Leawo iTransfer Software Review
By Aidan Moore
Manufacturer: Leawo
Product Name: iTransfer
Model Number: Version 1.4.0 (Build 1106)
Price As Tested: $14.95
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Leawo
Finding that old iPod you thought you’d lost last year is a pleasant surprise, but if you’d like to get some of those favorite songs back into iTunes, you are usually out of luck. If you’ve lost the original material, those files are stuck on that old iPod. Moving media and apps between iTunes and devices such as an iPad or iPhone tend to be a one-way street. Once the content is stored on the device, Apple has made it difficult to get the material back into iTunes due to the content management system.
The Leawo iTransfer program is designed to allow files on a portable device to be moved back on to a PC. Once the files have been transferred to the PC, it is a simple matter to re-import them into iTunes. In this review, Benchmark Reviews will take a quick look at the Leawo iTransfer and find out if it’s worth the relatively modest price.
The iTransfer functions as an Apple device transfer utility that can backup files of all type on any Apple product to a Windows PC. The utility is provided to allow syncing or partial syncing with iTunes and other PC directories. Once the files have been transferred to the PC, the video and audio can be played on any Apple device, or further transcoded to allow playback on a wide range of video or audio devices.
The file transfer capability is not only limited to multimedia; applications and PDF files can also be transferred from the source device back to the PC .
Features & Specifications
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Transfer among Apple devices
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Backup videos, audio, apps, images, e-books
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Sort files with smart filter and file search
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Flexible data transfer
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Easy management of playlists
Closer Look: iTransfer
When the program is launched, a message is displayed indicating that a portable device can be connected to the PC. Once the source device has been connected, the user interface displays a list of media type to preview. The individual items are displayed in a familiar iTunes format with genre, year, rating and description.
There are several ways the files in the portable device can be transferred back to the PC. Simply pressing the large right arrow button in the user interface will automatically transfer the selected files to the default file location. Right clicking on any of the files displayed brings up a menu allowing the user to preview the file, or transfer it to iTunes or the default file location.
When we connected an iPad to the computer, the iTransfer program immediately identified the device and displayed a quick summary of the connected device data. The memory capacity, firmware version and serial number of the device are clearly displayed at the launch menu.
Downloading movies, photos and apps is very straightforward ,and 13 GB of content from an iPad downloaded very quickly.
One of the best features of the iTransfer is its intelligent use of right-click menus. these menus are generally context sensitive and make the process of moving information between the connected device in the PC very efficient.
The iTransfer does not attempt to replace iTunes, but you can get a lot done with the program that would normally require the use of the Apple iTunes program. It is very easy to transfer photos, music and apps in the opposite direction from your computer. There is a very nice feature that allows you to display only the files on the connected device that are not currently part of the iTunes library. This allows for a convenient way to update your library without introducing duplicates.
Playlists are also fully supported, and the iTransfer program allows you to create, modify and delete playlists with all of the functionality normally provided by iTunes.
iTransfer Final Thoughts
The iTransfer program has a lot of competition from free utilities that are easily available. These free programs generally do accomplish the task of moving files back from your Apple device to the PC, although a quick check of the comments in the review section of these programs shows a lot of frustration with quirky behavior. The iTransfer is a much more polished tool for managing files on an Apple device, and the designers have put a lot of thought into streamlining the process of transferring files.
At $14.95, iTransfer represents a very small investment for a simple and reliable method of transferring media to and from Apple devices.
iTransfer Conclusion
While there are free tools that will accomplish similar functions, reliable operation and a convenient user interface make the Leawo iTransfer a useful file management tool for portable devices. A $14.95 investment is not an unreasonable amout to allow hassle-free file recovery from portable Apple devices.
Pros:
+ Intuitive interface
+ Multiple options for file transfer
+ Works with iTunes or standard PC directories
+ Useful file management tools
Cons:
– Freeware programs are available with similar functionality
– Typo and grammar errors in menu
Ratings:
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Performance: 9.50
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Appearance: 8.00
- Functionality: 9.50
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Value: 8.00
