The Iconic Transmit

One of the most popular, and most easily recognized, applications for Mac OS X is a FTP application from Panic Software known as Transmit. At version 3.6, Transmit is a slam-dunk Mac app and a must-have for anybody who uses FTP. Transmit has been in existence since the days of Mac OS 9, when the iconic dump truck icon was first introduced. Ever since, a the icon has been replicated and reused by various companies.

Yet, what’s most important in the application is functionality, and Transmit packs many powerful features in a clean and simple interface. At its core, Transmit functions as a fine FTP application for uploading and downloading files. However, it can also connect to WebDAV servers, Amazon’s S3 service, and supports SFTP, SSL, and TLS.

Similar to other applications of the FTP genre, Transmit supports the ability to store and organize favorites for quick access. For even faster uploading, Transmit can upload files by simply dragging them to either a dock icon or dashboard widget. In fact, you can even monitor uploads using the growl support and dock status icon.

For more power, users can take advantage of the built-in Automator actions and Apple Script support. Transmit also integrates your “Favorites” into Spotlight, the system-wide search function built into Mac OS X. Transmit also includes a Quick-Look type feature in which you can preview files, without downloading them. For users with multiple macs, Transmit can sync favorites using MobileMe.

The guys over at Panic have also included the ability for tabbed browsing, so that you can open multiple connections at once. Transmit can also search, set auto-permissions, batch download, and create drag and droplets.

No matter if you’re a budding iWeb user, or advanced coding guru, Transmit is a superb FTP application that is available for $29.95.



  • I agree with Miiitch. I am a heavy user of Cyberduck. I would like to own a copy of Transmit because it is great software, but Cyberduck is a pretty nice alternative. Granted it has far fewer features, it still gets the job done without spending a penny...
  • Miiitch
    I'm sure Transmit is fantastic, but I can think of better things to spend $30 on. Cyberduck has plenty of features (not as many as Transmit, admittedly) and is 100% free. It's up to the user to determine if those extra features are worth $30.
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