If you have followed uTorrent’s development closely in past weeks you have probably asked yourself if the developers would ever stop releasing release candidate versions of uTorrent 3.1. The developers went through ten release candidate builds before they released the final version of uTorrent 3.1 yesterday. Another update was rushed on the same day to fix a crash that slipped into that final version.
Users of previous versions of uTorrent can check for the update under Help > Check for Updates. The update check should return that uTorrent 3.1 stable is available. A click on yes in the notification window will trigger the download and installation of the new version on the system.
The new version is not yet advertised on the main uTorrent website; The download link on the other hand leads to the download of uTorrent 3.1.
The homepage does list the new paid service uTorrent Plus prominently which we have reviewed previously here on Ghacks. It appears as if the release of uTorrent 3.1 has also triggered the release of the new service.
So what’s new in the latest version of uTorrent? The release notes lists three new major features and a handful of changes and bug fixes.
Among the new features are a built-in media player and a new device node to transfer content to connected devices such as mobile phones or gaming systems. Both features seem to be limited uTorrent Plus features. If you recall, uTorrent Plus adds a HD Media Player and converter option to the P2P software.
Fixes and changes mostly affect the program’s stability and performance.
The new client displays an ad for the uTorrent Plus service that can be hidden with a right-click and the selection to hide the advertisement. Some users have voiced concern over the addition of features that related directly to uTorrent Plus and not so much to the client’s original purpose.
These users have selected uTorrent because its lightweight, fast and stable. The addition of new program modules could seriously dampen the program’s reputation in this regard.
What’s your take on uTorrent’s latest version and uTorrent Plus?
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Downloaded and immediately blew up on the first torrent download. Had to download old version to get it to work again. So much for stable.
Thanks For This Interesting Post,
Too much crap now. I just want a light-weight small footprint torrent client, all they are doing is going the way of napster / limewire and are going to pull heat on themselves from MPAA / RIAA.
3.0 (build 26473) reported that there was no updates available, unless I ticked the off the “Update to beta versions”. Which seemed very odd due to it being a stable release.
The release itself have fixed all my process hangings and I couldn’t be any happier!
I do hope that this comment is understandable to the majority and not some incoherent babbling!
What’s my take on this? Then here it is.
UTorrent developers have completely ruined uTorrent. uTorrent 2.0.0 was a lightweight BitTorrent client. uTorrent 2.2 added a Browser toolbar to the Installation wizard, which also installs Conduit engine and is a problem for the Next, next, next guys as you call them. uTorrent 2.2 also added unnecessary Apps feature. uTorrent 3.0 added a futile sharing feature, a really ugly theme and ratings. Utorrent 3.1 adds an ad for the final touch.
All the features introduced after uTorrent 2.0 were useless and just bloated this excellent BitTorrent client.
This is terrible. They should release a uTorrent lite version without all the additional bloat they keep on adding.
You don’t need to pay a cent for the new uTorrent features as you can add them by yourself :
How to Add Automatic Virus Scanning, Video Conversion, and Remote Downloading to uTorrent for Free
http://lifehacker.com/5866429/add-automatic-virus-scanning-video-conversion-and-remote-downloading-to-utorrent-for-free
Good point, the new plus features are in my opinion aimed at casual users who either do not have the technical know how to implement the features manually or do not want to be bothered.
Whis version is the best in your opinion?
And do old versions have any disadvantages (e.g. leaking info, worse performance)?
Well I’m not a heavy user to be honest. I always updated my version whenever a new version has been released and did not really experience negative side effects that much. Heavy users may have a different opinion though.
uTorrent has always been my favorite Bittorrent client for many years, not more. Lost its main features: light weight and simplicity.
Now I sticked to Tixati, very light and full of options besides giving me a faster download times.
Have to take a look at that one.
I’m perfectly fine with version 2.2.1.
It’s my only program I stopped updating.
To be honest, version 1.8x is good enough for most downloads. Only ultra-strict private trackers block old versions of uTorrent, but even those would allow 2.2x clients because of the lack of compelling features in the 3.x branch. I have 3.0 BTW, but I don’t plan to upgrading any time soon.
Personally I think that right now with the launch of the service uTorrent Plus we are close to a only payed version.
The new features like built-in media player, the device node to transfer content to connected devices are making the software bigger and for that not better. This because how more you add how more can be broken.
Why not use specialized software? What’s wrong with that?
Because of the blown memory use and program possibility of the software a few years I quieted with Vuze and started with Utorrent.
By the way this is the last time that I used beta, etc before the final version this because 10 time a update is much to much, I started to get jumpy from it.
Ocasionally, the “A new stable version of [u]Torrent 3.1 is availible. Would you like to download and install it?” window shows up when opening uTorrent (“ocasionally” = about once every two weeks or so). For me, clicking “Yes” always results in uTorrent crashing (stops responding and I have to end the process in the ‘ctrl+alt+del thingy’ that I don’t know what to call in English :)
utorrent ios 1 download away from leaving my system permenantly, they have ruined what was a good program.
You can easily downgrade to 2.0.4 which is the last version before feature-creep set in.