Downloading Wouldn't Be The Same Without It (WinZip)

Member Name: darrenloud

Product:	WinZip
Date:	21/08/01 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use - supports most file formats

Disadvantages: Costs $29 if you wish to purchase it or register a trial version.

What does downloading and zipping have in common?

Well, simply that so many downloads are now compressed with winzip. I have download programs that have been so compressed, the file has probably download twice as fast.

What does Winzip do?

Winzip is a simple compression/archive program that allows you to 'zip up' one or more files into one zip file, compressing them to make the file smaller is size, and easier to manage.

About Winzip:

Winzip is the most popular compression program. It is used by literaly millions of private users and businesses world-wide. There are many different programs that function in much the same way, however, winzip is the program that tends to come on 'cover discs' on the front of magazines, etc.

There are two 'versions' of winzip that come with winzip 7.0:

Winzip Classic - This is a classic interface, very easy to use. Supports drag and drop facilites and allows simple additions to outstanding zip files through an astetically pleasing window.

Winzip Wizard - This a newish feature that does the same as the above version, although it works through a wizard type interface, similar to the windows wizard you may use to add new hardware, for example.

WinZip 7.0 runs on Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me and supports a wide range of different file extensions, including, but not limited to; TAR, gzip, UUencode, XXencode, BinHex, and MIME. ARJ, LZH, and ARC files, supported via external programs and of course .zip files.

The program, as already mentioned, appears on many cover discs on magazines for evaluation use. It is also available to download from the www.winzip.com website. If you get software from either of these methods, it will come with a shareware licence. This means you can use it for 30 days for your evaluation. After this period you will need to register the copy and pay a $29 registration fee (about £20).

I pers
onally like this program for simple extracting and compression, but as far as archiving goes, I prefer other programs, e.g. winace (opinion to follow).

If you haven't got a zip/compression/archive facilities on your computer, I suggest you download the evaluation copy now. It's wel worth it and if you plan on downloading from the internet, the chances are you're going to need it.

Summary: