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UltimateZip by Oliver von Schleusen |
UltimateZip is an extremely good compression utility which supports all major compression extensions. Complete with a skinable toolbar!! Freeware for none commercial use! |
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UltimateZip by UltimateZip.com (As of July 13,2004, this program has been updated since this reivew! Some features may have changed!) Compressed files can be obtained in many formats. Some have been developed into .exe's which start at the click of a pointer. Some however are compressed using one of the many formats available such as .zip, .arc, and .arj. To uncompress these, a utility is needed. UltimateZip is an archive utility which fits the bill rather nicely with features that make both compressing and uncompressing files a breeze. Platform........ Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, XP, NT, 2000!! Web Site.......... The web site for UltimateZip has a nicely organized layout, allowing accessibility to all of the major areas right from the index page. To the left is a small menu area with the initial display screen showing the highlights, complete with screenshots. Nothing like getting right to the meat and potatoes!! :) The color and fonts used make this site easy on the eyes. There's nothing too fancy here, just the facts. Downloading........ Size zipped: 2.4 megs (.exe file) Size Installed: about 4.0 megs plus system files) Installation.......... UltimateZip uses a standard installation utility to get itself on your computer. The usual windows show such as EULA, the place you want to install it to, where the shortcuts go, additional tasks, and away you go! Help Files.......... The help file contains complete and in depth information on the functions of the UltimateZip program but has no screenshots. Interface............. The interface of UltimateZip is very comparable to other commercial and shareware zipping utilities such as Winzip and PowerArchiver. Everything is clear and easy to reach. The buttons along the top are configurable and also skinable, with a nice collection of skins available from their site. They also provide a utility for downloading which allows you to make your own skins. Another nice addition I like (which I'm finding in many freeware programs now) is the menu icons. I just LOVE 'em!! An option allows you to set these menu items to look like the Office XP style, which is rather neat! The listing window can be setup to show grid lines to seperate the files, or you can just set UltimateZip to list the contents without all of the details. Here's a pick of the interface with a menu open to show you the regular setup: The configuration interface consists of six tabbed pages in a window which allow you to set the program the way you wish. UltimateZip allows you to configure the column info, list view, formats, folders, toolbar skins plus more. Here's a pic of the configuration window: Features........... For compression, UltimateZip handles the usual configuration of extensions such as Zip, Blak Hole, Cabinet, Jar ,Lha ,GZip ,Tar and Tar-GZip archives and also handles even more for decompression such as .arj, .zoo plus more! This is a nice array and should handle just about any file you may come across. There's archive conversion, .zip repair, .zip and mail, and much, much more. UltimateZip allows the integration of your favorite virus scanning software if it supports it plus, there are additions to my file managers for right clicking access. There is also checkout and install features and for those working with multiple files, a batch compressor and extractor! If you take into consideration the skinable tool bar, menu icons, ease of use and all the listed features above (plus the ones I've missed!), you can see how UltimateZip's features compare to some of the high end shareware archive programs such as WinZip and Power Archiver. Does it Work........... Yes, and it's extremely fast too. There isn't any unnecessary baggage to this program which allows for great speeds when compressing and uncompressing. It doesn't matter if you need this program just to open a few downloads, or if you're into software development, UltimateZip will fill your needs. Problems......... None! It has worked flawlessly for me for quite some time (ever since Power Archiver went shareware!). Closing......... Everyone who travels on the internet will need an archive utility at one time or another. UltimateZip fit's the bill! as it is everything you'll need for your compression needs. Don't delay! If you haven't checked out this nice collection of code yet to give it a try, get it now! You won't be sorry! Enjoy Buzzy J
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