So I’ll be upfront — there are a few reviews already on the net about AllPeers, the firefox extension that helps people share files between each other. I’ll list a few of the good ones below. I’m not going into gory details about it but I did want to share some initial opinions

AllPeers has been hailed as the “best thing to happen to Firefox since Firefox”. That’s some lofty praise (or hype?).

For those not following this sort of thing, AllPeers is a Firefox Extension that allows folks to share files via a ‘personal’ p2p connection. Because its a Firefox Extension, it’ll be persistently “on” when you surf — and won’t require you to load up separate client software. Also, you don’t need to be on at the same time as the person you’re sharing with. Its been in anticipation for a few years already, and as a beta, it has recently flung open its doors to the public.

I have raved previously about using Pando to share files between friends, principally because it is so insanely easy to use, and the restrictions are actually quite generous. You can send files up to 1 gigabyte — but I’ve heard about people busting this restriction, and sending files up to 2 gigs.

I like to use these sorts of services because I like to rip and share TV shows with friends, but also large media content such as home movies and high quality digital photos (2meg each, for example).

I’ve tried AllPeers now for a few days, and I think my overall feeling is … meh.

I think this is driven by the fact that there are a TON of competitors in the “filesharing” arena, now that with the proliferation of broad band connections is driving demand, while the price of storage has dropped (and continues to drop) precipitously.

For a filesharing application to gain any traction in a competitive field, I think that they should contain the following characteristics:

1. easy to use: and this means, its got to be easy to install, a fast and unobstructive load time, use minimal resources while operating, and a design that is both pleasing and functional. Does it require a separate client to use? Is it part of the browser?

2. easy to share: putting the “sharing” into filesharing, these programs MUST be as frictionless as possible not JUST to actually send files back and forth, but also in introducing other participants into the program’s way of doing things; the instructions, the registration … they must all be easy for first adopters to share with non-first-adopters, in my opinion.

3. generous restrictions: its not an oxymoron — if the service is tiered, then it should have the least restrictive limits in terms of its use … both in terms of bandwidth or filesize. Sure, nothing’s free, but for it to be appealing in a competitive landscape, you can’t scrape the bottom of the barrel with this one. Filesizes need to be > 500megs and preferably up to 1 gigabyte. Bandwidth restrictions should probably be no less than 20-25 gigs per month.

If the software is really constructed to take advantage of a distrbuted system, and not centralized where the files are stored on one large server, I don’ t think there’s any reason to put huge restrictions on … well, the restrictions.

How does AllPeers fare under this sort of criteria? Check it out.

1. Ease of Use: I think this is where it falls the flat. Once you install the firefox extension its sitting there as part of your browser — that part is pretty easy. However, the actual process of inviting friends, browsing for files, and ultimately send it to them is pretty clunky. Your browsing window gets divided on the left and the right. To actually send files, you 1) have to click on your own name on a separate browsing window to your right, THEN, click on a text link that says “share”. Why not just right click on your friends and send? Well, its a browser related function; right clicks are reserved for praticular functions. Furthermore, there is no real “faq” or “tour” to walk you through the process.

There have been some talk about it slowing Firefox down when you’re sharing; I haven’t actually found this to be the case, so this is good. On the other hand, the actual download rate is difficult to gauge, since there is no “speedometer”. There is no way to know how many kb/s you’re uploading OR downloading because it doesn’t quantify it. You just get a bar that’s moving.

When I timed it myself it looks like its comparable to, say Pando, but without some numbers, its hard to know for sure.

2. Ease of Sharing: Currently its in beta — so there’s a limitation to this. When I tried to “invite” people in the actual program in the few people I tried it out on a few of them never got an invitation. Seems like I have to actually enter them separately on a different page to invite them over. Then, they each get a separate activation code. THEN you have to “add” them on your own AllPeers screen PLUS each separate activation code. In all fairness, its in beta – but this *has* to be ironed out better.

3. Generous Resctrictions: Well, this is where it apparently shines. Seems like there are no detailed restrictions EITHER to the file size OR the bandwidth. Pretty cool. Well, hold on. In the community posts, it mentions that you should be try and be reasonable with the number of files or foldres you share. Not exactly sure what this means in any real quantitative fashion. Are we talking 1000’s of files? What happens if they’re each 5megs as opposed to 1 meg?

The Lowdown: AllPeers is kind of cool — but I think maybe mostly due to the hype around it. That is, in order for ANY of these new filesharing services to shine, it MUST be at least as good as the others, if not better.

I think that the biggest strength is the lack of restrictions on file size or bandwidth (officially … see above). However, its user interface is clunky, and the ability to get someone else to share stuff may not be that easy at all. Particularly because there’s no real “help” or “tour”.

IS it better than its competitors?
One has to wonder how much a “first mover” advantage some of the other services have. In order for someone to use another service, they’ve got to be *better* in so many ways that it has to overcome all of the current inertia of using an accepted system. More to the point, that person would have to start convincing their filesharing partners to ALSO change systems as well.

Almost reminds me of the Instant Messaging wars a while back!

To wrap things up, I’m not sure if it *is* better than its competitors right now. Unlimited file sharing needs to be balanced against an ungainly UI.

Personally, I’m sticking with Pando for now.
My own friends find that its super easy to use, is well documented, and although it requires an extra download and client to share things, its otherwise fast and transparent.
And quite frankly, they’re just used to it.

Other Reviews:

1. p2p blog has a nice one with screen caps; they seem to agree the lack of transparency with the filesharing speeds is a bit frustrating
2. Torrentfreak has a review, but also an interview with one of the Developers; has some nice insights into future plans for AllPeers.
3. The obligatory TechCrunch “review”.
4. NewsForge’s review does discuss the security of AllPeers.

PS, there are now unlimited invitations available. If you’re interested in trying it out, leave a comment and I will get back to you. ;)