BitTorrent gets bold, moves into the PC sync business

BitTorrent has a bad reputation. While it is largely considered a haven for people sharing and downloading illegal files from movies to music to software, it is also a legitimate service. Many Linux distros, for instance, are made available through the network thanks to the easy peer-to-peer sharing methods utilized.

Now BitTorrent is looking to get into the PC-to-PC syncing business, an area Microsoft just left when it killed off Live Mesh. In a post earlier today the company announced a "pre-alpha" version of BitTorrent Sync is available through the Labs service. However, the release comes with a rather important caveat --  "If you’re comfortable using early, incomplete software, and if you’re committed to helping us figure out a better way to sync, we want to hear from you".

With that rather nice way of explaining that the app could crash and, worse, cause other system issues, the service is officially launched.

But, don't expect to rush over and use it just yet. When you visit the site you will be asked to fill out a brief form and then told that you will receive an email invitation. Eventually. This is not something that you can expect to show up in your email in five minutes. You will need to wait and be patient.

As for how the service works, there are really no details in the announcement and my invitation had failed to arrive as of this writing. However, it is probably safe to assume it will be similar to other sync programs like Live Mesh and SyncBack. I will report back when I have had the chance to use it.

Photo Credit:  Inq/Shutterstock