Xtreme Download Manager Review - Fast Downloads and Cool Features

very good
key review info
application features
  • Resume support
  • (3 more, see all...)

Xtreme Download Manager is just that: a download manager that give users much better control over what they are downloading. It also greatly increases the download speed for files, and it comes with lots of features that are not usually available under the same roof.

Download managers have a long history on the Linux platform, and for a long time, the ones that were kind only needed the terminal to do their jobs. A few years back, we saw the rise of download managers with helpful GUIs, and they've been multiplying. There are quite a few out there, and they are all promising the same thing. We can now take a look at Xtreme Download Manager (XDM) and see what it's doing differently from anyone else.

This is a Java-based application, so it stands to reason that it's not going to work just like all the others do. It also means that it runs on multiple platforms, including Windows and Mac OS X. The developers put a lot of work in improving the GUI so that it doesn't betray its Java roots, and that is actually a good sign.

Installation

I installed Xtreme Download Manager in Ubuntu 15.04 and it runs just fine. Developers provide all kinds of packages, including one that lets users run the application without having to install it. It's also possible to install a regular DEB file, to compile it from source, or to use a PPA repository (for Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros). This is a third-party repository from Noobslab and not from the developers, but it's a good source nonetheless.

If you want to add the PPA to the system, you just have to run these commands in a terminal:

code
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:noobslab/apps
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xdman
The procedure is quite simple and users will find the Xtreme Download Manager in the Dash.

Usage

The first thing users will see when they open the application is a notification that informs them about extensions and add-ons for browser integration, which a pretty big deal. This is important if you want to have the application monitoring the files you download.

It's also worth pointing out that the Xtreme Download Manager has a small floating indicator that shows up when you open the application and that it's directly tied to it.

The main window of the app is pretty straightforward and it has a few categories on the left side for the types of files downloaded, like Documents, Compressed, Music, Videos, and Programs.

It works pretty much as you would expect it to, but then the application does have some interesting features, like the ability to split the download into segments, to assemble those segments forcefully (it might work for files like text, audio, and video, not so much for stuff like ISOs), or to limit the speed.

Also, XDM comes with a Youtube downloader that is quite good at what it does. It allows users to choose what resolution they want to get from Youtube, and it even uses multiple segments for it. Another tool named Advanced Youtube Downloader tries to convince Youtube that the browser (browser integration is needed) is acting like a tablet and present that page accordingly.


The Good

The application is simple and very straightforward. It promises to help users with download and it's doing its job beautifully. If you manage to get past the fact that it's based on Java, you will find that it is just as good as all the other similar apps. Also, the Youtube downloader is a nice addition.

The Bad

There aren't too many problems with the XDM. Among them, however, are the following: that small indicator that helps users add download links for the apps can't be closed and it's directly linked to the main window; also, the Youtube downloader doensn't know how to also take the name of the video and download a generic file named videoplayback.

Conclusion

Xtreme Download Manager might not be famous yet, but it's going places. If you don't mind the fact that it's using Java, you will find the XDM is much more interesting and useful than you would imagine. And once you start using a download manager, you won't be going back to the old way of doing things anytime soon.

user interface 4
features 4
ease of use 5
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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