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CNET Editors' review
Light Downloader is a free download manager that claims to speed up downloads by 600 percent or more by splitting target files into several parts that it downloads separately and simultaneously. It can schedule downloads, automatically resume interrupted downloads, support proxy connections, and do the things similar free tools can do. What sets it apart is its easy drag-and-drop capability.
Light Downloader's three-panel interface has a familiar view, with a left-hand navigation panel and a main view divided horizontally into a listing of downloads above a log display. The tabbed navigation panel accesses Downloads, which is the primary view, and the Scheduler feature. Toolbar icons quickly toggled between network access modes: Heavy, which hogs the connection for maximum download speed; Medium, for general browsing while downloading; and Light, which takes longest but has the least impact on the network. We were intrigued by the Drop Box, a translucent system tray icon that lets you drag-and-drop stuff from your browser directly into the program and that can be dragged around itself. Clicking it also wakes the program and gives access to settings and options from the system tray. We decided to test Light Downloader's drag-and-drop download capability with a variety of files. We browsed to some freeware, grabbed the download link with our cursor, and dragged in into Light Downloader's interface. We selected our options and destination folder in a pop-up settings dialog and started the download, which finished quick as lightning. Next we dragged and dropped a link to an audio clip of a pulsar, a kind of star; it played perfectly when we clicked Launch File. We also tried videos, images, and Web pages, both parts and whole pages. In each case, Light Downloader automatically identified and categorized each download by type. Filters let us quickly find specific downloads in the queue, too.
We were impressed with Light Downloader's capacity to actually make downloading easier while still preserving powerful options and scheduling capabilities. Downloads were noticeably faster, even with broadband, and we really like Light Downloader's drag-and-drop capability, too.
Publisher's Description
From Light Downloader:
Light Downloader is a free download manager that accelerates your downloads by splitting the files into several parts and downloading them simultaneously. As a result download speed increases up to 6 times, or even more! Light Downloader can resume broken download from where it was interrupted. Light Downloader supports FTP, HTTP and HTTPS. Proxy is also supported.
What's new in this version: Version 2.6.8 is a bug fixing release.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 10 votes
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Current version:
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Results 1-10 of 10
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"Works for me"
Version: Light Downloader 2.6.7.5
Pros
Downloads quickly and it is easy to use,makes downloading kind of fun.
Cons
Sometimes i'll miss the little box on the first try but that's my fault! No cons to speak of really
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"I am happy it has came back."
Version: Light Downloader 2.6.7
Pros
It is light on our computer with no extra commercials.
Cons
I have used it for the last 3 years, and found no issue.
Summary
It does work as promised.
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"Easy to use, the quickest and simplest downloader"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
the quickest and simplest downloader I have found.
Cons
none so far
Summary
it's great, totally recommended.
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"Not fake, and a nice free program--once you find it"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
Allows you to set default download directories for music, software, documents, and custom downloads; multithreading supported; integrates with IE and with Firefox; drag-and-drop function is nice.
Cons
There is, as far as I know, ONLY ONE VALID DOWNLOAD LINK ON THE ENTIRE WEB (http://www.softsea.com/download/Light-Downloader.html), and the product SEEMS to be no longer in active development; not a torrent manager
Summary
First of all, the CNet link is dead (sorry, CNet). ONLY THE SOFTSEA LINK APPEARS TO BE VALID (again, apologies to CNet for putting a competitor's site out here). Softsea, it seems, hosts the actual executable. Once you run the executable, you'll have a download icon on your desktop; you can drag-and-drop a download link to that icon to start the download. Make sure you have the link to an actual program/doc/mp3, not a .html or .php link for a web page.
Tweak the program by right-clicking on the desktop icon(the "drop box") and choose "Show main window." Set preferences under "Tools." You'll find that LDM can save passwords for members-only sites (like my favorite, completelyfreesoftware.com); if you have an anti-virus program (why, of course you do!) you can set it to scan completed downloads but you must do this manually. You can manually set options for download connections under Network--simultaneous downloads, maximum download number--and there are presets for the (autodetected) speed of your internet connection. You can cancel, pause and resume downloads or schedule downloads for a specified time. For me, the best part of LDM is that it separates downloads into different subfolders based on file extensions. You have by default subfolders for Music, Software, Other, and Video. I download more documents and software than music and video, but LDM handles multimedia all right, though there are much better options for finding and downloading embedded multimedia files. All in all, LDM is the best freeware downloader I have found. -
"FFAAKKEE!!"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
There is none.
Cons
Redirects to a dumb site and won't let me click on anything else on the DOWNLOAD PAGE!
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"Cannot download"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
I haven't tried it yet because i am unable to download it.
Cons
Cannot download!
Summary
Upon clicking Download Now, i am immediately redirected to a site BLUE HOST. So how to download it ?
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"Not so good..OK"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
easy to use
Cons
Most of the time, the download links point to some webpage and the program downloads the page instead of the program, tried downloading programs from CNET by dragging the download link to the icon, it fails
Summary
good in some cases, fails in most
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"Easy to Use, Does a Good Job"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
I recently started using Light Downloader because I wanted something that would accelerate download times. I tend to download several videos at once and with iGetter, another good downloader, this usually takes up to an hour + per video.
Cons
Since I am unfamiliar with some of the features, including instructions for Light Downloader's features would be preferred rather than having to email my questions to the company.
Summary
For simply downloading numerous items at an accelerated speed, Light Downloader does a good job.
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"Light Downloader is an excellent download manager"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1.1
Pros
It is reliable and simple to use. It is indispensable for all the IE-Firefox users.
Cons
There are no "cons"...
Summary
I use Firefox and I have had a lot of troubles with the integrated download manager (it does not resume the interrupted downloads and I have to delete the list of finished downloads manually). Light Downloader can resume automatically all the interrupted downloads; it deletes automatically the list of finished downloads and it informs me with a sound when the download is finished. It starts automatically with Windows and intercepts every click on a download link. If you use Firefox or Internet Explorer this software is indispensable!
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"Light Downloader 1.1 is a great download manager"
Version: Light Downloader 1.1
Pros
It is simple to use and free
It accelerates your HTTP/FTP downloads
It downloads files from Rapidshare and Megaupload
It integrates with Internet Explorer and Firefox (without Flashgot extension)Cons
It is not opensource.
Summary
I used "Free Download Manager" for a long time but it can not download files from Rapidshare and Megaupload (FDM only downloaded a useless "index.php"): now I use Light Downloader and all these problems are vanished. Light Downloader has only one flaw: it is not opensource.
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