... Firstly, a virus killer, and secondly, a download management program such as the one I am reviewing here, Download Accelerator Plus (DAP). The version that I am using is version 5.00, which I think is the most up to date one there is.
Whilst there are several download management programs ... Read review
Advantages: Resumes downloads, can schedule downloads, speeds up downloading (more noticeable on a faster connection) Disadvantages: The adverts if you don't register (only a minor disadvantage though)
If you frequently download from the internet, then there are two essential utilities that you will need to use. Firstly, a virus killer, and secondly, a download management program such as the one I am reviewing here, Download Accelerator Plus (DAP). The version that I am using is version 5.00, which I think is the most up to date one there is.
Whilst there are several download management programs about, all of which are free to download, ... ...install spyware along with the download management program, and if you remove the spyware, then they will not always function correctly. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way I’m allowing any spyware to enter my system – I inadvertently installed some a while ago, and it kept causing my system to crash. Furthermore, I don’t like the idea that data is being collected on my computer usage, it’s all a bit too ... more
If you frequently download from the internet, then there are two essential utilities that you will need to use. Firstly, a virus killer, and secondly, a download management program such as the one I am reviewing here, Download Accelerator Plus (DAP). The version that I am using is version 5.00, which I think is the most up to date one there is.
Whilst there are several download management programs about, all of which are free to download, I would recommend this one above all the rest. You might have heard of rival programs such as Gozilla, but several of these install spyware along with the download management program, and if you remove the spyware, then they will not always function correctly. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way I’m allowing any spyware to enter my system – I inadvertently installed some a while ago, and it kept causing my system to crash. Furthermore, I don’t like the idea that data is being collected on my computer usage, it’s all a bit too much like Big Brother for me!
With DAP, you’re free from any spyware. To get a copy of the program, go to a site such as downloads.com, or www.speedbit.com, (the official site) and, seeing as this is such a popular program, chances are it will be on the front page. Installation is easy – the file is relatively small to download, and you simply run the program and it will install itself. You are then given the choice of whether you want the program to start every time windows starts, or whether you’d rather activate it yourself. I have so much clutter in my systems tray that I choose to start it up myself. This is not exactly difficult, since it integrates very well with internet explorer, and if you right click on the name of the file you wish to download, you are presented with the option to use DAP to download it. Either that, or if you’ve not changed any of the options, it will it will automatically activate itself when you download EXE, ZIP, MP3, ARJ, RAR, LZH, Z, GZ, GZIP, TAR, BIN, MP3, AVI or MPG files.
So what are the advantages of using DAP? Well, there are two main advantages. Firstly, the ability to resume downloads. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. It is so frustrating to have almost finished downloading a file, and then for your connection to be lost – either through the ISP’s own cut-off time, a computer crash, or occasionally, someone trying to ring you if you share an internet and phone line (although I believe that this problem has largely been eliminated now – when I first got the internet it drove me mad!) With DAP, if this happens, providing that resume is supported by the place you are downloading from (most of the time it is) then when you reconnect, you can simply continue your download from where you left off. I find this very useful since my modem is only 56K, and some of the programmes I download can be 20MB and more.
You can pause downloads, schedule them for a time that suits you, and even get the computer to dial up itself and download something you have scheduled for later. This could be useful if you have 24/7 free net access, as you could do a lot of downloading when you were out at work, or at night whilst you were sleeping, without slowing down your surfing speeds. You can also choose for your computer to disconnect, or even to shut down, once the download has completed! It’s great to be able to set it up and just walk away! It’s also useful to be able to pause a download if you are actually using the net, as downloading will make your general surfing speed slow down quite a bit. If you suddenly realise you need to use the net for something quickly then simply pause the download, do your business on the net, then resume it once you’ve finished. It is possible to download several files at once – useful if you have a speedy connection, or do as I do, which is to queue them up so that when one has finished, another starts.
The other main advantage is the ‘acceleration’ part. To be honest, on a 56K modem, I haven’t noticed much of an increase in speed, but I believe the results are much more impressive if you are using something much faster. The way it works is to find ‘mirror’ sites which contain the exact same file as the one you are downloading, and then to download simultaneously from them, to boost the speed of download. It’s also possible to switch sites if one appears to be sluggish. When you choose to download a file, you are informed of the speed it is likely to download at – though quite often, for me, there’s little difference between sluggish and good, since my connection is so slow anyway! How I long for faster access to the net – better wait until I win the lottery first though! However, even though the acceleration features are limited by my modem speed, it is still more efficient, and when combined with the resume feature, makes this an invaluable utility.
Other features of the program include the ability to change the directories that you download into, the opportunity to run a program as soon as it has downloaded, and the use of the download basket, which is a small window that you can have in front of your browser window, and then you can drag files from the browser into the window. This program is very easy to use, and the user interface won’t take much getting used to. I find it easier to use than Gozilla! which would always make those funny roaring sounds when it had completed a file! There are no sounds set automatically on DAP, although you can customise it and add sounds of your own if you so desire.
Help is available by going to the FAQ page, a link to the website for the program which, as the name suggests, provides you with answers to the most frequently asked questions about the product. If your question is not answered, then you can email the support team. I haven’t tried this as you don’t exactly have to be Einstein to use DAP, and everything seems fairly self-explanatory.
Because this a free program, there is one negative point to mention – the adverts. I can’t stand advertising, there is so much of it about and to be honest I do wonder if it really does much good, since I’m sure that the majority of people are like me and simply ignore it. However, if you register, these ads will be removed. I registered to remove the ads, because I only have a 56k connection, and I’m sure that some bandwidth must be wasted by sending the ads to my machine. Mind you, I didn’t actually pay to register…although maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that!
Overall, this is a fantastic little program that every downloader should have in their collection. Seeing as it’s free, there’s not really any excuse not to have it! Yesterday for example, through the use of download accelerator, even on my 56K connection, I managed to download several games, a well known anti-virus utility, and a couple of updates to other programs. Right now as I type this op, I am waiting for paintshop pro 7 to download – this comes in 4 files of just over 7MB each, so both the queue and the resume facility are incredibly useful! Think I’ll just pause it whilst I post my op though…
Advantages: Much faster downloading, ability to stop / start download, can resume from wherever download stopped. Disadvantages: Advertising bar you can only remove when registered
...matter how far into the download you are, all the data is lost. Is this annoying? Well, I’ve come very close to smashing my computer apart on a number of occasions. Luckily for the computer, the chances of this happening have been greatly reduced due to the installation of this handy little program. Wouldn’t it be great if you could stop and start downloading whenever you felt like it? Sounds impossible? Well, read on.
DAP 5.0
The version ... ...available.
The program can download files up to 300% faster than normal, and some users have found it to improve download times even more than this. The program is effective on all types of Internet connection, and allows you to gain maximum benefit from the available bandwidth.
The main features of the program are:
► you can have a different saving folder for each file extension.
► the ability to import / export download lists.
...
GeoffreyHawkins 22.10.2001 (23.10.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Download Accelerator
Advantages: Download 4 times faster. Resume and schedule downloads. Disadvantages: Registering to remove adverts.
Download Accelerator Plus (DAP) version 5 is the latest version of this hugely popular download utility. If, like me, you spend a lot of time downloading files from the net then you will probably have heard of these utilities before. Gozilla is a well known variety of this kind of program.
So why choose DAP? Basically, it does exactly what it claims to do. I have a dial up connection with a 56k modem and a 2 hour cut off on my ISP. If you have something ... ...download anything of a reasonably large file size. DAP solved that problem for me.
First and foremost, I really did notice a significant difference to my download speed. Files leapt on to my machine 3 to 4 times faster than they previously did. My partner commented on the fast download times before she even knew I'd installed DAP so it wasn't just because I was looking for a speed increase. I could not believe the difference it made.
I'm not entirely ...
Sensmas 22.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Download Accelerator
Advantages: Faster downloads, always resume Disadvantages: Doesn't look great
...used quite a lot of download managers, and Download Accelerator is the best. Its easy to use, and actually speeds up downloads. And, of course, its free (it uses adverts on the program to gerenate revenue, but these don't disturb).
The primary purpose in a download manager is to allow you to resume file downloads. If you download lots of file you'll no doubt have been accidently disconnected from the internet, and screamed in horror at the realisation ... ...again. If you'd been using Download Accelerator, you'd just log on again and carry on from where the download left off. Some websites don't support download resume, and with most download managers this would put you backto square one, but Download Accelerator has a clever feature where they download the file onto their super-fast server in a few seconds, and then you download it from them, allowing you to resume again.
Download Accelerator also ...
jamaggs 05.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Download Accelerator
Advantages: Fast. Free. No Spyware. No more failed downloads. Works with Netscape. Disadvantages: Only 4 simultaneous sites in the free version. Adverts. Occasionally doesn't work with a browser
My first download manager was Go!Zilla, but it fell out of favour when it started crashing, spying on me, etc, etc. For a full list of my issues with Go!Zilla, read the review I wrote on it. Anyway, when I'd uninstalled the offending lizard, I needed a replacement. I found Download Acclerator Plus, or DAP as it likes to refer to itself, and it's the business.
First great thing about DAP is that it's freeware. Admittedly its a function-limited version ... ...When looking for a download manager, one should look for the magic words "Browser Integration" This is a dead handy feature that waits for you to click on a file download link on a web page, before springing the download manager into action, to download your file. What does DAP do with this? It integrates with both Internet Explorer and Netscape, including the latest version of Netscape, which can sometime be a bit lacking in the third-party software ...
kryptik 08.12.2001 (28.01.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Download Accelerator
Advantages: Faster downloads, easy to use and easy to set up Disadvantages: Not many, but no feature to play MP3's like Napster
...TO GET IT
=====================
Download Accelerator is available completely free of charge. I found out about through the information pages on MP3.com, but it is available to download direct from www.downloadaccelerator.com, or www.speedbit.com. They both go to the same site. Once there, simply download the copy you want. I'm running version 4.2, but currently they are distributing the beta version of version 4.3. It's unlikely to be much better ... ...remains before completing your first download is to set up the program to work with your system. There are so many options that can be tweeked here to get the most out of it, but most will never get used. Firstly, you can tell it how to connect to the internet, using your standard dial-up connection. So, rather than having to startup Internet Explorer (or whatever), you simply run Download Accelerator, and it connects for you.
You can integrate ...
aljones 30.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Download Accelerator
Instructions / Help
Ease of use
Ease of Installation
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Advantages: For Fast Downloading Of File Disadvantages: Some Files do not Support "Resume" for Download Accelerator
DownloadAcceleratorAcceleratesdownloads for all Internet connections.
DownloadAccelerator will accelerate the speed with which you can receive files over the Internet using FTP and HTTP protocols by simultaneously downloading several file segments from the same or different servers.
DownloadAccelerator enables you to pause and resume downloads, and to recover from a dropped Internet connection.
In addition, DownloadAccelerator searches for mirrors and implements the downloads from the best or most responsive mirrors. It is configured by default to automatically Integrate into your Explorer or Netscape browser when it is installed, and to self-activate each time a download is performed.
No further configuration or action is required on your part - simply use your browser to access the desired site, click on the download ...
Advantages: Resume support, slightly faster downloads, browser integration, easy updating, virus checking Disadvantages: No obvious option to run files once downloaded, adverts, may confuse people wanting to 'download and get on with it'
Download managers are popular because they often allow you to resume a broken download. DownloadAccelerator claims to download software upto 3 times faster than normal by using multiple connections between the download site and your ISP. In reality you're unlikely to notice much speed increase, perhaps because the unregistered shareware version is plastered with adverts, but once you've started the download you can just leave it be and minimise the window.
DAP will automatically search for the best download site and can download upto two files at a time. Other files are queued and will start downloading once one of the two downloads completes or stops for other reasons. It is easy to update with the EasyUpdate menu item which will check for a newer version and download it if available.
DAP integrates will into Internet ...
Advantages: Speeds up surfing Disadvantages: none perceived
This is a free download from www.download.comand to download files from web sites. If you are tired of slow downloads this is the product you have been waiting for. Once you start to use it you will be delighted at the speed of your downloads.
It searches then gives you a choice of download sites and their ping speeds. Once you select the best download site it starts to download up to 4 concurrent parts at a time ! It is so easy to use and a lot of sites allow resume so no frustrating starting from beginning ! Go for it, you won't regret it. ...
