Software Informer 1.4.1305

The new version of the Software Informer desktop client brings the most notable changes so far, deeply affecting both the user interface and functionality.
The GUI has been revamped once again, and it is more than easy to get used to the new layout and understand it from the get-go. The tabs have been moved from the top of the window to the left side, which resembles the way you would interact with a mobile or tablet app. And it feels like the right choice, the previous version got a new Web-style UI but kept the conventional Windows-like file menu which was a little disorienting. This interface is consistent from top to bottom. Each tab has a beautiful little icon and hints you where to click when you're working in a minimized window.
Let's move on to what's new in the way the client works. First of all, the good-old updates are not only still there but are promised to be delivered faster than before, making use of a new multi-threaded download system. Since that has always been the first and foremost goal of the application, I'd say it's a considerable improvement.

The new Trending tab is pretty self-explanatory, I would take a peek there every now and then to find out "what's hot" lately. The Recommendations tab doesn't seem to have evolved, but personalized recommendations are still present.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there's now a tab called "Giveaway". Naturally, I immediately went there to check out what it was. Turns out it's a tab where you can check out shareware that is available free of charge for a limited time. But you don't have to stop at just reading the description or review, you can download it right from the interface. When the download is complete, you just click "Install" to install it and follow the provided instructions on how to activate the product. However, if the installation package is distributed as a ZIP archive, you will still have to leave the interface, unpack it, and double-click the installer yourself. I guess it's not that big of a price to pay when you get to have a paid product for free.

During my testing, I was lucky enough not to encounter any bugs and found the new features to be working just fine. Overall, the new UI and features brought better experience and made this free utility more convenient and useful.