Two words: Bit Torrent ... providing you have reasonably good anti-virus and stay away from downloading executable files (files with extensions like exe, com, pif, bat, and so forth) you can get quite a bit of stuff via torrent files. I use uTorrent, free software, and then hunt for torrent sites via Google or similar sites to find files. PirateBay is a popular torrent tracking site. Yes, like the name implies some are pirate. I am a bit of a Jolly Roger. I have found a few BBC cooking shows, Hell's Kitchen (okay, not cooking - more entertainment, but I like Ramsey) But Jamie Oliver episodes are often available, Rick Bayless, Bobby Flay, and so forth. Cookbooks in pdf format often show up. I am downloading Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking as I post this.
The frustrating part for those of us that indulge in torrent downloads, is that if there are not "seeders" then even though the program or file is listed, you cannot download it. So you just have to take your chances, hope that there is at least one or more individuals with the file on their computer and available. I am something of a Japanese animation freak and I enjoy foreign movies, so with many not in release where I live (in the Philippines) torrents have become a primary resource for entertainment along with many educational programs and books for my family.
The nice thing about torrents is that it doesn't matter if you lose power or your internet goes down for a bit. Unlike most HTML based downloads, torrents come in itty bitty bits. The first file you download is a tracking file that keeps tabs on the bits. So if your system goes down, the various senders go down, the internet is off, whatever ... you don't lose all your previous download and have to start over. It is there and you start from where you were when things stopped. Very nice for us impatient types.
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