 5A version for Windows 95, 98, and NT users. Heavy duty computing power (Celeron, Pentium II, PIII, or equivalent) is required to process MP3 files. As a rough rule of thumb, one minute of CD quality music requires 1 MB (million bytes) of disk space. While not mandatory, a high bandwidth connection (cable modem, xDSL, T1, or more) is strongly recommended. Surfers with V.90 modem (56 kbps - bits per second) may find the experience marginally workable but often frustrating.

Getting Started

In this day of overwritten and complex bloated code, the current version 2 beta5A (640 kbytes) is a reasonable download. After installing the program, preferences must be filled in: e-mail address, password, line speed, shared folders and save folder. The shared folders area gets scanned after connection to the Napster database and MP3 files found there become available for other members of the Napster Community (NC) to upload to their computers. In addition, transfer settings instruct the Napster the maximum number of simultaneous uploads and downloads you are willing to allow the system to handle. With a 256 kbps I-cable, I set downloads at 10, uploads at 3. There is a text box for firewall setting. In my case, this is left blank. The firewall setting allows Napster to be used on a network (LAN), at home or in the office. The ZoneAlarm personal firewall works with Napster although ping times do not appear.

Opening A Session

A click on the Napster icon from the desktop launches a session. While the popularity of Napster keeps it busy, most of the time the user is connected to the Napster Community. Immediately, the user is greeted with a “Connect Message” along with a warning message that reads in part:

“PLEASE NOTE: Napster, Inc. makes no representation or warranties regarding MP3 files possessed by Napster users. Thousands of MP3 files have been authorized for distribution over the Internet by copyright owners; however, Napster users should understand that MP3 files may have been created or distributed without copyright owner authorization. Neither the MP3 file format nor the Napster software indicates whether a particular MP3 file has been authorized for copying or distribution. Copying or distributing unauthorized MP3 files may violate United States and/or foreign copyright laws. Compliance with copyright law remains your responsibility.” You have been warned.

Let us say you own a CD of Frank Sinatra’s Greatest Hits. However, you wanted to play “New York, New York” on your computer in MP3 format. The problem is that you do not own the software (called a ripper) that allows you to take the music from the CD and put it in digital format. Someone may have already “ripped” the song from the CD and stored it in his or her shared folders area. Since you purchased the rights to listen to the song, you can download it from the Internet with little fear that the FBI will enter your home and haul you off to jail in front of your spouse and children. In this case, click the search icon. Enter “Frank Sinatra” in the “Artist” field. Hit Enter. Immediately a list of Frank Sinatra songs appears, limited to 250 matches. (More popular artists like Sinatra and The Beatles will have more than 250 listings. Users may want to narrow the search by entering artist and title.) Two clicks on the “Line Speed” icon reorders the list with the fastest connections at the top. A double click on “New York, New York” would move the song into the “Transfer” area. Listed are the song title, file size, user name, and status of the transfer. Within minutes (or with very slow connection, hours) the MP3 file arrives via the Internet.

Not Perfect

The dynamic nature of the comings and goings of the NC population by definition means that at any given time a song being requested my not be available in the database. In addition, song titles may not match the music transferred if “the ripper” made a careless mistake. During long transfers, the sender may turn off the Napster connection after only a part of a song was transferred. Truncated files may then propagate across Napster-land. Perhaps the most annoying Napster characteristic is massive memory leakage (the operating system’s inability to return resources to the memory pool) of the software. Rebooting of the computer is a regular occurrence when using Napster. Yet in spite of serious limitations, Napster enjoys huge popularity on college campuses. Users like it. Napsterland keeps growing as its use spills over into the general Internet population over time.

Do Not Violate The Law

In no way am I recommending or encouraging copyright violation or breaking any laws. If used carefully and legally, Napster (or its derivatives) could very well open a new era in the Internet experience. Napster will eventually move beyond music/MP3 files. New uses are being developed every day. It is likely to change the music landscape in ways not imagined. Then again, pundit statements about the Internet/Web not long ago made similar comments. The latter has already occurred.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.napster.com

http://www.savenapster.com/

(This is the 197th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the Internet. Next, ZoneAlarm - Personal Firewall is the subject on tap. Stay Tuned. Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of Internet Info for Real People can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)