The first compression program I ever used was the MS-DOS version of PKZIP. And in fact PKWARE still sells that DOS version to this day.
When I found WinZip I immediately switched over to it just because it was so much easier. Instead of having to remember a bunch of command line crap, I could just check a few boxes instead.
Concerning the Windows OS, compressed files have been natively supported since Windows XP. You open them up just like you would folders. However as anyone that uses compressed files regularly knows, the native XP support is minimal and doesn’t give you too many options to work with.
This is why people still prefer to use a separate file compression program.
In modern day we’re fortunate enough to have some really good compression program options, both free and paid.
Here’s a few you may want to check out:
PKWARE has had a Windows version of their software for a good long time, although I’ve never seen anyone use it. This is a paid app at $29. One of the perks of the software is that if you use Microsoft Outlook, PKZIP can be set to automatically ZIP file attachments to mails that you send. In addition, the software claims it can handle files up to 9 exabytes in size.
Mentioned above. Paid application. I’ve known a few people who are diehard WinZip fans and won’t use anything else. It is probably the easiest to use of the bunch. Cost is $29.95.
This app has always been better than WinZip for the power user. It’s a paid app but only slightly less expensive than WinZip at $29.
Free app. Ugly as sin but does the job. Does ZIP and RAR easily. I also find that 7-Zip makes "spanning" easy. Example: You have 2GB worth of files and want to span the archive into 700MB files for easy CD storage. 7-Zip does that in a very straightforward way that’s simple.
Another freebie. It’s billed as having the best features of 7-Zip and RAR rolled into one. It is actively supported as the most recent version was released April 28 2009. Definitely not vaporware.
Yet another freebie. I like the fact that right on their home page they list the downloads in easy reach. It has both 32 and 64-bit versions, and a portable edition as well. For Vista and Windows 7 users, this is the one I would recommend. It’s got the power where it needs it and integrates into the OS nicely.
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