WinZip is finally making a new version available to the public despite it still being in the Beta stage. It definitely took them long enough make WinZip 11 but it will now support RAR archives, well, they only let you extract them. I think it is pretty funny that they have been working on WinZip 11 for who knows how long and they only support the extraction of RAR files? Heck if I just wanted to extract RAR files I would use 7-Zip which is a free application that does practically everything WinZip does.
I have been a WinRAR user forever and normally I just let it continually run in trial mode but when they offered it for free a few months back I swooped in and snatched that up. WinRAR is definitely my favorite archival software and I’m kinda surprised to hear that people still use WinZip. When I setup a computer for someone, however, 7-Zip is definitely the tool that I install because people find it even easier to use than WinZip normally.
If you still decide that you want to give WinZip 11 a try then head on over to their download page. All the way at the bottom of that page there is a download button and once you press that your download should be initiated. You shouldn’t really expect to see too many new things besides the RAR support after you get it up and running but here is a full list of changes for those curious minds.
7-Zip is nice but it clutters up the context menu. At least WinZip context menu expands to save space.
I used to have winzip back in the Win ME days, but now I use winRAR, especially since most archives I meet are in 7zip or rar. I use portable 7zip fo ron the go zippping.
Oh, and the computers at school use winzip. I don’t know why though, since Windows has built in file compression/decompression :p
For a cascaded context menu in 7-Zip, open up the 7-Zip File Manager, go to Tools > Options > Plugins > Options, and check the box titled Cascaded context menu.
That’s what I was just about to say
Well Winzip is a piece of garbage, it’s hardly improved over the last 8 years. It amazes me that I still see it on computers all the time, and hear about it a lot. Seems to me the only thing they ever change is the GUI. All the features that they are bosting for Winzip 11 are things that have been available in other pieces of software for 6+ years now. PowerArchiver, another commercial product, is far superior, although I’d say free Tugzip takes the award.
No program will ever legaly support creating RAR files, seeing as how the guy that developed RAR has restricted people from doing so with the RAR algorithms license, competing products are only allowed to support decompression. However some products, Tugzip being one of these, have the ability to plug in the command line RAR program and seamlessly support RAR.
Doesn’t even look like WinZip got a new GUI for this build.
I never thought to look into the legality of creating a program that can RAR files. That definitely makes sense why I haven’t seen any application that can do that.
TugZip is good, I agree. But when the free WinRAR came along I grabbed it and now love it (good call on this site for pointing out the freebie). As for WinZip, I just laugh. Wny on earth would anyone buy this? Mystery of the universe…
WinZip is completely useless in my opinion. Why would anyone pay for a program that only does things that a plethora of other programs do for free? I like WinRAR myself to make RAR files, but if people are looking for a complete program that does everything that WinZip does (and more, including packing and unpacking RAR files) and is easy to use for beginners I suggest [zipgenius.it] It’s freeware and a really great product.
Great comment! I ask myself that same question every time I find out someone spent a big chunk of change on Norton, McAfee or other Firewall/security/anti-virus products.
