ZipMagic 2000 by Ontrack Data International

Description

Other file compression programs may claim to integrate with Windows, but ZipMagic 2000 really delivers the goods. This incredibly useful compression suite turns compressed zipped archives into normal folders that can be accessed with Windows like any other folder, without having to launch an external program with an unfamiliar interface to work with the zipped archive's contents. Users can run programs directly from an archive, without first decompressing everything to a different directory.

The software can also attempt to fix corrupt file archives so you can salvage some of the contents, and it integrates with popular e-mail programs like Outlook. We really liked the DownloadMagic utility, which made downloading files from the Internet much less frustrating. If the connection is severed in the middle of the download, DownloadMagic gives users the ability to pick up the download where it left off instead of having to start from the beginning of the file. It saved us a lot of time when we were downloading large files via our glacial 28.8 Kbps modem connection.

With all this power on tap one would think ZipMagic 2000 would be difficult to use, but the tight integration with Windows and intuitive main interface turn it into child's play. Eight helpful wizards are included to guide novices through various compression tasks from basic file extraction and compression to more advanced things like e-mailing a zipped archive and backing up files. There are a lot of free compression utilities on the Web right now, but none match the usability, features, or sheer usefulness of ZipMagic 2000. Just be aware when you are working with compressed folders that opening and closing things may be a little slower than you're used to because of the compression and decompression happening in the background. –T. Byrl Baker

Platforms

Windows NT, Mac, Linux, Unix, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 95