Netscape SmartDownload Novices and Experts Alike Need Intelligent Downloading Forrest Stroud
Novices and Experts Alike Need Intelligent Downloading
Novices in particular could benefit from more advanced download features. Many new users download files with their browser only to lose them in the vast catacombs of their hard drives. Without knowing the directory in which a file has been saved and without a feature for automatically installing the file upon download, many users' files plummet into an abyss from which they're never seen again.
And even those files that are found can occasionally stump users -- if you've never heard of a ZIP file, how are you supposed to know what to do with such a file once you've downloaded one?
While advanced users can handle the above tasks with ease, their frustration with browsers stems from the lack of powerful features like automatic resume after a failed download and time-saving features like automatic installation upon download, download scheduling capabilities, and options for scanning files for viruses. The lack of configuration options beyond the basic 'save file to default directory' is another source of aggravation for the Net adept.
