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Scour


CNET Review
(8/7/00)
By Gregg Keizer 

Scour.com sure picked the right name. This grab-everything Web site not only combs the Web for MP3s, movie clips, digital stills, and Net radio stations, it also roots through thousands of (willing) individuals' computers for audio and video files. But this frenetic approach just doesn't fly. MP3.com and Listen.com are more comprehensive directories and are easier to browse, and Napster's software is more reliable. Skip Scour; it's more trouble than it's worth.

No Big Deal As a Directory
As a directory, Scour's simply standard. It doesn't include original top play charts (as does MP3.com) or editorial opinions (as does Listen.com). But if you don't join the Scour Exchange sharing network and install the client software, there's no setup necessary: Just head to Scour.com, type in some search words--neil young helpless, for instance--and Scour returns a list of matches that's usually massive. Clicking any link takes you to the source. Sometimes that source is a commercial Web site such as Epitonic.com; other times, you'll find the file on an individual's PC or i-drive storage area.

Cool File-Sharing Tools
Unlike other directories to Web audio and video, Scour doesn't stop at searches; it provides a pair of tools (Scour Exchange and i-drive) that let you share files, manage downloads, and store files offsite. Scour Exchange is a Napster wanna-be program that sits on your PC and lets you share files on your hard drive with other Scour Exchange users. You can limit the number of people who simultaneously access your computer, and you can pause and resume downloads. But Scour Exchange lacks Napster's ability to switch automatically to another server if the download is interrupted. Worse, the software is buggy (even for a beta); it crashed when we tried to scan our hard drives for audio and video files, and it constantly generated connection errors on three of the four accounts we created. Finally, Scour Exchange chews up about 10 percent of Windows system resources and gobbles 13.5MB of memory.

Scour's other tool comes courtesy of i-drive.com, an online storage site. Once you've registered with i-drive, you simply click a file's Sideload link within Scour, and the file appears almost instantly in your i-drive storage area. Later, you can play the file from your i-drive storage area or download it to your hard drive. Another plus: i-drive lets you store an unlimited number of files retrieved from Scour.

Nothing but Bootleg
But most of your search results will be bootleg files stored on private computers using Scour Exchange. Take away the bootleg files, and Scour is just a second-rate directory to Web audio and video. Although Scour has made efforts to strike legitimate deals with music and movie companies such as Napster and MP3.com, it's currently being sued for copyright infringement. So don't get too attached--Scour, like Napster and MP3.com, could lose its best tools at any time.

Scour's unique, one-stop shopping approach to Web entertainment is a great idea, but it's not ready for prime time. Keep Napster or your bookmark to MP3.com, because Scour just isn't there yet.


Gregg Keizer is an Oregon-based freelance writer. Got a question for him? We'll pass it on.


 
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