Flow is another case of a much-hyped Mac app — way back before its release, perhaps even earlier than the beta period, it had already received more than a modest amount of attention within the Mac community. Now that it’s finally here, does Flow live up to such hype? Does it have anything that make it stand out from the competition? Or is Flow just another FTP client in an already saturated Mac market? Keep on reading.
Design. Flow is certainly reminiscent of modern Mac design: a clean, single window for the app that catches the eye. While it may only have a single panel for browsing, it has the option to use tabs to open additional windows within the window, along with a convenient navigation path displayed at the bottom. The single panel view is unique when compared to other clients that display two for dragging and pulling items between them. While this new simplistic approach works perfectly, it may take experienced users a while to work themselves around Flow’s simplicity. Then, as you work, you are sure to notice some nice transition effects that were integrated — but nothing revolutionary. And the good news is that it does have Leopard’s Quick Look technology built-in, which makes identifying files a breeze with just a quick glance. In the end, its UI is a pleasure to work with.
Functionality. Flow is just like any modern FTP client out there: it has FTP, SFTP, .Mac, local, and WebDAV support — but none for Amazon’s S3, as others alternatives have begun to do so. Then there’s the speed — the center of attention since the beginning, because it was shown as being faster than the popular Transmit. And yes, it is faster by a difference of about minute or so for the same 20MB file in both uploading and downloading. As for saving your favorite folders, it does have a convenient bookmark space at the sidebar for quick access. But if you want to go a step further and make a drop folder for a bookmark in your desktop, Flow is capable of doing so with the appropriately-called dropmarks. Just drag the file you wish to upload into the dropmark residing somewhere in your desktop, and the file will be uploaded independently of whether Flow is running or not. Flow also has the feature to live edit a file in a separate window along a live preview of it, but the editor itself is also rather simplistic. The editor should be good for some quick edits, but major changes are best to be done via an independent text editor.
Limitations. Although the single panel view works out thanks to the tabs, it would’ve been nice to have the option for the now-common dual panel view for experienced users to enjoy. Also, the support for Amazon’s S3 would’ve been an option best to be included because of the same experienced users. As a personal note, I know some people who aren’t boarding the Flow train because of these omissions.
Final thoughts. Flow, regardless of its shortcomings, is one of the best FTP clients available for the Mac. While it may not include any new ideas that haven’t been implemented before — besides its simplistic interface — its power and speed make it a very reliable option for the Mac users who have a website to maintain. But if the app’s limitations do bother you, chances are that you are best to just stick to whatever tool you already have. But if you can embrace Flow’s simplicity, you won’t regret it. One license of Flow costs $30, and a demo is available for anyone who is interested to try it out.
Additional links:
-Flow’s website
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