By version 5.5.10, LimeWire had matured (slightly). The early days of 2.x and 3.x were pure chaos—constant disconnections, corrupted files, and UI designs that looked like they were coded in a Windows 95 fever dream.
Looking back at LimeWire 5.5.10, the modern user sees a quaint artifact, but at the time, it was a source of intense emotion. limewire 5.5.10
Firing up 5.5.10 on a Windows XP machine was a ritual. By version 5
Despite its illegal reputation, downloading the software itself is not illegal—using it to download copyrighted material is. However, extreme caution is advised. Firing up 5
was a refinement of this new direction. Released around the peak of the software's popularity, it embodied the struggle between user demand for unrestricted downloading and the developer’s need to avoid lawsuits.
: It included early attempts at end-to-end encrypted file sharing, a precursor to the security-focused features seen in modern LimeWire iterations 3. Legacy and the "LimeWire Pirate Edition"