Newzbin isn't usenet. It's just one index site and relies on manually created reports. If something doesn't show up on Newzbin, that doesn't mean it's not on usenet. IIRC almost every torrent out there originates from usenet. So I read anyway.
Security-wise, SSL usenet pwns torrents, if only for the fact that there's no uploading. Also, as David says, it's the upload that kills your browsing, and no doubt the browsing of others in your area. Usenet is always vmax too, it doesn't matter how popular the file is.