Anyone that would say that torrents are on the same level as Usenet is obviously ignorant to the topic.
First, as to pretimes.
If you wait on an NZB file to be posted your already behind the game. Scene releases are on Usenet just as soon or faster than torrent sites. The stuff all comes for the same dump sites, it's just a matter of someone grabbing it and posting it in a public place.
Some of the pluses of Usenet vs. Torrents:
Speed - Full speed of your connection all the time!
No Seeding - You don't seed, and you don't need anyone to seed for you. Your downloads are guaranteed. This also means that ridiculously large download are now in your grasp (i.e. last night while I slept I downloaded seasons 1 and 2 of Prison Break - 13 DVDs 65GBs!!! Lets see someone use a torrentsite to do that. lol).
Retention - Files stay on Usenet for 100+ days. At anytime, any file(s) can be download at full speed, guaranteed completion.
No MPAA/RIAA- I'm not connecting to any other people. If I don't connect to the MPAA/RIAA, or their spies they can't bust me. Can't catch what you can't see!!!
No Torrent Sites or their staff to deal with. I hate the holier than thou attitude that some of those places had. I'd rather shell out cash than kiss ass any day. Plus the first time the MPAA/RIAA comes knocking at the door they fold.
In the most basic terms.
Lets say you are driving to work and there is two roads.
Road "A" (Usenet) is a toll road. You pay a nickel or two and you don't have to worry about a speed limit, there's no cops on the road. If your car can go as fast as your car can handle. There's also no traffic on the road. And it's also freshly paved.
Road "B" (torrents) is a "regular" road. There is a speed limit determined by how many people also want to use the road. There is also the possibility of traffic jams that could take hours to go through. There is also the possibility that cops in unmarked cars can catch you at any time and give you a ticket just for being on the road. And on top of all that there is no guarantee you will even get to where you are going, depending on the other people on the road.
I think I'd rather pay.