Speed Download v1.0.2

, $15 shareware from Fred Cheung, is available for download. But does it work?

Hands-On Test: I tried out the demo version on a 6.3 MB file, MacOS Runtime for Java v2.2.3 from Apple's server. We have a cable modem and I tested Speed Download with Internet Explorer on a PowerBook 2000 hooked up via an AirPort card through an AirPort Base Station to the cable modem. Our downloads through the AirPort connection (4 green dots) is typically about 67 percent of a hardwired connection to the cable modem. Three interleaved trials each were conducted. Without Speed Download, Internet Explorer's the speed reading in Download Manager fluctuated between 60 and 100 KB/s but mostly stayed near the middle of the range. With Speed Download, the speed reading varied from 120 to 150 KB/s and stayed near the upper end for most of the download. If the meters in IE and Speed Download are accurate, then Speed Download significantly improves download time. The times measured by stopwatch averaged 91 seconds (69 KB/sec) without Speed Download and 44 seconds (143 KB/sec) with. Dana Baggett clocked a 33 per cent increase with his 56K connection.

Speed Download Demo works very well. I paid the registration fee for the full version. The full version allows for more than two files to be simultaneously downloaded.