Easynews Review
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Easynews home page: http://www.easynews.com
Easynews offers a unique advantage over other services. Namely their web interface. Beginners will appreciate how simple it is to use the web client. Otherwise you would need to choose a Usenet provider, find and configure a newsreader, and gather any necessary file utilities to get started. For novice and advanced users the web interface offers quick and easy access to content without need for an NZB site or headers.
Web interface - let's dive right into the Easynews web client. The web interface offers everything you need to find and download content. It all starts with the Global Search feature. Here you can search for posts across all newsgroups. Filter by file type, date, quality and more. View images and video thumbnails. If your content selection includes multiple files you can roll them into a zip file. You can also use the Zip Manager to queue up files for download while you move on to something else. Then use WinRAR or MacPAR deluxe to extract the compressed files.
Auto Unrar / Auto Par: Easynews has a very useful Auto Unrar and Auto Par feature that works in the background without you having to do a thing. If a RAR is posted to Usenet, you can download some or all of its content without any need for a RAR utility. The Auto Par feature automatically applies PAR files when available, which means more compete content that you don’t have to manually fix using a PAR utility.
Binary retention and completion - consider how far back you want to access. A majority of newsgroup users stay within 150-200 days. Easynews offers up to 212 days of web binary retention depending on which plan you choose. They also offer around 590 days of NNTP retention with good completion up to around 550 days.
Speed - the web client performed well with speeds over 8 Mbps. The Easyboost web accelerator is great for improving performance. In testing, the Boost 4 method nearly doubled our download speed. Read our Easyboost review for more details.
Newsgroups and completion -
Easynews offers a full feed of newsgroups. This is coupled with a 99%+ completion rate. They offer one news server address – news.easynews.com – that automatically connects to their multiple back end servers. Then again most people never use it since you have direct access through your web browser.
Downloads – Easynews offers between 20 and 150 gigs of downloads a month depending on the plan you choose. Along with free monthly bandwidth bonuses they discount NNTP downloads 25% for encoding overhead and headers are free. Even better, any unused gigs are rolled over for future use.
Privacy – Easynews does not monitor or log downloads. They also remove X-headers from all posts to allow for anonymous posting. SSL encryption is free to all members.
Easynews free trial - Easynews is currently offering new customers a 14 day, 10 GB free trial. A great way to test the web client free of charge.
Easynews Price Plans::
- Easynews Big Gig: Unlimite NNTP + 150 GB/mo. - $29.94/mo.
- Easynews Plus: 30 GB/mo. - $14.97/mo.
- Easynews Classic: 20 GB/mo. - $9.98/mo.
- No contracts – pay as you go.
Also, Easynews offers loyalty gigs, which increases download limits. Customers earn additional gigs for every year of continued subscription. Classic accounts earn 1 GB loyalty per year, Plus earn 2 GB, and Big Gig earn 12 GB.
We recommend you start with an Easynews Classic account. Then if you enjoy the web client and want more monthly bandwidth you can always upgrade to a larger plan. Depending on your usage those rollover gigs can accumulate fast.
The unlimited NNTP add-on account is great for those who download a lot and are comfortable using a newsreader. For $19.98 a month ($9.98 Easynews Classic + $10 unlimited NNTP) you can use the web interface and enjoy unlimited Usenet access via your favorite Usenet client.
With Easynews you pay as you go and can cancel anytime. They offer several methods of payment including credit card, cash, and mail-in options. There is also a no-risk money back guarantee for all new subscribers.
Bottom line – Easynews does a great job of leveraging the advantages of their web browser Usenet interface. It sets them apart from everyone else and gives beginners an easy way to get started. We suggest you sign up for a two week free trial and experience the web client for yourself.
