Despite all the controversy, all the bad press, and all the harm that Metallica did its best to send its way, millions of people are still using Napster. Is it because they're cheap and just want free music? Could be. Is it because they're trying to bring down the music industry, download by download? I suppose that's a possibility. Is it because people are expanding their tastes in music, and opening themselves up to songs and artists that they'd most likely never hear of otherwise? I'd like to think so.

All legalities aside, I have over 400 mp3's on my computer system at this time. Some of which are songs that I've ripped off of CD's that I own; others are songs that I hear once or twice on the radio and want to hear again. Others still are mp3's of classical songs that I played in band whilst I was in high school. Napster has allowed me to find these songs, by connecting with other people on the 'Net who are looking to widen their musical tastes. My personal collection bridges gaps between decades, genres and tastes. Music that I never thought I would like has been given a chance, and has found its way onto my regular playlist. Napster has allowed me to sample a greater portion of the world of music.

Some people argue that Napster is killing the need for people to buy CD's. However, the figures show, CD sales are up for the first time in years. I know that I have personally bought more CD's lately, after discovering new artists that I never would've found otherwise.

Another added benefit of being able to download mp3's is that you can catch live performances of your favorite artists - recordings that, chances are, you'd never have another opportunity to hear.

The program itself is fast, efficient, and easy to use. Napster offers great search capabilities, and allows you to add other users to your "Hot List," thus allowing you to see what songs they've chosen to share with other users.

Very rarely have I ever had problems connecting to one of Napster's servers. I'm almost always able to get a pretty good download rate, and I'm using a 56k modem.

Napster is a program that allows users to connect with other people from around the globe, and share the music that they like. Music has been called the universal language, and Napster really does its part to make that a living truth.



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