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1. 
   Review - Direct Connect for Windows

   1.0 Preview Build 9 (Feb 4, 2003)

   I have recently installed DC and don't really have a clue what all the jargon in the other posts is on about, being only a mere niave Kazaa Ex-Napster user.
   
   However I do know enough about programming to know that I could have written this software better myself, and that is saying something!!
   
   Constant message boxes saying "Error - Too many files - in sub tmrBgWork_Timer DC shoud be restarted as soon as possible". The sub description changes in each message but the end result is the same. Restart the program or maybe even reboot. There are some serious GUI problems with this program, an issue which I thought the world pf programming had mastered years ago.
   
   The program may crash beyond usability but it has got progressivley worse since I installed it, which means I have had a small amount of joy. Yes I managed to download and browse ONE users collections of folders. The files I selected wouldn't download, they just queued for infinity and the effectiveness, usability and usefulness of the program has progressively got worse from there.
   
   I shoud point out at here that I am using a Conexant 4 port ADSL router which uses NAT. This means that I have the added bonus of having to allow the port 412 to be routed in the router and give DC the WAN IP address of the router. Spot the obvious problem here. Yes, the WAN IP address is a DHCP address and so changes each time I reset it. Not that this matters because setting the above doesn't cause DC to work any better. If fact it doesn't download anything at all.
   
   The only other option here is to use passive mode. This gives limitations to what you can download though and...you've guessed it, doesn't work either. By 'work' I mean download. After all that is what DC is for.
   
   Connecting to a hub isn't usually a problem but the GUI drains so many of the resources that you find even displaying a simple context menu takes about a minute or sometimes hangs completely.
   
   But my main gripe with DC (if you haven't guessed already) is that it doesn't do what it is supposed to, download files. Other posts here have praised it and complained about not having high enough transfer speeds. I would be happy with 5-6Kb/s, if only I coud get that!! Files just queue endlessly and never move to the 'download' tab. I think I used to be able to do this but I always got the status 'no free slots', which is another mystery concept only made available to 'DC boffs'. Also someone tell me what is DC++?
   
   This program quite simply has too many unexplained mystery concepts that aren't even explained in the help files. People on the hubs try to help but only seem able to suggest the obvious like 'change to passive mode' or 'upgrade the DC program'. I like the idea and concept of this program but it has been so poorly implemented that this renders the whole idea pointless to me.
   
   Anyone who can enlighten me on any of these issues please do:
   
   cmreid@nildram.co.uk