Opera chooses BitTorrent to supercharge browser

OPERA Software is showing off a new version of its browser that includes support for BitTorrent.

The company says that integrating "this popular file-downloading technology" in the browser "offers the end user a faster download process by utilizing full bandwidth and reducing the chance of in-transfer delay when multiple users download the same file."

An Operatic spokesman said the decision to include the technology was taken after Opera's servers were brought to a grinding halt when an updated browser was released in April.

"With BitTorrent, users have had an alternative download mechanism," said Christen Krogh, Engineering Veep.

Opera says it hopes to make it easier for users to download the large amount of legal material available in Webland, such as Linux software and computer game demos. The Opera browser will also be offered as a torrent file.

In a statement, the company said that after FTP and HTTP, BitTorrent "is the logical next step".

The BitTorrent protocol differs from FTP and HTTP in that it makes downloading a large file more efficient, as individuals downloading the same file will assist each other in the download process. µ