If you are not downloading with torrents then you are missing out on most of the internet. I download about 20 gigabytes in audio or ebooks, lectures and learning programs from the History, PBS, BBC or Discovery channels. Having nearly unlimited access to everything is the only way to fly, and if you're not on this magic carpet ride already, this is how you set it up.
Step 1.
Get a torrent client. I suggest http://www.utorrent.com. Download, install and follow the instructions. The hardest part will be setting up your router so you can accept incomming connections, but it's getting easier all the time and there are websites out there with specific instructions on how to do it. Don't be afraid. You wont break anything.
Step 2.
Learn some websites (aka "trackers") that host torrents. Some are public and some are private, and private ones are more reliable, but all you really need is Google and http://thepiratebay.org.
Step 3.
Start downloading all the delicious goodies from the vast store houses of Internet land.
Additional Info
If you want an in-depth explanation of how torrents work I suggest Googling "how torrenting works" and only reading websites with pretty graphs and brightly colored page layouts. If it's a wall of text, it's probably borring. Hit back on your browser and go somewhere else!
The way it works is if someone wants to host a file, they go to
Now there's just a little terminology you should learn to aid in your torrenting experience.
tracker - The server that hosts the .torrent files
torrent - A file telling your computer which tracker to talk to
seeder - Someone that has the entire file and is uploading it to everyone else
leacher - Someone that only has part of the file but is still sharing what they have with everyone else
swarm - Refers to everyone downloading a particular torrent
Now get out there and start downloading!
