ClassicFTP - 1.06

As a long time Mac user, I did not have any trouble using this software.
Normally I find FTP clients a tad confusing, this one is a breeze.
I needed it to transfer a 300+MB graphics file to the printer and it it did the job perfectly, without fuss. I am running Panther so my options were limited.

Maybe other users are expecting more, but not me.
And since it is free, what more could you want?

FTP Programs are a plenty on the Mac. ClassicFTP joins this group with their 1.0 release as free-ware. The promise-blurb is particularly intriguing, tho in reality, falls short of certain things that should be in a "full-featured" ftp-client.
What is my default transfer mode (Binary/Auto/Ascii,) and do you transcode line-endings (mac <=> windows,) where is the Active/Passive FTP choice, anonymous log-in, do you skip files that should not be downloaded (the abominable .DS_Store for example,) how about file permissions, and the text-encoding (UTF-8 and such?) Even novice FTP uploaders need at least one feature out of that list, and an advanced user needs all those above (and more.)

Besides from the missing full feature set, let's focus on the concept and design. The brushed metal interface can be changed to the more modern Brushed Grey (the changes reset with every new launch.) You can find this in the "Window" menu, which struck me odd, but more on Windows(tm)-habits later. The menu is disorganized, i.e. you can find "Options" which are the same as "Preferences." Designer's choices are hardly a point of critique, if they are done right. Unfortunately, the drawer icon for "Sites" produces a (modal) window. Other interface elements are non-standard (or non-classic) as is the side-arrow on the path-fields, which is clickable without clear function (apparently, it changes a newly typed path.) Navigational elements are non-standard in look and feel.

There is a folder in my Home Directory, aptly named ClassicFTP. permissions are set to read only, which exposes the content to prying eyes -- NOT good, since the default should be NO ACCESS for others. And besides being the wrong location for something that should reside in Application Support, I can not find a way to change said location from within the program.

Tho the biggest blunder is the location of the login-credentials. This should be user-specific, and not global, and you can find the preference file in /Library/Preferences. This is a security risk! Not only are the credentials (username and password) saved as plain text, they work from every user account on my machine, no further password required -- also, NOT good.

A free program is a nice addition to the Mac software pool, but the best designed feature for this application is the "Help" menu, which indeed gives the option to find some help, but more-so, it is the chosen place for advertising. I was tempted to send an "improvement suggestion or feedback", and a bug report relating to insane security flaws and the broken metal-style, but it was either a 404 error on the website for the improvement page, or my hesitation that it was clearly a *defect* of the software -- poor design choice may find my answer in the trash bin?
I digress into op-ed.

For the first incarnation of a Program, nice try. But I was not tempted to sample any other program of this company. I dug a bit into their website, and inspecting the support options, I can find a well-detailed multi-structured price-plan for (highly) limited technical support -- granted, for their commercial line. Exceed the incident-allowance, and you find yourself paying 85$ per hour for the professional technician. IMHO, an investment that NCH should make themselves, preferably with an outside technician.

It is in my suspicion, that NCH is a Windows(tm)-centric company, new to the Apple playground. Therefore, my encouragement for this seemingly hard task to our friends in Australia. However, and that is international, you have to shed the Windows(tm) paradigm to fill your offerings with marketing hype, horrid design, and incomprehensible security flaws. As it is, ClassicFTP is below the standard of most FTP software known to this reviewer, on any given (current) platform.

I have to say that this application is a very good example for sloppy programming and design, which may have its source in unfamiliarity -- in general, not to the Mac per se.

Until there is an improvement in ClassicFTP (perhaps version 3.0, as I remember from Windows(tm) days) you are well-advised to stay far away from this particular program. Free or not, there are better choices out there FOR NOW, for novices and advanced users alike.


Addendum:

I have to smile that one advertised feature for this program is: "Full featured ftp software client," but then, welcome to the Mac-arena, guys, unlearn that MS-style market-speak.

ToNote, I did find a ToDo-list during my search of the stored login-credentials. Included were 4 (hopefully invalid) email addresses from end-users, and a few ToDo items (Hello, Chris, you have a question or two coming towards you pretty soon.) There are a few other goodies inside the Application Bundle, but I mention that only in passing.