Since the collapse of Napster, no single killer app has emerged to fill its shoes. Inside is a review of the more popular applications that are trying.

"So, what do you use to find music now?" If you want to know the state of the file-trading world almost a year after Napster imloded, that question exposes the clearest picture. Songs are still being swapped by the millions online, and you still have a very good chance to find what you're looking for with ease, but in the void left by Napster's demise, no one program has been able to replace the role of Shawn Fanning's brilliant little app. These reviews are based on personal observations, so not everyone will have the same experience with these programs that I have. Which is why you need to weigh in with your own impressions, but more importantly, USE one or several of the programs listed here. The more people are sharing, the richer and easier this becomes for all of us.

1) link]">Audiogalaxy - By the summer of 2001, this easy to use web-based program had listed the most files (songs) available, with the greatest number of users. The program automatically ranks files by reliablity, and will begin downloading them once you press the little green icon next to them. Another plus is the ability to queue songs from offline users (as long as you're still connected to the satellite, once that user comes back online, your song begins downloading automatically). The program has a low footprint in terms of CPU usage and bandwidth--meaning, it doesn't hog your system resources or connection stream -- a bonus whether you're still on dial-up or using your school's phat-pipe. The selection of songs is the best overall too, a natural consequence of having the most users. The satellite itself is a little app that runs independently from the browser portion and can be neatly tucked away in your system tray. Of all the MP3-swapping programs, this one gets my highest recommendation.

2) link]">Limewire//link]">Bearshare - I'm lumping these two together because essentially, they're the same program. Limewire has a prettier interface, but that's the only appreciable difference. Both of these run off the old Gnutella client, a program that was already in wide use last summer when Napster was enjoying it's heydey. For a time, I was using some form of Gnu client above Napster because the variety of ALL files available was better. Where AudioGalaxy is exclusively to MP3s, Limewire/Bearshare can trade any file type. Which includes images, warez, and yes, even feature-length movies. When you hear Jack Valenti raising holy terror over Rush Hour2 showing up online the day it's released in theaters, this is a good place to look for it. The MP3 selection is not as diverse as AG (AudioGalaxy), but what gives all Gnu clients also-ran status is their appetite for bandwidth. To put it bluntly, they suck. Literally. By maintaining an open connection to thousands of individual servers, running these programs on anything but a high-speed connection becomes almost prohibitive. Snazzy features like auto-resume and offline queuing are not to be found either. If a user drops in the middle of a download, you're SOL. For overall file sharing, they still get high marks.

3) link]">Morpheus - Built as a slightly altered version of MusicCity's KaZaa (now being sued by both the RIAA and MPAA), Morpheus is another web-type swapper that allows for searching for media files of all types. And it doesn't constantly ping thousands of far-away servers and drag your bandwidth through molasses--yay! It's very easy to use too, which makes it more popular with folks on any connection speed. But irregardless of the number of users Morph has, the selection is sorely lacking. Particularly in the MP3 department. A search for even very popular tracks by bands like The Gorillaz or Weezer don't turn up the plethera of choices on either of the programs mentioned above. And while this isn't important to most people, I don't like having spyware automatically included that tracks what I download or make available to other users.

4) link]">Aimster - The add-on for AOL's super-dominant IM service (but not affiliated with AOL) is built around the philosophy that sharing files between friends (buddies on your list in this case) is still a legally protected freedom and should remain that way. Naturally, the evil forces of the RIAA/MPAA feel differently, but that's a whole other story. Aimster generally gets high marks from it's users for its ease of use and the depth of it's selection, but I personally believe that last part comes from the fact that most of these people haven't tried the alternatives. Or perhaps don't spend a lot of trouble getting to know them. The fact that Aimster initially didn't even work with my version of AIM only added to the bitter taste in my mouth. It comes across to me as a victim of hype, and ultimately, doesn't live up to it's proponents' high praises.

5) link]">WinMX - Built around the OpenNAP server protocol (a work-around for connecting to Napster servers), WinMX is another app that supports any file type, not just MP3. It claims to have a lot of users, and occasionally, it does. But finding them easily can be a challenge sometimes. Thankfully, users don't have to type in server addresses like they had to when OpenNap was getting off the ground, but the wait to connect to your chosen server can be interminable. Anytime a program recommends walking away or doing something else while it attempts to connect can't be a good omen. Because of these headaches, WinMX, which does have some nifty features like auto-resume and queuing, along with your basic chat functions, suffers from a dearth of users and hence, richness of selection. A few people I've talked to swear by it, but curiously, they're also the same folks who bug me to find stuff for them unavailable on WinMX.

I know there are many other programs that I didn't touch on like IMesh, Filetopia, etc. That's where YOU come in. Got an opinion on what I've said here? A recommendation that I totally missed? Spill it, homey. Don't keep the world in the dark any longer than it has been.