Listening to music is one of life's simple pleasures, and
sharing the music you love with others makes an enjoyable
experience even better. One of the reasons Napster (http://www.napster.com)
is so popular is that it lets users do just that: share music by
searching for, downloading, and listening to MP3 and WMA
(Windows Media Audio) files. Ironically, this ability to share
music is also what makes Napster so controversial. (See the
"Napster vs. The Record Industry" sidebar for more information.)
Napster uses a peer-to-peer networking system, where every
computer has equal status. When you use Napster, you search for
and download music files that other Napster users have on their
computers. The Napster site doesn't host music files; it simply
provides a way for you to easily locate and acquire the files.
Unlike Gnutella, which can find and download almost any type of
file, Napster is limited to sharing MP3 and WMA files. (
NOTE: Napster has other features besides files for download,
including chat and instant messaging, but we'll focus here on
the ability to download music files.)
Download & Install.
Napster is available for Windows 95/98/NT/2000 and the
Macintosh OS (operating system). Download the Napster client at
http://www.napster.com/download. Once the download is done,
double-click the file to start the installer. ( NOTE: Mac
users will need an MP3 player program to listen to files
downloaded from Napster. You can download some of these programs
at
http://www.napster.com/help/mac/gettingstarted.)
Connection speed. During installation, you'll
have to answer a question about how fast your usual Internet
connection speed is, from a 14.4Kbps (kilobits per second)
dial-up modem to a dedicated T3 line. This information is
important, because it tells other Napster users how fast you can
send a file to them.
Create an account. Once you've stated your
connection speed, you'll need to create a username, enter a
password, and then re-enter the password to confirm it. Next,
supply a valid e-mail address. You can also subscribe to the
Napster newsletter here to keep up with the latest news and
information. Click Next to continue. Napster will check to make
sure no one else is already using the username you chose. The
rest of the account questions are optional; provide as little or
as much information about yourself as you want.
Shared folder. With your permission, Napster
will scan your computer for MP3 and WMA files. After it searches
your computer, it will display a directory tree showing which
folders have been marked as shared. You can edit this list and
remove any folders you do not wish to share with other Napster
users.
Download folder. Next, Napster will display the
same directory tree that you saw for the shared folders. Select
the folder you want to use as the destination for files you
download. By default the My Files folder, located within the
Napster directory, will be selected. Click the Finish button to
complete the installation.
Firewalls. Now Napster will check if it can
establish a connection to its server. If it can't, it will ask
if your computer is behind a firewall (software
or hardware that keeps would-be hackers from accessing your
system). If you use a firewall, tell Napster; you will still be
able to search for and acquire files, but others may not be able
to access your shared files.
Use Napster. When
you launch Napster, your computer will connect to the Napster
server, then display the Napster home page, where you'll find
news flashes, featured artists, newsletter briefs, and other
current Napster news and information. The home page is only the
tip of the iceberg, though. Here are some of the things you can
do with Napster.
Search. Click the Search button on the Napster
toolbar to search for files. Then enter an artist's name, a song
title, or both in the appropriate text boxes. You can use a
minus sign (-) to exclude items from your search. For example,
if you type Phil Collins in the Artist text
box, the results would include any work he performed, including
music from his former band, Genesis. If you're only interested
in his solo work, you could omit results that included Genesis
by typing Phil Collins –Genesis in the Artist
text box.
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Napster's home page is
full of news flashes, featured artists, newsletter briefs,
and other current Napster news and information.
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The Advanced button will help you narrow your search by
adding the following fields to the search criteria: Bitrate,
Connection, and Ping. Specifying a bitrate lets you filter your
search by the fidelity of the file; a higher bitrate usually
indicates a higher quality sound. Choose a connection type to
filter the results by the connection speed of the file host.
Larger ping times mean longer download times.
Once you enter the search parameters, click Find It. Remember
that when you perform a search, you are only searching the
computers of members currently logged on to Napster. If you
can't find a file you want, try again later. Search results
include the file name, file size, and information about the
file's bitrate, frequency, length, user, connection speed, and
ping time. You can click any of these results headers to sort
the results by that field.
Napster prefaces each file name with a red, yellow, or green
circle. Red means the file's host connection speed is unknown or
slower than 56Kbps; yellow means the host's speed is between
56Kbps and the speed provided by a dual ISDN (Integrated
Services Digital Network) connection; green means a faster
connection, usually provided by a cable or DSL (Digital
Subscriber Line) modem or T1 or T3 lines.
Download files. To download a file, click it
once to highlight it, then click the Get Selected Files button
at the bottom of the window. You can also download a file by
double-clicking it or right-clicking it and selecting Download
from the pop-up menu. To download more than one file at once,
press SHIFT as you click each file. Then click the Get Selected
Files button.
Starting a download opens the Transfer window. Here you will see
the status of files you are downloading (Inbound Transfers) and
the status of files others are uploading (Outbound Transfers)
from your computer.
You don't need to wait for a transfer to complete before doing
something else on your computer. You can return to the Search
window at any time and select more files to download or perform
new searches. If you decide during a download that you don't
want that file, right-click it and choose Cancel Transfer (to
stop the download but keep the file for later download) or
Delete/Abort Transfer (to stop the download and remove the file
from your Inbound Transfers window) from the pop-up menu.
Listen. Once a file downloads, clear it from
the Transfer window by clicking the Clear Finished button. Then
Click the My Files button to find the file and play it by
double- clicking it or right-clicking it and selecting Play File
from the pop-up menu. Alternately, right-click the file in the
Transfer window and select Play File from the pop-up menu. By
default, the Napster Internal Player will play the file. If you
prefer to use another media player on your system, you can do
so. Choose Preferences from the File menu, and in the Personal
tab, select the player you want to use from the drop-down menu
in the Media Player section.
Upload Files. You can make your audio files
available to other Napster users by putting them in your shared
folder. If you don't remember where it is, or you want to
designate a different folder, go to File, Preferences, and
select the Sharing tab.
Here you can also set the maximum number of outbound transfers
you'll allow at one time. This is important because your
connection speed is affected when other users download files
from your computer, just as when you download files from other
users. If you connect to the Internet via modem, set this number
at 1 or 2. If you have a faster connection, try a setting of 3
or 4. If your computer's response time starts to drag, you can
change these settings.
Tips & Suggestions.
You can manipulate files listed in the Transfer window by
right- clicking the file name. The resulting pop-up menu lets
you play a file as it is downloading, force a queued file to
start transferring, and prioritize queued files. You can also
set your Transfer preferences to remove completed files and
failed transfers from the list. Go to Files, Preferences, and
select the Downloading tab. In the Advanced Transfer Options
section, you can instruct Napster to automatically delete
finished or incomplete downloads from your list, prompt you to
remove them, or leave them in the list.
Also remember that by downloading files from other users'
computers, you make yourself vulnerable to viruses. Although
Napster can only transfer files in MP3 or WMA format, keep a
virus-checking program active on your computer. Configure it to
check any file you download to your Napster download folder.
Use Wisely. Keep in
mind as you use Napster that it is illegal to perform,
duplicate, or distribute copyrighted material. That doesn't mean
that you can't use Napster at all; some prominent recording
artists use Napster as a way to share their new music with fans.
The Dave Matthews Band, for example, just released a promotional
MP3 file of their new song "I Did It" on Napster. If you are
careful not to infringe on the copyright laws protecting artists
and recording companies, Napster can be a great tool.
by Tom Nelson and Mary O'Connor
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