Kazaa and Grokster (Fasttrack P2P Network programs) suffer from a number of performance limiters. The biggest problem is most files fail to download for a number of reasons. If you don't get your file within 20 minutes, you probably won't at all. Cheetah addresses those weaknesses and improves the efficiency of the downloads ensuring more files are received in less time.
Many critics have challenged the merit of Cheetah. To put it simply, there are a number of similar programs on the market varying from free (See Speed Up associated with Kazaa Lite) to some for as much as $25 US. They all work similarly, in that they force Kazaa (and it's clones) to search for more downloads continuously. This typically results in improvements for both dialup and high speed users of 3 to 10 times the number of files in the same period.
That's where the comparison ends though with Cheetah and it's competition. None of the other's check the files for duplicates. With the introduction of monthly quotas on many of the ISP's now, how much you download becomes important. Why download something twice (or again if you received it before or worse, if it's already on your computer). Cheetah currently recognizes the first of these issues by eliminating duplicates in the active downloads. Within a short period, previously downloaded files and files already existing on your computer will not be downloaded again.
Contrary to other network accelerators, Cheetah (nor any of our competition) will not make your connection run any faster! On loading Cheetah, you won't see any immediate benefit however, leave it running and check the results the following day. The benefits should become clear.
To counter some of the comments made on Download.com, some of the reviewers state "virus like" activity. There are no viruses in this program and no virus like activity. The program simply monitors the progress of your downloads, and if it senses that the downloads have stalled, even before Kazaa or Grokster realize this, it will force Kazaa to reinitialize the downloads which entails searching for new download sites or resuming stalled connections. Anyone familiar with any other download manager is familiar with this activity. This one is simply geared to the Kazaa/Grokster files.
This program is provided with an uninstaller (available in your control panel's "Add/Remove programs" section). It will remove the program from your system if you decide not to purchase it. The software will stop working after 15 days without a registration key. The installer will still work to remove it for you though.
There is no spyware, adware nor other "junk" in this program. It is simply designed to improve the efficiency of Kazaa and other Fasttrack clients.
It has been tested on Kazaa (all versions up to version 2.0.1), Grokster and Kazaa Lite.
Click the Product label to download or Buy button to purchase the respective Cheetah product. We use RegNow, a leading online vendor providing secure ordering for our customers.
| Products | Description | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Basic |
Ability to auto start with windows, auto run and disable when Kazaa/Grokster active. See below for new features coming too. | $7.50 US | |
| Basic Upgrade | Upgrade without download entire installer files, runtimes, etc. Unzip into existing folder (set up already for the default folder). Ensure Cheetah is closed before upgrading. If you have installed version 1.6 or higher, it now includes automatic updating. If you have a release prior to this, please upgrade to this release. | Free |
Cheetah is shareware. You have a 15 day trial to see if you like the product. After that, please remove or purchase the product.
By default, the program will extract itself to your download or temp folder. If you save to the desktop, you can run it there. Run the program and it will automatically uncompress and install the program. In some cases with Windows 98, ME and XP, if an out of date runtime is detected or is not present, it will tell you either on installation or when you try to run the program. You can get the latest MS VB Runtime files from Microsoft. Failing that, send an email to support@desktopsolutioncenter.ca and we'll try to help you resolve the problem.
| 1.7.05 | Removes duplicates in the download list. |
| 1.6.02 | Most significant upgrade. Automatic upgrades now supported on this version and hereafter. Framework in place to start comparing files on disk with download to avoid duplicates as well as better duplicate removal. Watch for next incremental release with complete tracking of files now that more data is available from the .DAT files. |
| 1.5.03 | Removes files with no activity in defined period, that is those that can never be expected to be downloaded (dead files). Also, better tracking of cancelled files. |
| 1.4.02 | Resolved problem with RegNow registration. If you downloaded the program between July 3 and July 18, you need to install the upgrade above before you can install your key. |
| 1.4.01 | Added program status showing effectiveness of the program |
| 1.3.01 | Minimize to Tray added |
| 1.2.02 | Disable Cheetah if Kazaa/Grokster are top most window, i.e. currently watching a video or searching for files in the program. Automated installer |
| 1.0.39 | Bug fixes, added outstanding file count. |
| 1.0.17 | Added Auto Start and Start with Windows functionality. |
| 1.0.09 | First release of basic product. |
All minor version upgrades (i.e., 1.0 to 1.2, etc) are free. All support is free. No major upgrade releases are planned at this time.