Progressive Downloader is a free download manager for Mac OS X that supports multi-thread downloading and mirror search. The application is completely free but if you like to support the developer then you can buy the app from the Mac App Store.
Anyway if you where looking for a feature packaged free download manager for Mac then Progressive Downloader might just be for you. The app provides you with all the features that you would expect of a good download manager software.
Schedule Downloads:
One of the best things about this app is that you can schedule downloads according to your needs; just make sure the application is running at the time at which the scheduled download is to begin otherwise it will not start. Some of us have broadband plans that give higher speed or lower cost during night time. So, this schedule downloads feature is a great one for them.
Integrate with Google Chrome and Safari:
The apps has extensions for Chrome and Safari so that progressive downloader can integrate with them, but unfortunately these feature are needed to be installed manually. This free download manager for Mac also has the ability to capture links from the clipboard.
Search for Mirror Links:
This free download manager for Mac is able to search for Mirrors of the files that are being downloaded. You can also decide from where progressive downloader searches for the mirror links, by going in the preferences and navigating to the Mirror Search tab as seen below in the screen shot.
You can paste a URL and the app will start the downloading process. This free application supports HTTP, MMS, FTP, SFTP (SSH). Also it does multi-threading downloading, able to resume downloads, and mirror search to find alternative sources for resuming failed downloads.
Interface of Free Download Manager for Mac:
The interface of this application is simple and there is nothing special about it. There are little LED like indicators that tell you about the status of a download. This way the app divides the downloads that are occurring in different categories.
However the application has lots of features that are really useful. The toolbar that is at the top provides you with the ability to putting the Mac to sleep, setting the download speed limits, and you can start, stop, and edit a selected download from here. The speed limit goes from 1KB/sec to whatever custom value you want to set as the top most value.
How to install Progressive Downloader:
To install Progressive Downloader first click here to download the app. After the download has completed, double-click on the installer. Now a window will come up, just drag and drop the Progressive Downloader into the Application Folder. And you are done with the installation. This free download manager for Mac works with Mac OS X 10.5 and above and both 32-bit and 64-bit are supported.
Now if you want to integrate this app with the Chrome and Safari click here and install the plugins for each one of them.
This a good download manager with a respectable set of features and it surely improves your download speeds, but if you want a download manager that has the ability to handle torrent files as well as normal downloads and looks amazingly sleek then try out SpeedTao Downloader.
