Yeah, I like GOG's Downloader. It's simple, effective, and i really appreciate that it has the ability to check the existing install files for a game so that it only downloads the updated content, and not the whole thing all over again.

A couple of aspects I'd personally like to see improved, though. I'd be happy to hear any comments.

1) It's a hog. It doesn't play well with others, and there are several apps on my system that will make the Downloader simply grind to a halt if they're running at the same time. An example is my browser, of course, even though I'm lucky with my ISP and my data speed and bandwidth is better than the average, but it also happens with local apps such as my word-processor, surprisingly. Something about memory cache and resources, I guess. With games getting into the multiple GBs in size, it would help to have multitasking back.

2) I wish the Downloader would remember where it's been. If I've just downloaded something, and need to download something else to a different folder, it would be nice if the Downloader remembered the target folder it just had, and let me navigate sideways when I "Change Settings" — rather than taking me back to the root of my PC on a different drive, and having to redirect the app to my games drive and folders all over again.

Yeah, none of that will stop the world spinning, quite obviously. File them in a Druthers drawer.

I doubt much energy will be spent on the downloader, since its replacement has already been announced and is on the way (no time frame, apparently, just "soon").

Hi there!
There's a sticky topic with downloader discussion. Also, GOG is planing on releasing optional client (Galaxy) and current downloader will be discontinued.

I don't understand -- if the Downloader is discontinued, how is its replacement client optional?

Sorry about the duplication on threads -- I didn't see the Downloader discussion, or I would have posted there.

The current downloader is optional; its successor will also be optional. You could just download your games through the browser without the extra program.

But perhaps comments about the way the current one functions will influence the feature set of the next. That's almost crying out for a "well, duh!" response. ;-) If I make comments about the functionality of the Downloader with a focus of what could e improved, it's a bit pointless to say "well you fdon't have to use it".

I find the Downloader is significantly faster than just using the browser to download, which is reason enough to use it. But a distinct advantage is its "resume" function for updates, where it compares what you already have and only downloads the new files. A browser doesn't do that.

Hog? Really? I find it is quite simple and efficient. Sure it doesn't look like the best ever, but even on my mediocre laptop (I game on laptop, i7, 6 GB RAM, 635m GT), it runs silky smooth.

It is the only way to me to download my GOG collections, as browser never allows me to download what's mine... Le sigh...

1) go to settings and you can tell it to play nice, giving it a download cap or a cap during a time range. I usually set it for 50k/s, which then doesn't boggle the rest of my internet at all.

As a note, with a router if you find out where it's downloading from for gog (IP address) then set that IP lowest as possible. It works, although if they change IP's it won't work anymore.

2) Hmmm Well it may forget something it's completed, however if you just re-download it, it will verify files it's already downloaded rather quickly. Although i'm not sure if it will start a new download or what if you repack the file (like zopfli for zip's)

I don't use Downloader because it just seems to be another extraneous program on my hard drive.

I thought the same thing. Until I had to download recent games with my crummy internet connection, and tried it because direct download was too slow and too random. Now, I use it for any game that is above 200 megs

Thanks, but I wasn't talking about internet access or bandwidth. I meant it creates what appears to be a resources bottleneck on my PC. When the Downloader is open and downloading, everything else on my system grinds to a halt. Again thanks, but I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I was talking about the folder the Downloader remembers as its target location. Because I keep each game in its own separate folder, I never download more than one game at a time, whether the full code or an update.

Hmm, well you can forcibly set it to a lower priority, otherwise it shouldn't use any real resources.

As for the download directory, as far as I know, My Documents/Gog.com Downloads is where it downloads all games and they have their own folder. so... I guess we're both off the wrong page or something...

1. I agree with others that running the downloader is a non-issue on my machine in terms of multitasking.
2. I have configured the downloader to use a different folder the the default one and it always uses this folder and inside it does create a particular folder for each game, so I don't understand the second point of the OP.

I know, which makes that part confusing...

If you don't experience it, then good luck to you. Doesn't make it a non-issue, though. There are people who've reported not being able to get it to launch at all.

What makes it confusing for you is that you haven't understood what I was commenting on. No biggie.