Internet Download Manager 6.8.8.1

When considering internet downloads which of us does not wish for them to be a lot faster? Internet Download Manager claims to be able to accelerate downloads by up to five times your expected speed. Our download was certainly somewhat faster using the product than not, but we think it is the well-organised application and the thought-through software which we liked best. 

It is easy for an ordinary user to lose track of background tasks, so a well-ordered interface to assist in the management of files is helpful. With Internet Download Manager every download can be placed into a different location, depending on file type; the task of deciding how files should be handled is done via the settings menu. The application boasts a handy quick update function, drag and drop support, task scheduling, queue handling, HTTPS support, proxy servers, incremental downloading with quota caps, zip file previewing and integration with a broad spectrum of browsers: including IE, Firefox, Chrome and Opera. The scheduler can handle the creation of queues and the periodic synchronisation of files. 

It has a fully-featured site spider which analyses a website and downloads all or part of a site’s images or audio files for offline browsing or listening. It supports video streaming including video stream recognition for web players and an FLV grabber for your selected videos, for example, from You Tube. 

Pros: Automatic virus checking, support for FTP, HTTP and HTTPS and faster downloading. 

Cons: Solely Microsoft Windows-based OS. 

Conclusion: This is a reliable product whose features work and integrate well with your software and schedule. Its memory footprint is small and it is a fast downloader. It is easy to install and use and has some nice features. The application is available on a 30- day free trial, but after that a license costs $30. Its close competitors are generally free, but it is a solid application and is one of our favourites. 

version reviewed: 6.8.8.1