Is there still a good, free file compression program?
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From: Tom Harrington on 1 Apr 2010 18:14 In article <Dp7tn.613$z%6.461(a)edtnps83>, Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > Robert Montgomery wrote: > > Tom Harrington wrote: > >> In article <Bg6tn.607$z%6.144(a)edtnps83>, > >> Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > >> > >>> dorayme wrote: > >>>> In article <e94tn.604$z%6.449(a)edtnps83>, > >>>> Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> Is there still a good, free file compression program? > >>>> I use Finder/File/Create Archive all the time to compress files and > >>>> groups of files on Tiger. > >>> Thanks, Dorayme. > >>> > >>> That's so spiffy. > >>> > >>> I had wondered for a long time what "Create Archive" meant. > >> > >> It used to be called "compress files" but they changed it. I can only > >> guess that too many people tried using it with JPEGs or MP3s or other > >> non-compressible files, and complained about the lack of compression. > > > > If they had had common sense by calling it "Compress File for Emailing", > > I wouldn't have had to start this thread today. > > > > The name of the function would have been self-explanatory, so I would > > have figured it out on my own years ago. > > > > "Create Archive" didn't mean anything to me. "Compress Files" is > > self-explanatory. And "Compress Files for Emailing" would connect the > > dots (to Internet use of the files) for people even better. > > > > Robert > > In non-computer terms, "archive" means a place - like a library or > museum � to store things. > > "Archive" doesn't mean "compression", so Apple's previous use of the > term "Compress File" makes a lot more sense than "Archive". Yes, except for the problem I mentioned. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple got a lot of tech support hassle from people who wanted to know why the "compress" option didn't make the file smaller. Can you suggest an alternative that indicates the menu item probably compresses, but maybe not, depending on what kind of file it is? I wouldn't say "archive" is great but having done a fair amount of tech support I sympathize with choosing it. -- Tom "Tom" Harrington Independent Mac OS X developer since 2002 http://www.atomicbird.com/
From: dorayme on 1 Apr 2010 18:25 In article <tph-6A49B0.13520101042010(a)localhost>, Tom Harrington <tph(a)pcisys.no.spam.dammit.net> wrote: > In article <Bg6tn.607$z%6.144(a)edtnps83>, > Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > > > dorayme wrote: > > > In article <e94tn.604$z%6.449(a)edtnps83>, > > > Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > > > > > >> Is there still a good, free file compression program? > > > > > > I use Finder/File/Create Archive all the time to compress files > > > and groups of files on Tiger. > > > > Thanks, Dorayme. > > > > That's so spiffy. > > > > I had wondered for a long time what "Create Archive" meant. > > It used to be called "compress files" but they changed it. I can only > guess that too many people tried using it with JPEGs or MP3s or other > non-compressible files, and complained about the lack of compression. Now that *is* a nice guess. -- dorayme
From: nospam on 1 Apr 2010 18:26 In article <hp354c$kvd$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, Wes Groleau <Groleau+news(a)FreeShell.org> wrote: > If compression is the main purpose, why are they still using zip instead > of one of several more efficient open-source alternatives? because zip is 'good enough' and just about any system can handle it.
From: dorayme on 1 Apr 2010 18:36 In article <bg7tn.609$z%6.404(a)edtnps83>, Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > "Create Archive" didn't mean anything to me. "Compress Files" is > self-explanatory. And "Compress Files for Emailing" would connect the > dots (to Internet use of the files) for people even better. "Compress Files for Emailing" would be too specific, they would then have to have a menu item with exactly the same function in reality for what some of us do, namely compress files and folders and for purposes other than email; for example, for uploading to servers. "Compress files" would not quite capture the function either. For some people, a folder is generally to be contrasted with files. And the files inside it are often further folders. "Create archive" describes it very nicely I think. But perhaps I have gotten too used to it. Imagine compressing most of one's had disk directory content, the phrase nicely captures it. -- dorayme
From: dorayme on 1 Apr 2010 18:40
In article <Dp7tn.613$z%6.461(a)edtnps83>, Robert Montgomery <info-block(a)northern-data-tech.net> wrote: > In non-computer terms, "archive" means a place - like a library or > museum – to store things. > > "Archive" doesn't mean "compression", so Apple's previous use of the > term "Compress File" makes a lot more sense than "Archive". That's a point, true! "Create Archive" suggests *one* of the functions, namely longer term storage. Perhaps the simplest thing would be to use a name that nearly everyone in the world more or less understands and which does not appear to carry any flavour of what specific thing (beyond compression) the result is to be used for. How about "Zip up"? -- dorayme |