iGet 2.6 – File Transfer Tool

Reviewed by Robert Pritchett

Nakamura Informatics, Inc. 171 East State Street #328 Ithaca, NY 14850 USA 1 (888) 550-0505 support@nakahara-informatics.com http://www.nakahara-informatics.com Released: March 12, 2007. $50 USD, $300 USD 25-seat license. http://www.nakahara-informatics.com/buy/ Free Demo Requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Forum: http://forums.nakahara-informatics.com/ Tutorials: http://www.nakahara-informatics.com/iget/tutorials/ Strengths: “Remote in” without remote software installation at the other end. Very “Mac-like”. Weaknesses: The Macs really ought to be using Mac OS X 10.4 as well (to use the Spotlight feature) at the other end. Comparisons: http://www.nakahara-informatics.com/iget/comparisons/

What They Say

iGet is an inventive file transfer tool designed specifically for the Mac. It allows you to log into your account on any remote Mac and browse, find, and get the files you need. As easy to use as the best FTP clients, iGet is much more Mac-oriented: you can stop and resume file and folder transfers, and you see the real Mac icons and Finder labels for all your files as you browse. iGet can even put files into the Trash remotely.

With Spotlight searches that execute on the remote Mac, you can find anything quickly. Always-on strong SSH encryption keeps your data secure, and you never have to think about details like HFS metadata, resource forks, or unusual characters in your file names. With iGet, it just works. It's designed to work well over virtually any kind of network connection, not just a fast LAN. This makes iGet a great tool for accessing your Macs over the Internet. And with it's innovative "zero-setup" design, you don't have to install any special software (not even iGet) on the remote Mac before connecting.

All this power is wrapped up in a smooth interface that is simple to use and supports all the great technologies that Mac users expect, including Automator, AppleScript, Bonjour, Spotlight, and the Keychain.

• Fully supports Mac file features (resource forks, type/creator, HFS metadata, Finder flags, file packages, etc.)
• Resumable file and folder transfers
• Remote Spotlight searching!
• Displays true Mac icons for remote files
• No server software required - just iGet on your own Mac
• 60 second learning curve
• always on strong SSH encryption (now supports public key auth)
• Bonjour, Automator, AppleScript and Keychain support

Optimized for excellent performance over real-world Internet connections, such as DSL, cable, and even dialup

Get has always had great support for Mac-like file listings. When browsing a remote Mac, application packages look like Mac applications—not like generic folders as they do in most FTP-type programs. Ditto for documents: iGet natively supports Mac metadata in its protocol, so that it doesn't need to rely on simplistic filename extensions to guess how things should be displayed.

iGet also supports Mac color labels and even custom icons. So if you've taken the time to assign labels or your own icons to your files, you will see those when you connect remotely with iGet.

When Apple introduced Spotlight, they changed the rules for how you find files on your Mac.

iGet 2 changes the rules for how you find files on any Mac, whether it be across the room or across the world.

The new version of iGet has Spotlight support built in at the lowest levels, so you can search remote Macs in a flash. Your search results appear in iGet's super-intuitive GUI, just like regular file listings.

iGet starts making life easier from the very first moment you use it. Its smart connection dialog automatically remembers your connection history, so you don't have to maintain a bookmark list yourself (unless you want to).

Passwords are (optionally) stored in your system Keychain, and the Bonjour browser helps you locate nearby Macs. Once a connection has been made, you can make it again with two mouse clicks.

And you won't ever have to install special server software (not even iGet) on the remote Mac; all you need is a copy of iGet on your own Mac, and it takes care of the rest.

iGet's highly optimized network protocol and multi-stage directory listings allow it to display file lists instantly.

Even over a slow connection (such as a cellular phone modem), your file lists appear in just seconds!

And because we know that even a "fast" Internet connection like DSL or cable is still the slowest part of your workflow, we made sure iGet never makes you wait for it. It works around your schedule. Sleep your Mac, shut it down, pull the plug—iGet will pick up where you left off whenever you like.

With iGet, you never have to worry about any silly stuffing, zipping, or otherwise preparing your files before transferring them. Just click Download, or drag the remote files where you want them.

You can queue uploads and downloads, drag-reorder them, and get detailed info. Unlike a lot of other software, iGet handles multiple-item transfers intelligently, too.

iGet is a powerful tool for moving Mac files to and fro without having to prepare, compress, or care about them first.

With iGet 2 and Mac OS X 10.4's new Automator, you can harness that power in your custom workflows.

iGet 2 comes with actions for uploading and downloading files, so you can chain it into your custom workflows with ease. It's a natural fit; Automator is the best way to chain together repetitive tasks, and iGet is the best way to move files between Macs, which is often a key part of that kind of process.

iGet can resume any kind of transfer: files, packages, folders, whatever.

But before resuming, it carefully verifies all existing files to make sure that they can be resumed without getting corrupted.

If iGet detects a conflict—a file has that changed, or is not really the same file—it prompts you and asks what to do.

While designing iGet 2, we spent a lot of time listening to our small business customers, and coming up with more flexible licensing and support solutions that meet real-world business needs.

Multi-seat business licenses can be applied on a per-Mac basis, or a worldwide per-user basis so that your staff can use iGet at home and on the road as well. More comprehensive support options are now available with multi-seat licenses, including telephone support. And we can now tailor custom support contracts based on your organization's specific needs, if necessary.

What I Say

If you can remote in with AppleShare, Timbuktu or other apps, why get iGet? Okay, how about a 60-second learning curve? And if that doesn’t seems feasible, how about the tutorials then? http://www.nakahara-informatics.com/iget/tutorials/

Or the Support Forum? http://forums.nakahara-informatics.com/ They are very responsive and have been a great help to those who use the product.

It would appear that they really thought about everything here. Remote Spotlight Search? Resume? Batch transfers? Mac file format integrity? Automator actions? No remote software to be installed? (iGet does leave an electronic paper trail of its visit, however with iGetTool over an SSH connection.) It installs automagically at the other end. It would also appear that they fixed a download speed (a code tweak) issue they had earlier.

Why is this not part of Mac OS X already? This isn’t a “new” app. It has been around for a while. What is new is that iGet has been “acquired” and the new owners have a few more things up their sleeves, so stay tuned. What was great back in 2004 is getting better! Version 3 is just around the corner.

And the try-before-you-buy function is in place, so go give it a whirl!