Perth, Western Australia -- 15 Nov 1996 -- Stairways Software Pty Ltd, today announced the release of version 2.0 of Anarchie, its popular shareware FTP client.
What is Anarchie?
Anarchie is the preeminent FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client for the Macintosh. It lets you browse Internet FTP sites, upload or download files, or find files using an Archie search, Mac Search or Site Indexing. Anarchie is a mature, robust and reliable program suitable for everyone from power users to Internet novices.
FTP is the Internet standard for transferring files from machine to machine. There are thousands of public FTP sites with all of manner text documents, applications and pictures. In particular the Macintosh community has a couple of major FTP sites with huge collections of Macintosh software and information. The two major Macintosh FTP sites are Info-Mac and UMich. The Info-Mac and UMich Macintosh FTP sites have mirrors (local copies) in most countries.
FTP predates the World Wide Web and is the primary way people upload files to Web servers. Despite the amazing growth of the Web much useful information on the Internet is only available via FTP. Finding this information is often difficult, which is why Anarchie comes with a set of Bookmarks to all the major Macintosh FTP sites, Archie search, Mac Search and Site Indexing.
Anarchie is US$10 shareware. Version 2.0 is a free upgrade to registered users who registered after 1 Jan 1996. Users who registered prior to 1996 can upgrade for US$5.
What is new in Anarchie 2.0?
Anarchie 2.0 comes with lots of new features including the ability to upload and download folders, an entirely new way to quickly find files on the major FTP sites, and a host of user interfaces improvements. Anarchie now comes with even more documentation including an updated Anarchie Guide and a new Tips window to incrementally teach you the full power that hides behind the simple user interface.
Features:
What Other People Have Said About Anarchie
"I filled up my disk in 20 minutes! Before Anarchie it would take me a good hour or more to download the same amount of stuff!" - Russell Baird
"Clever touches abound Anarchie is a must have for your Internet tool kit." - Adam Engst, Jan 1994.
"For most people, Peter Lewis's $10 shareware Anarchie is quite simply the best FTP client available for any platform." - Adam Engst, May 1996.
Second Place in the Best Scriptable Application category of the Everyday AppleScript Contest, Jun 1994.
4.5 stars - MacUser, Sep 1994
Outstanding Programming for a Shareware Product, USENet Macintosh Programming Awards, May 1995.
As seen on TV (MacNeil/Lehrer Show, May&Oct 1994)
As demoed at Apples World Wide Developers Conference, May 1994
Some Features Described in Detail
Mac Search: New in Anarchie 2.0 is Mac Search. Because of the increasing unreliability of Archie servers, Stairways and Ambrosia Software, Inc are hosting a server on the Internet which will perform searches of the Info-Mac and UMich file listings. Mac Search is fast, and it returns the files referenced according to your local mirror for the Info-Mac or UMich archives (as you have configured them in Internet Config).
Archie: Anarchie also allows you to find files using Archie. Archie is a system of big servers that catalogue all the anonymous FTP sites and allow users to ask where files are stored. Unfortunately, they tend to be a bit behind the times and they are quite flaky, but they can usually find a starting point when you have no idea where a file might be. In general, if you know the file is on a UMich or Info-Mac mirror site (which is pretty much the case for almost any publicly distributable shareware or freeware Mac files), then you are better off using a Mac Search. If they are not on an Info-Mac or UMich mirror but you do know what server they are on, try a Site Index.
Site Index: If you know part of the name of the file, and which FTP site it is located on, then you may be able to use the Site Index feature. The Site Index command asks the server to search for the file. Unfortunately not all FTP sites support Site Indexing.
Tips: Anarchie is a mature product with a number of features and shortcuts which may not be obvious. The Tips window is an easy way to learn some of the depth of the program.
SIVC: Anarchie can periodically query the Simple Internet Version Control server and it will inform you if a new version has been released.
About Stairways Shareware
Stairways Shareware was founded and is run by Peter N Lewis. Peter started Stairways to distribute his extensive range of Macintosh Internet applications.
Peter is probably best known for Anarchie, but he also co-wrote the Internet Config system with Quinn The Eskimo, he was a programmer on Metrowerks recent Java release and he also authored the most widely used FTP server for the Macintosh, NetPresenz. Peter is a prolific author of high-quality Macintosh software.
Stairways Shareware distributes software using the shareware principles: try before you buy and minimal or no marketing costs. As a result shareware costs a fraction of the price of most other commercial software.
Stairways currently has two full-time employees and two part-time employees.
Contact Information: