Offering users the ability to set up mini-P2P networks and open up their photos, music, movies and documents, Grouper does not let users download each others' music. Rather, it permits only streaming of music files, whilst allowing downloads of other content. Quite what happens when you remain a .mp3 file to a .zip or something remains to be seen, maybe someone really smart has thought of that, I don't know. Grouper aims and promises to make the process of P2P totally easy, but only works on Windows 2000 and Windows XP at the moment. Grouper has a nice GUI that shows all the available files, the users linked in, the transfers and a Microsoft media player. It should officially launch in about 10 days time.

Sounds like its kind of crappy if you ask me.

Interesting...

But what about movies? They seem to be shared freely, so I'm not sure if the MPAA will like this too much...

what makes it sound "crappy". I used it and within a few minutes was sharing songs with my friends. The instant gratification of hearing the MP3 worked for me. I agree it would be cooler if I could also download MP3s.

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i am amazed at how short sited many of you how immediately said this product sounds crappy are!

I've been using Grouper, here's what I've found.

1) you can easily create private p2p groups with just your trusted friends, whomever you invite to your group or allow into your group. -thus no worry of getting caught doing something illigal.

2) you can easily download mp3's (zip them), videos (no matter what size), apps, and photos... actually any file you want can be downloaded.

3) you can find more groups to join by checking out the grouper forums ...it's like a want ad /classifieds for groups.

-Isn't this what we've all been looking for? a way to safely download and share whatever we want? with no worries about anyone watching us??? Come on... it's time to move into the 21st century, stop thinking so shallow!!

oh, did i mention it's free also!

unlike kazaa which charges, or bittorrent which can be frustrating and not legal... who know's who's watching you....

hey phantasmic, what do you mean "zipping" mp3's has yet to be seen... You obviously haven't tried the program... zipping works great! I download 1000's of zipped songs/albums with no problem at all. I suggest you try it before you make shallow comments first.

It's crippleware.. Zipping may be great but no zipping would be even better.

It's like prohibiting drinking on the street only to make people drink from bottles in paper bags.

I haven't tested the program yet, but it looks like I will be giving it a shot in the future.

Oh, you think the privacy and "no worry of getting caught" will last long? If this program explodes as the next Kazaa, the RIAA and MPAA will find a way to make sure that people that believe they won't get caught are going to get caught. Just be careful.

Can anyone here give the list of all illegal music P2P file sharing programs that the RIIA are cracking down on? I would like to know because of the amount of songs I want to get, it'll make a ruin of my money account. Can anyone help me?

pretty much all of them now, or the great majority. i think they started going down harder on winmx and limewire recently. i dont know what the likelyhood of getting caught is but i believe it varies from app to app

After reading some of the comments in this forum, there is only one thing that I feel no one has addressed yet. Who is to blame for the P2P sharing of music files, video, etc. Think about it, it is the bloody big business of the Industries that control them and the fact that the artists, etc., aren't business savvy enough to take control of their own content and demand to set the prices of their CD's or DVD's.

How much is a blank CD or DVD today? They're relatively inexpensive, yet, you check out the prices of them in a Video or Music store already done and it's disgusting the prices they are asking.

Although I haven't tried Grouper yet, I probably will, as I share files with my friends all the time of my music, either in WMA format or MP3.

As for zipping, I don't see an issue with zipping anything. I do it all the time.