FlashGet 1.9.6

Overview

Have you ever tried a download manager? These tools are very popular, especially for users who have a limited bandwidth. Download managers are very useful tools that do a tremendous job in speeding up your downloads. After all, when it comes to downloading files, speed and management are two of the biggest problems. Claimed by its developers as the best download manager in existence, FlashGet has plenty of features that will surely delight you. Your file downloads will be optimized with FlashGet while you enjoy the long list of features such as smart downloads management, flash movies, rapidshare compatibility, antivirus check and a lot more. Let’s analyze the features of FlashGet and see if it measures up to the claims of its developers.

Installation

Basically, FlashGet is a very easy tool to download and install. After you download the setup kit of just 4MB, you are just a few seconds away from downloading files with FlashGet. The fast and smooth installation process is user friendly and it will not pose you any problems. FlashGet provides support for all the available versions of the Windows operating system from Win 95 onwards so nobody should have any problems running it. The download manager doesn’t come with adware/malware or other programs bundled with it.

Interface

A simple yet powerful tool, FlashGet has a nicely designed interface and clean that makes the program easy to use and as a result, perfect for novice users who have never used a download manager. All the information you need is provided in the main window. The menu bar is placed at the top of the window while all the other buttons and controls are well placed and allow for an easy navigation. It is an intuitive tool and it works flawlessly. The link you need to download just needs to be dropped into FlashGet and then the download begins.  

Pros

FlashGet is a fast download manager that’s capable of speeding up your downloads from 6 to 10 times. It achieves this feat due to the implementation of a technique called Multi-server Hyper-threading Transportation and other optimization arithmetic. To be more practical, this means that FlashGet splits the file into several parts and starts every download at the same time. Thus, the bandwidth is fully utilized and the downloads are much faster. Several different protocols are supported by FlashGet such as HTTP, FTP, BT, MMS, RTSP and also the eMule protocol, which is a nice bonus.

FlashGet also gives you the possibility of a large number of files at once without having to paste hundreds of links into the tool’s window. The URL of the site that contains the files has to be copied in FlashGet's Site Explorer and you are ready to go! Another important and very useful feature incorporated into FlashGet is the ability to give descriptions to the files you download. Drag and drop is also supported so if you download a large number of files, you can instantly recognize them. Several categories can be customized as well so you will never have a problem identifying a file.

Do you use torrent files frequently? FlashGet can also be used for the downloading of torrent files. Boasting good results also! The downloads are fast and also secure because FlashGet gets the antivirus you use to perform a quick scan. Viruses, spyware or deceptive adware are thus cleaned. Overall, FlashGet doesn’t disappoint in the features department.

Cons

FlashGet automatically integrates with Internet Explorer but this is not the case when using Mozzila Firefox. A plug-in that’s not very well received on Mozilla's add-ons site must be installed in order for this to happen.

Alternatives

There is no shortage of download managers on the market. Let’s have a look at some of them. These following tools are alternatives to FlashGet: JDownloader, DownThemAll, Orbit Downloader, Internet Download Manager, Download Statusbar, Internet Download Accelerator, Speed Download and many more tools.

Conclusion

All in all, FlashGet is a solid tool with plenty of features to offer even to the more demanding users. With its intuitive and sharp-looking interface, support for multiple protocols and proven fast downloads, FlashGet is one of the best download managers on the market.