Today most online casinos offer software in both the download and in the no download formats. The first decision a player has to make while signing at an online casino is whether to opt for the download format or the no download format. Therefore players should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both flash casinos and regular download casinos like casino bonuses, game availibility, and more.
Download casino software has to be installed on the player’s computer and the player has then to connect via the Internet to the casino’s server to carry out gaming and financial transactions. The downloading and installing of the online casino is a one-time activity. The software files range from 5MB to 20 MB depending on the number of games and software complexity and after installation the hard disc space usage can go up to 40MB. Hence players must ensure that they have this kind of space available. In the no download software the player opens the online casino games in the browser of his computer while connected to the casino. Once the connection with the casino’s servers is severed the games no longer exist in the browser and the player has to start from scratch. Hence the no download software does not utilize any hard disc space. This can be significant advantage for a player who loves casino hopping.
Today the download software runs only on PCs using Windows operating system. It does not run on Mac or Linux. Whereas no download software runs on all operating systems and therefore players who are not operating on Windows are constrained to use the no download software. The older no download software was Java based and did not require any plug-ins. The new no download software however requires plug-ins like Flash or Shockwave. These can be downloaded and installed for free.
Another major drawback of no download software is that it has a restricted number of games. Microgaming casinos download software has over 300 games. However the no download version has only about 70 games. But this disadvantage may be only notional because usually the no download software covers the stand, popular and even new games. RTG casinos also have flash and download versions with just about 100 games in both versions.
One of the criticisms of the download version is that the downloading and installation can take ten odd minutes even when using a broadband connection. With a no download connection a player can be wagering in minutes. In order to overcome this drawback most download software now come with a play-as-you-download feature. A few of the popular games download first and the player can start wagering on these games while the rest of the software downloads.
When the no download software was first introduced the quality was considerably poorer than that of download games. Though the quality has improved over time the difference is still perceptible. The first observation is that the graphics are poorer in the no download software. The stability of the download format is better because it is not subject to Internet lags. The no download software can have severe accessibility problems with firewalls. Some experts also say that the no download software is not as secure as the download software. However the greatest advantage the download software offers is its configurability and the multimedia options that are available.
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