* Ipswitch adds a friendly front end to venerable FTP
Upon subscribing to Usenet groups in 1989, I noticed some users wrote casually of “FTPing” files to each other.
Curious, I badgered co-workers to show me how to use this mysterious File Transfer Protocol. But that required either a greater mastery of Unix, or more helpful co-workers.
The emergence of Windows and the Web made me forget all about FTP until recently, when I checked out a product from Ipswitch aimed at consumers and small businesses that move around a lot of large files.
Ipswitch claims a massive installed base of more than 40 million. The company recently figured out that its WS_FTP Professional was a bit too heavy-duty for non-technical folks into digital photography, MP3 file-swapping and Web publishing.
So Ipswitch came up with WS_FTP Home, an FTP utility that’s less expensive and easier to use. With support and upgrades, a 1-year license costs $60; a barebones license without support costs $35.
I took Ipswitch up on a 30-day free trial of WS_FTP Home and was impressed. The download and installation went smoothly. I appreciated the Getting Started movie, which taught me everything I needed to know in 10 minutes.
One key bit of info: FTP is for servers, not clients. To use WS_FTP Home or other FTP utilities, you need access to an FTP server. Nearly all Internet providers offer this access as part of their Web hosting services. Think of the Ipswitch application as a bridge between your client (PC) and an FTP server, which lets you upload files to your personal Web space.
To test the product, I sent a dozen large digital pictures to a friend’s Web server. No sweat. The chore took maybe 3 minutes; it would have required at least five times that had I relied on e-mail.
When do you need FTP? Here’s my rule of thumb: If your home computer has a broadband connection, you e-mail lots of big files back and forth with associates, and at least once a day you become frustrated by the time it takes, you’re a candidate. Graphic and Web designers, as well as folks who rely on PowerPoint or Postscript files, would find FTP useful.
Even if FTP is for you, why go with Ipswitch? There are a zillion freeware and shareware FTP applications, many with user interfaces similar to that in WS_FTP Home. Moreover, Windows features an FTP command-line utility that can perform any function Ipswitch (or any other FTP product) can.
But command-line utilities are for people with a lot of know-how. And therein lies the major appeal of Ipswitch: WS_FTP Home is for consumers and home-based business owners who transfer enough large files to make e-mail inconvenient, and who want the ease of use and secure feeling offered by an established software vendor. That’s why I say that if you’re going to buy WS_FTP Home, pay the extra $25 for support. If it’s bare-bones you want, go with a free download.
