The availability of MP3 files on the Internet has been growing by leaps and bounds. MP3 compresses music files at near CD quality for easier transmission. Music of all types is available for download and there are even small portable MP3 players now available for listening while away from any computer. The problem has always been where to find the MP3 files to download? Napster has solved that problem and is taking the world by storm.
What exactly is Napster? Napster is a slick little program that takes the hassle out of searching for MP3s. Napster connects directly to a community of fellow music lovers. With Napster, you can search for music by artist or by song title. Napster then instantly provides a list of titles matching the search criteria, so one or more titles can be tagged and downloaded directly to your computer. The interface displays ping times, to help choose files that will download the fastest. Napster also supports resuming of interrupted downloads.
The music files are not located on the Napster server, but rather are located on the computers of all other Napster users. While logged onto Napster's server, you are essentially sharing your MP3 "library" with others. With hundreds of users are connected, all the MP3 files in their libraries are accessible. For this reason, not all songs are available at all times. When you select a file to download, Napster matches up the IP addresses of the downloader and downloadee, which avoids broken links, server glitches and other related problems. As some libraries invariably have great MP3s, you can send them to the HotList, and monitor when they come on-line.
