Speed Download 3
Yazsoft
Price: $20 (free trial; upgrade/switcher pricing available)
Pros: Fast transfers, good integration with Apple apps, great for managing downloads from multiple browsers.
Cons: No integration with Mac OS file sharing, some user interface redundancy.
by Gerrit Dalman
The internet is full of links asking your to download videos, Stuffit archives, disk images, and more. Handling such files is usually the responsibility of your favorite web browser's download manager - but all are not equal. If yours seems insufficient, you're probably in the market for a dedicated manager like Speed Download.
Most browsers - Safari in particular - have limited download windows. They are useful for seeing what files have been downloaded recently and observing the progress of current transfers, but little more. While this is sufficient for the most casual of users, any serious web surfer will eventually want something more.
Speed Download is more. It will handily replace the existing downloads window in Safari, Firefox, and most other popular Macintosh browsers (even simultaneously) and with it you can monitor, pause, resume, and search all of your downloads. Files can be added directly to the queue by URL and can be scheduled to take place at a specific time if you're too busy to deal with them as you find them.
It can also sort your incoming files. Using the appropriate preferences or the redundant "My Filters" selection, downloads can be sorted by file types and saved to different locations. So, for example, all videos can be sent straight to your "Movies" folder while documents go to a more generic "Downloads" folder. iTunes integration means any audio file you download can be automatically added to your library and a custom playlist.
But Speed Download isn't just an organizer; it also provides quicker file transfers than most web browsers. The "speed" in the name extends beyond internet downloads too. Speed Download has a full source list and "My Downloads" is only part of the story.
The "My Uploads" and "Received Files" items - even though they don't sound directly linked - are the send and receive sides of a robust file sharing layer. Through them you can see the files you have sent to and received from other Speed Download users on the local network with Rendezvous or over distances via the internet.
These features do require both parties to be running Speed Download simultaneously, however, and that means no cross-platform operation except via FTP. The file sharing also isn't integrated with Mac OS X's existing file sharing conventions. It even requires management of a new set of user names and passwords to control access. Despite those limitations, the file sharing layer is nicely organized, easy to use, and fast!
This version of Speed Download is packed with extras as well. It offers a bandwidth monitor, a floating window that can display current transfer speeds, and the dock icon can display a number of activity statistics. Users can even select between an aqua or brushed metal appearance, customize the toolbar, or adjust the transparency of the entire one-window interface.
Speed Download lives up to its name. I might even call it the ideal solution if it integrated BitTorrent downloads. Still, for just $20 it's a good deal for anyone who needs a little more muscle than their favorite browser offers. If it sounds interesting, give it a try and take some time to get the settings just the way you want them from the start. It will improve your experience immensely.
System Requirements:
* Mac OS X 10.3.7 or later
* A web browser and internet connection