BitTorrent is a protocol, or set of guidelines, used for sending and receiving files over the Internet. There are numerous programs, or 'clients,' used for handling the BitTorrent protocol. Among them are the original, also called BitTorrent, and µTorrent, often spelled 'uTorrent.'
Compatibility
BitTorrent is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. µTorrent is designed for Windows, though a Mac OS X port is available.
Size
The µTorrent program is only about 220 KB, and uses under 6 MB of memory. The BitTorrent program is about 2.8 MB, and runs smoothly with 14 MB of memory.
Adware
Both clients contain adware, which installs advertisements on your computer. These advertisements can be removed.
BitTorrent's acquisition of µTorrent
In 2006, BitTorrent Inc. acquired µTorrent; as of BitTorrent 6, BitTorrent is a re-branded version of µTorrent. Naturally, this limits compatibility, as newer versions of BitTorrent will only run on operating systems compatible with µTorrent.
BitTorrent DNA
The difference in file size is explained by BitTorrent's inclusion of BitTorrent DNA, which applies the BitTorrent protocol to web sites and programs. This is intended to increase the speed of web browsing by allowing your web browser to download from multiple peers simultaneously.
Warning
Neither client limits what files a user can or cannot download. Downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal, and can result in prosecution.
Tags: BitTorrent protocol, Torrent BitTorrent