14 DAY TRIAL // These days, every respectable browser has resume download functions and e-mail has almost replaced the old pen and paper concept, however, if you've ever watched a mail application choke on a 3MB attachment or wanted to download a large segmented file, you know that you need a special type of program for it... a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program. Using a FTP program you can be sure that the file you were sending reached the destination, you can easily download and upload many individual files and even synchronize folders.
Fetch was one of the very first FTP clients for the Mac that had a graphical interface. Unfortunately, the developers did not make a point of keeping that interface up to date and after a few years, Fetch fell to the back of the crowd, because it was rather ugly and outdated.
New and improved interface? Version 5.0 adds a long overdue face lift, the most frequently used commands ending up on a tool bar. Most of what you do inside Fetch takes place in its main window, the bulk of which is dedicated to the file list. The items present on the server are shown as a list, and can be sorted according to name, date, size and type. Navigation can be cumbersome especially if you work with a very busy server that has thousands of files.
A feature that is really missing is a column view mode which would make everything much easier, but at least there are the path and recent buttons. You can navigate using the keyboard, although it can be a bit strange until you get used to it and the "Back" command has a very poorly chose keyboard shortcut, forcing you to use the tool bar button or stretch over the keyboard.
Another serious shortcoming is the inability to see local files from within the program. This forces you to constantly change between Fetch and the Finder since using the "Get" and "Put" buttons is very tiring especially if you have to navigate over many folders for different files.
Nice features hidden underneath all the windows One very usefully feature is the ability to view and edit files on the server. This eliminates the need to first download then upload a file manually. Most FTP clients support the editing of text files but Fetch also supports the editing of images using Graphic Converter. The preview option works as expected but it opens the preview in a new window and if you want to quickly preview several different files your screen will start getting crowded.
Besides FTP and SFTP, Fetch also supports secure connections using the Kerberos authentication protocol, and works with a wider range of proxy servers than most others. It does not yet support SSL-encrypted connections, although this feature is slated for a future release.
The program also toggles passive mode automatically so you don't have to bother with this option by trial and error, if you don't know what the settings should be. This is a feature that should be standard on every FTP client.
Another great feature that Fetch has is automatic file compression when you upload. You can choose between the Gzip, StuffIt X, Gzipped Tar, and Zip formats. This handy feature makes it a snap to just upload a file without having to do any additional work to it. It has a built in "mirror" tool that lets you synchronize the files in two different folders with the great touch that you can sync between folders that are on two different servers. Very nice.
Last but not least, the application is fully scriptable and the less technically inclined will be glad to hear that it comes with a script recorder. It's very easy to record any task for automation purposes, and you don't have to write a single line of code.
The Good Fetch is a great program hiding shyly away behind the interface. You don't need to know much about FTP to be able to use it efficiently, you can record your typical actions into scripts and you can preview and edit files right on the server.
The Bad The interface is simple to the point of being simplistic. Too many windows, no column view or spring loaded folders, and having to constantly switch to and from the Finder is a pain.
The Truth The program is not half bad. Hardcore FTP users will laugh at it, but the casual FTP user, who only needs to work with a few files now and then, will find this most suitable. Fetch is not bad option-wise but it's really lacking in the interface department.
Here are some screenshots of Fetch, click to enlarge:
