Morpheus once led the peer-to-peer file-sharing category, but after its split with sister app KaZaa, Morpheus can't find direction.
Months after promised version 2.0 was due, version 1.9 has arrived as a stopgap, but it simply confuses matters. Thanks to mediocre new accessories that don't add a thing to Morpheus's file-sharing abilities--namely, a chat client and a shopping network--this app acts more like an all-purpose community tool. If you're looking for an actual file-sharing app, consider LimeWire or Audiogalaxy instead.
Jumbled interface
After a simple installation, Morpheus opens to a cluttered home page featuring two rows of buttons, a browser window, and an advertisement. Then, annoyingly, up pop as many as four additional ads. Sensitive to public pressure, Morpheus seems to have banned spyware, but the ensuing forest of pop-up ads is just as invasive.
Sadly, this new version should never have left the beta stage. To wit, Morpheus's navigation buttons have baffling labels. The file-trading area is oddly named Connect, and a button labeled Media Manager doesn't take you anywhere; it's a placeholder for things to come in a future release. Weirdly, both rows feature duplicate buttons called Shared Files and Transfers.
Search and wait
Once you click Connect and wait to establish a connection with Morpheus's network of hard drives, you can begin to search for files. Unfortunately, Morpheus--now on the Gnutella network--didn't return fast or thorough results in our tests. We found many results for popular college bands, such as Gorillaz, but few listings for music outside the main, such as Yo-Yo Ma or jazz artists. Worse, many of our downloads failed, and Morpheus's results charts offer little information about the files they return. You can view a file's size, type, download speed, and the number of hosts, and you can right-click for other metadata, but Morpheus never displays song bit rates, leaving you in the dark as to a file's sound quality. Every other P2P app we've seen puts bit rate front and center.
The chat pack
Morpheus 1.9 now includes a new chat tool, a branded version of the PalTalk client. The app itself works fine; you can chat in hundreds of groups, and chats offer audio and video streams. In fact, the idea of chatting with fellow music fans about shared songs sounds fun. But alas, this app feels more like a standalone program than part of Morpheus itself; you'll even have to launch this ad-laden chat client separately. And worse, text ads appear frequently during the chat sessions themselves. These ads are unbelievably annoying, though you can ditch them with a paid account (US$9.95 for three months; US$24.95 for the whole year) that lets you view full- motion video. But a chat app that's based on a file-sharing app? Not worth the dough.
All this and shopping, too?
As if a chat client weren't enough extra baggage, Morpheus 1.9 debuts a new shopping program that links to partner sites offering clothing, books, shoes, and electronics. Shop with these partners, and you can earn some sort of cash savings as a reward. Morpheus's documentation is poor, though, so it's hard to tell exactly what you'll earn. And don't look for answers on the FAQ page--as of this writing, it hasn't been updated from the Preview Edition. Unbelievably, the chat support page is still missing.
Morpheus 1.9 is a disjointed collection of tools that have little do with file sharing or music. Add to that the fact that our downloads usually failed, and you have one unpleasant experience. For now, avoid Morpheus's confusion, constant ads, and annoying extras and stick with LimeWire or Audiogalaxy. Here's hoping the long-awaited version 2.0 gets its act together.
StreamCast Networks Morpheus 1.9
Company: StreamCast Networks
Price: Free
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