Oct 22, 2005 06:59 PM
5679 Views
(Updated Oct 22, 2005 06:59 PM)
It has truly been a mixed experience reading the earlier reviews on this software, with the software having its ''likers'', ''lovers'' and ''haters'' in equal measure. Me ? I think I fit into the last category.
This is a review on the latest version DAP 7.5 which was released recently. Released by speedbit, this latest version does its job well.
Most users don't know what dap is, and I am going to TRY to explain this to them. DAP, as we all know stands for Download Accelerator Plus. It is a download managing software. It integrates easily with the most used browsers today, namely IE, Netscape, Opera and Firefox. Once this is done, when you click on a download link in any website, DAP immediately swings into action. Suppose, the download is a hefty 10mb (just assuming), most browsers without DAP would start downloading the file from one source only, and furthermore ( in firefox) you just cant seem to pause the download.
So once you start the download you will have to wait for it to complete to disconnect. DAP splits up the 10mb file into many small files, not necessary of the same capacity, they could be of 2, 3 3.5 and then 1.5 mb. Each part is download separately and then after it is done, DAP builds the output in the destination folder specified. DAP downloads can be immediately scanned for viruses using the anti virus you have specified in the Tools--Options menu. And yes, if you feel you need to disconnect you can restart the download from the point where it was stopped when you disconnected. No need to start all over again !
DAP can be downloaded form https://speedbit.com. It is free, but you get DAP premium plus speed optimizer for $39.90. Installation is a piece of cake. DAP also supports other languages such as Chinese, Italian etc. When you first use DAP, the configuration wizard will guide you to optimize your DAP settings. One good thing to notice here, is that DAP automatically identifies your firewall (if you have one) and configurates itself with it. No more conflicts ! Of course, you can run the wizard again if you like.
When a file is being downloaded, you can get to preview it if it is a video or audio file, of coursem you can only preview it to the extent that you have downloaded. If you dont like it, then stop it right away. The downloading window also shows you the top 50 downloads of the time,and if need be, you can start downloading them directly.
DAP offers you a games center. If you are an avid gamer who only likes to emerge victorius in First person shooters or do a burnout at the finish line, then steer clear of this section. There will be no games to interest you. Games offered here are mostly for people who play it when they have free time, and not play it to really experience the game. I didnt say that this section is bad, but it will appeal to some people.
In the options menu again, you can DAP to either disconnect or even shutdown the computer after a download is finished. A personal touch here, for IE users, use Firefox, it is faster and safer too. Firefox easily integrates with DAP so you will not have any problems. One thing to mention here is that, when you run DAP for the first time, be sure to tinker around in the Tools --- Options menu, as this has a lot of settings which has a lot of optimizable settings.
