If all the BitTorrent lawsuits have you bummed, you're not alone. If you're looking for a change of pace, you might want to check out a new program for binary Usenet downloading called HelloNZB. We're always looking out for news readers that bring something innovative to the table, and from what we can tell so far, HelloNZB is on the right track. Let's take a look.

First off, HelloNZB is Java based. So if you're a Java-hater, HelloNZB isn't for you. Java is ~10MB, and on a modern computer, runs virtually unnoticeably. After that's out of the way, you're on to NZB goodness.

The basic design of HelloNZB look eerily similar to very early versions of LimeWire - which makes sense since they are both Java based. Additionally, the layout is extremely simplified; there are no bells or whistles. Just enter your news server account information, enter your number of connections, and you should be good to go. Take a look at a screenshot of HelloNZB.





There are several limitations with HelloNZB that the Usenet enthusiast should be aware of. First, you can only set the number of connections at 11. Also, we couldn't establish a secure (SSL) connection. Both of these limitations are bearable of course, since most people max their download speed at 10 connections anyway. SSL will be missed by some, but it's hardly tragic and we're sure the feature will arrive in subsequent versions.

But what it lacks in features it makes up for in potential. It's open source, community driven, and multi-platform. So if you're on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris, or any OS that supports Java, you're in luck. There's still a lot work ahead for this news reader, but we like the simplicity and look forward to its development.

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