Speed Download

NovaScotian · 02-04-2013, 06:30 PM

I've had Yazsoft's Speed Download since pre-OS 9 days when it really made a difference. As the OS X's have advanced from 10.2 through 10.8, I'm not entirely sure that it enhances downloads at all. Since upgrades have been free, I've kept it current but wonder if it's worth it.

Opinions?

cpragman · 02-04-2013, 07:41 PM

Haven't used it since OS 9 and since I got off a dial-up connection. It was handy for queuing big downloads for working while I slept.

ricede · 02-04-2013, 09:53 PM

Ive also been using it for years. In India where power cuts are rampant - Speed Download has been ( and still is ) a boon, because one can just pick up a download where it left off, whereas with the Safari downloader, one had to start the download again from scratch. This has been especially useful for large system update files. Where i find it has lost usefulness is that after Safari 5.0.5 , Apple changed how plugins could use the contextual menu & SD is no longer available in these menus. I find now more often than not, that Safari bypasses SD and uses its own downloader. The last update that i received for SD was in Jan 2012, so it seems that Yaksoft have given up on it. Shame.

NovaScotian · 02-04-2013, 11:09 PM

Yes, I too find that Safari often uses its own downloader, that's what prompted the thread.

benwiggy · 02-05-2013, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricede


	Speed Download has been ( and still is ) a boon, because one can just pick up a download where it left off, whereas with the Safari downloader, one had to start the download again from scratch.

I was under the impression that Downloads could be resumed in Safari. It's been like that since Safari 4, hasn't it? Just double click on the .download file, and Safari will resume it.

What's the science behind Speed Downloader? I've never been entirely sure why it should be so much faster than a "regular" download.

ricede · 02-05-2013, 02:53 AM

That might be the case now - it certainly never used to be so. This was the reason i originally bought Speed Download.

However it was always necessary to keep Safari open while a download was in progress. With Speed Download it was possible to pause the download & even to shut down Speed Download during a download & then pick it up again later.
( Sometimes the power is down for hours, here ).

As for the "fastness" of it - im not sure it it faster - but it is certainly smoother & will use all available bandwidth ( unless set otherwise ) whereas Safari for some reason never seems to.

02-04-2013, 06:30 PM	#1
NovaScotian Hall of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Halifax, Canada Posts: 4,945	Speed Download I've had Yazsoft's Speed Download since pre-OS 9 days when it really made a difference. As the OS X's have advanced from 10.2 through 10.8, I'm not entirely sure that it enhances downloads at all. Since upgrades have been free, I've kept it current but wonder if it's worth it. Opinions? __________________ 17" MBP, OS X 10.8.3; 27" iMac, OS X 10.8.3

02-04-2013, 11:09 PM	#4
NovaScotian Hall of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Halifax, Canada Posts: 4,945	Yes, I too find that Safari often uses its own downloader, that's what prompted the thread. __________________ 17" MBP, OS X 10.8.3; 27" iMac, OS X 10.8.3

02-05-2013, 02:53 AM	#6
ricede All Star Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 505	That might be the case now - it certainly never used to be so. This was the reason i originally bought Speed Download. However it was always necessary to keep Safari open while a download was in progress. With Speed Download it was possible to pause the download & even to shut down Speed Download during a download & then pick it up again later. ( Sometimes the power is down for hours, here ). As for the "fastness" of it - im not sure it it faster - but it is certainly smoother & will use all available bandwidth ( unless set otherwise ) whereas Safari for some reason never seems to. Last edited by ricede; 02-05-2013 at 02:55 AM. Reason: Added last sentence

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02-04-2013, 07:41 PM	#2
cpragman All Star Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Limerick, PA Posts: 687	Haven't used it since OS 9 and since I got off a dial-up connection. It was handy for queuing big downloads for working while I slept.

02-04-2013, 09:53 PM	#3
ricede All Star Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 505	Ive also been using it for years. In India where power cuts are rampant - Speed Download has been ( and still is ) a boon, because one can just pick up a download where it left off, whereas with the Safari downloader, one had to start the download again from scratch. This has been especially useful for large system update files. Where i find it has lost usefulness is that after Safari 5.0.5 , Apple changed how plugins could use the contextual menu & SD is no longer available in these menus. I find now more often than not, that Safari bypasses SD and uses its own downloader. The last update that i received for SD was in Jan 2012, so it seems that Yaksoft have given up on it. Shame.