[BlackDove]

Well, the thing is, to legally use WinZip or WinRAR to encode / decode anything, you're supposed to buy it.  Now, if you use 7-zip, you can legally encode / decode anything, except the RAR format, which however you can decode freely.  The only ppl who need a licence are the distributors.

Yeah, that's really been an issue for me for the past 12 years. Clicking the "close" button on the evaluation copy. I just don't know how I live with myself.

[takashi]

LOL. nice one.

[jr2]

Well, it's a PIA... I used to do it too, until I found 7-zip a few months ago.  Why would you ever go back?  (Unless you had to create a RAR file... that's an entirely different story.)

[Huggybaby]

7-Zip 4.45 beta was released.

date: 2007-04-17

7-Zip for 32-bit Windows:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z445.exe

7-Zip for 32-bit Windows (MSI installer):
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z445.msi

7-Zip for 64-bit Windows x64:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z445-x64.msi

7-Zip for 64-bit Windows IA64:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z445-ia64.msi

Download links redirect to download page on SourceForge.net

What's new:

    - Now it's possible to specify the size of solid block and the number
      of CPU threads in "Add to archive" dialog box.
    - Default dictionary size was increased: Normal: 16 MB, Max: 32 MB.
    - Speed optimizations.
    - Benchmark was improved (new "b" command in command line version).
    - The number of DLL files was reduced.
    - Now it's possible to associate 7-zip with combined types like .tbz2
    - switch -mhcf=off is not supported now.
    - If -t{Type} switch is not specified, 7-Zip now uses extension of archive to
      detect the type of archive.
    - Some bugs were fixed.
    - New localization: Welsh.

[Goober5000]

    - New localization: Welsh.

Ooh.  Good news for DEM.

[Grizzly]

RAR is also proprietary enough...

I would rather we all use tar.bz2 and tell the windows users to use 7-zip to extract

 

RAR works with that to.

[Scooby_Doo]

*waits for someone to suggest SIT files*

[karajorma]

Suggests .lha instead.

[Scuddie]

*waits for someone to suggest SIT files*

The maccees would go crazy...

[phatosealpha]

WinXP handles .zip files natively.  In terms of broad capabilities without needing extra software, I would expect that pretty much makes it an instant slaughter in favor of .zip.

[Flaser]

WinXP handles .zip files natively.  In terms of broad capabilities without needing extra software, I would expect that pretty much makes it an instant slaughter in favor of .zip.

Actually being "XP" compatible is not enough, it also has to be:

• cross platform
• open source/free

Still, AFAIK zip IS all of theese.

[jr2]

Yeah, that's really been an issue for me for the past 12 years. Clicking the "close" button on the evaluation copy. I just don't know how I live with myself.

'Specially as you wait for the 15 seconds it takes for the close button to become valid...

[WMCoolmon]

Yeah, that's really been an issue for me for the past 12 years. Clicking the "close" button on the evaluation copy. I just don't know how I live with myself.

'Specially as you wait for the 15 seconds it takes for the close button to become valid...

That's 15 seconds of your life you'll never have back. The youth are always so wasteful...

[Mars]

Out of curiosity... is there anyone out there who can't open .rar files?

Or is it like Wikipedia who tries desperately to maintain compatibility for all those poor fools out there who use Lynx

[jr2]

Anybody can d'l 7-zip.  Anybody can use 7-zip to open .rar files.  So, I guess the answer is no.