1-line description: Turbo Internet can significantly accelerate your Internet connection, but can also resume downloads, keep your connection alive and much more.
Long description: Turbo Internet is an utility that can significantly accelerate your Internet connection! Turbo Internet uses & combines many technologies to accelerate any PPP dial-up Internet connection. Many users achieved a 7.5K/sec download rate (compared to the original 4K/sec).
Generally, providers will allow only a preset rate. Turbo Internet simulates low Internet activity so that the server will allow you to use more bandwith. You might gain up to 3K/sec with a 56K modem.
Turbo Internet will also automatically update the pages you visit often when your Internet activity is low, using the MyHabits technology.
MyHabits™ is a system that will regurlarly download the pages you visit often and also the pages you visit when you have just connected. You will be surprised to see that your favorite sites will instantly display! MyHabits™ will first check whether there is an available update, and will place in the cache the webpage if needed when there is low Internet activity.
Turbo Internet also uses acceleration technologies from the PC platform, such as pre-fetching: Pre-fetching is a unique feature of Turbo Internet that will scan for links on a webpage and that will download every linked webpage. If an image is already placed in Turbo Internet's cache and if the image size is the same, Turbo Internet will not download it to accelerate pre-fetching without slowing your connection.
Turbo Internet features a Download Resume™ function: if for some reason your connection dropped or if you stopped a download by error, you'll have to start downloading from the beginning. With Turbo Internet, you can just resume it. Since this function is easy-to-use and does not require any custom download manager, you can deliberately stop a download and then resume it anytime.
Turbo Internet can also keep your connection alive. Most servers will automatically disconnect a user after a certain time. That might be very annoying if you're downloading a file. Turbo Internet avoids this by creating very small Internet activity. Turbo Internet will not create Internet activity if you're not surfing or downloading.
There are plenty of other features in Turbo Internet, and that's why we should call this software "Turbo Better Internet"!
Turbo Internet is compatible with nearly every Mac browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Nestcape Navigator), every FTP client, every mail app and almost every download manager. Turbo Internet cannot yet accelerate streaming.
MacOS X info
Visit our webpage (http://www.macunicorn.com) to have more info about the MacOS X version.
Installation
Turbo Internet requires MacOS 8.0 and a dial-up Internet connection using PPP. Do not try to use Turbo Internet with MacOS 7.6!
Turbo Internet is not yet compatible with Cable/DSL and does not support AOL connections. We will fix this in a future release.
To install Turbo Internet, drag Turbo Internet INIT on the Extensions Folder of your System Folder and drag Turbo Internet on the Control Panels Folder of your System Folder. You don't have to restart. Launch Turbo Internet to configure it.
Registration
The shareware fee for Turbo Internet is just US $20 for a single user license. The $20 fee is intended to prove us that the number of sleepless nights used to program Turbo Internet were not useless. Of course, registered users allows us to keep updating & supporting Turbo Internet.
To register Turbo Internet, please visit our webpage:
http://www.MacUnicorn.com
We will send to you a registration code for you within 48 hours to enter in the Enter Code dialog.
Note: If you are a registered user of the software "Speed Download", you can purchase Turbo Internet for just $10! Visit our webpage for more information.
Turbo Internet: Instructions for use
You can find a FAQ list on Turbo Internet's website (http://www.macunicorn.com/turbointernet/) if you experience a problem that is not described in this Read Me.
When you will launch Turbo Internet for the first time
You must launch Turbo Internet to use it. Choose in the Control Panels Folder the control panel "Turbo Internet".
Turbo Internet will display a Setup Assistant. You must complete the Setup Assistant to enable Turbo Internet. The Setup Assistant will scan your Internet connection and therefore requires you to be on the Internet.
When Tubo Internet is correctly configured, it will display the main menu after launching.
Accelerate your Internet connection with Turbo Internet
Since Turbo Internet slightly changes the Internet connection method, you need to use Turbo Internet's dial-up system to accelerate your Internet connection.
Click on Connect to display the Connection window. Turbo Internet will ask you if you would like to go directly to the Connection window next time you will launch Turbo Internet. If you check the "Do not display this alert again", Turbo Internet will not display the alert again, even if you press "No".
Press Connect to connect using the last recorded PPP settings.
••• If you have more than one Internet connection, open Remote Access, select the desired connection and quit. Turbo Internet will use the new connection. You don't have to run another time the Setup Assistant; you don't even have to quit/relaunch Turbo Internet. •••
Turbo Internet will display the "Connecting..." window. If Turbo Internet is properly working, the two arrows should blink. The connection time might be slightly longer with Turbo Internet than with Remote Access.
When the connection is completed, Turbo Internet will display the acceleration ratio as well as the settings you chose or the preset settings. If the acceleration ratio stays on 1.00x, Turbo Internet does not support your Internet connection.
Turbo Internet will detect a connection-drop, just like Remote Access. If this happens, Turbo Internet will display a message and you'll have to reconnect. However, you can setup Turbo Internet so that it will reconnect if the connection drops (described later in the Read Me).
Resume a broken download
When you are connected, you still can show the main menu if you click "Main Menu". The connection window won't dismiss. Don't worry if you close by error the Main Menu; Turbo Internet won't quit if an Turbo Internet connection is active.
Click on "Resume" to resume a broken download.
Turbo Internet can resume a broken download only if the downloaded file is still in the Downloads Manager (for IE 4.x/5.x).
Follow the assistant instructions. When you will have to select a file, Turbo Internet will automatically recognize broken dowloads.
If the operation fails, try to give Turbo Internet more RAM memory. You'll have to quit Turbo Internet to do that.
Turbo Internet will backup your file and will delete the backup only if the resuming succeeded.
This feature works with every type of file and works when the download is 1%-99% completed. That is why you can deliberately cancel a download to resume it after.
To cancel a download in IE, double-click on the file in the download manager, and press Cancel. Then, resume it using Download Resume™.
Enhance your Internet connection
When you are connected, you still can show the main menu if you click "Main Menu". The connection window won't dismiss. Don't worry if you close by error the Main Menu; Turbo Internet won't quit if an Turbo Internet connection is active.
Click on "Preferences" to change internet-related settings.
The Preferences settings are detailed and easy to understand.
N.B.: If you change a setting while a Turbo Internet connection is active, you'll have to reconnect to apply the changes.
We will not explain here the Internet/Surfing/Downloading tabs since they are explained in Turbo Internet. We will just detail the Settings tab:
When you launch Turbo Internet, you can display the Main Menu or the Connection window (a.k.a. Turbo Remote Access). If you check "Show Turbo Remote Access at startup", Turbo Internet will directly display the Connection window.
You can also ask Turbo Internet to re-connect if your connection drops. This can be useful if you disabled the "Keep connection alive" function (Internet tab) or just if your server disconnects you every 4 hours, for example.
Turbo Internet will display a reconnection window, and will try to connect. If the connection fails, it will not try forever to connect.
This feature will probably evolve in future Turbo Internet versions.
Other
There are many hidden functions as well as easter eggs in Turbo Internet. You might find them one day. Happy Internet surfing!
Even if Turbo Internet is bug-free, we make no warranty whatsoever, either implied or express, as to its correct functioning. When using this software, the user assumes all responsibility for damages caused, directly or indirectly, by its use.
Distribution
You can include Turbo Internet (unregistered version) on the Internet and on free CD-ROMs. Please note that if you do so, we would like you to warn us.
Turbo Internet is Shareware, which means that you are allowed to use it on a trial basis for up to 15 tries. After this period, if you want to continue using it, you are expected to pay the required shareware fee ($20).
How to contact us
If you wish to tell us how great Turbo Internet is, or if you have a bug report, send us an e-mail at:
TurboInternet@MacUnicorn.com
We would also like to know what acceleration ratio Turbo Internet achieved on your computer. The maximum acceleration ratio we reached was 2.00x. If you got more on your computer, we'll post a screenshot of it with your name!
Version history
1.0.1
• Slightly improved acceleration engine.
• Trial launches increased to 25.
• Removed nag message displayed every 30 minutes that caused the computer to crash.
• Fixed bug that caused Turbo Internet to incorrectly play the sounds (no more horrible noises).
• Turbo Internet now properly disconnects.
• Turbo Internet now displays the registration name on the Main Menu and on the connection window.
• No more "Wrong Serial Number" error (hopefully).
• If an error occurs, Turbo Internet should exit more gracefully (no crashes).
• If you close the connection window, Turbo Internet will ask you if you want to disconnect instead of just closing.
• If an error occurs, Turbo Internet should exit more gracefully (no crashes).
