Two reasons to use LW 1.8:

1. Metadata. Want to see bitrates or comments about a file? Try choosing "Audio..." from the search window. When you get results, try using the "Change View" button. Also, try going to the library, selecting a file, and choosing "Annotate".

2. Media player. Check out the new library, with a built in playlist. If you want to use a 3rd party player, just choose this option from Tools->Options->Player

As for the status line...as I've explained in other posts, this line was grossly inaccurate. Horizon counts have not been accurate since BearShare implemented pong throttling. We can add SOMETHING there in future releases if people really want.

As for the ads...Greg Bildson and I have explained why we're doing this in the Beta message folder. We're just trying to cover costs and create more open-source code. Personally I think the ads are kind of pretty.