Archives. WinRar and Winzip - comparison. Comparison WinZip and WinRar compression, speed and data types

Among the program-archivers are most popular, WinZip and WinRar are most popular. Both archives are very comfortable, so you're best to install two on your computer. What is the difference between these programs?

WinRar was created by the Russian programmer, his name is Evgeny Roshal. Therefore, WinRar is mainly used in Russia and the CIS.

And Winzip is the Western program, she was developed by Phil Katz.

RAR and ZIP are information compression formats. The principle of their work is almost the same, but there are some differences.

WinZip works faster than WinRar, but compresses the data worse. For example, a file of 89 KB WinRar compresses up to 16 KB, and WinZip is only up to 21 kb. The compression speed is almost the same. The difference in compression may be insignificant and even the same in some cases depending on the type of file (text document, graphics, music). But WinRAR in most cases shows a slower speed.

Therefore, we can say that WinRAR is more expedient to use for compression of some small files, and WinZip is to compress large amounts of information.

Both archivers can unzip almost any archive format - a list of these formats is quite impressive. In addition to the archiving itself, these programs provide the user and other features. These include the creation of self-extracting archives, multi-volume archives and more.

A self-expanding archive is needed if you need to send a file to the addressee, which has no archiver program. The format of such an archive is EXE, and to extract the data, you just need to open it, and the archive will unpack yourself. However, the size of such an archive will be slightly more.

The creation of a multi-volume archive will be useful to you if you need to divide one file (for example, a big film) into several interconnected archives. It is impossible to unzip them individually individually, you need to collect the entire multi-volume archive on one computer and only after that unpack.

Winzip and WinRar are multilingual programs, so it's not difficult to master them. As for the convenience of the interface, here these archivers also have some differences.

To create an archive in WinRAR, you need to select certain files, click "Add to Archive", after which you can specify the name archive, format, the necessary options and start the archive.

And to create an archive in WinZip, you must first give the archive name, but only then select files for archiving. At the same time, the folder does not coincide with the one where the user creates an archive, but is the latter, from where the files archived. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the same path 2 times to create a archive where files are for archiving.

Icons of archived files of archworomethi Winzip and WinRar are shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6 - Archive files icons of WinRar and WinZip

Publication Date: 01/21/2011

In this article, I want to tell you about such famous archivers as WinZip and WinRar. But, first, let's deal with what archives are ...

The archiver is such a computer program that allows you to compress files, thereby reducing their size. Archive files are needed in order to save space on a rigid disk. However, modern computers have a large scope of the hard disk, therefore, archivers, mainly use when sending files via the Internet.

For example, you want to transfer to a friend by email photos ... If you attach your photos to your email, you will see that their size is very large, and you will have to wait long (depending on the speed of the Internet) sending a letter. And you can put all your photos into the archive, then they will "weigh" much less, and therefore the time to send a letter with photos is much smaller.

You probably have often noticed that, downloading anything on the Internet, it comes to you in the form of an archive. Then you click on the right key of the archive and choose the item. extract files.

If you need to add something to the archive, you also click the right mouse button on the file / folder and select item add to archive.

The most popular archivers for Windows in the world are WinZip and WinRar.

Licensed versions of these archivers are considerable money. However, almost every user has "cracked" (hacked) versions of these programs. Therefore, I advise you to install on your computer and WinZip, and WinRAR. There is a question, but or rather two questions: what is the difference between them? What better to use?

WinRar came up with Russian programmer Evgeny Roshal (RAR - R.oshal. ARchiver). Therefore, this archiver is used mainly in Russia and the CIS countries. Archiver WinZip - Western Development created by Phil Kape. Zip and Rar are data compression formats. The principles of compression of information they have almost the same. But there are some features ...

WinRar compresses information better than WinZip. However, WinZip works much faster. I compared these archives by archiving files of various formats (squeezed to the maximum). That's what happened:

1) Microsoft Word Document 89 KB: WinZip - 21 KB; WinRar - 16 KB. (WinRar is much better, the compression speed is almost the same).
2) video in Forath FLV size 9,723 KB: WinZip - 9,669 KB; WinRAR - 9,674 KB. (The difference is insignificant, but Winzip coped with archiving at times faster).
3) ADOBE Photoshop project file 586 KB: WinZip - 258 KB; WinRAR - 179 KB. (WinRAR has squeezed the file better, but also time to this is a little more).
4) Figure JPEG in size 414 KB: WinZip - 388 KB; WinRAR - 389 KB. (No difference, and the speed of compression was the same).
5) Text document in TXT format 37 KB: Both archivers cleaned the file to 1 KB!
6) Music track in mp3 format 8.041 KB: WinZip - 7,759 KB; WinRAR - 7,748 KB. (WinRar is a little better, but archived terribly long !!!)

As a result, WinRar showed that it is better compressing the data, but it does it very slowly. Conclusion: if you squeeze something small, then use WinRAR; If you squeeze something big, then use WinZip.

In principle, these archivers can unzip any format of the archive (well, not any, but the list of supported formats is quite large).

By the way, some have an idea, and is it possible to shove one archive to another, and that in the next, etc., thereby theoretically squeezing the file to a negligible size. In this case, you will have to go for a trick. Archivers do not have such a menu or item where one archive could be shovel into another. I did this: Created 10 pieces of WinZip files. The first crushed the text in the RTF format, in the second crossed the first archive, etc. But nothing happened, the file size not only has not changed, but also increased slightly (this is due to the fact that the subsequent archive had to memorize the path to the previous one, thereby increasing the size of the information of each subsequent archive). With WinRar the same pies ...

These archivers multilanguage, and therefore in their development you will not have problems. In addition to standard archiving, archivers have many other features (creating a self-expanding archive, creating a multi-volume archive, etc.).

Creature self-extracting The archive is needed in order if someone you send an archive, there are no program-archivers. Such an archive (EXE format) is simply run enough, and it will unpack itself (but also the size of such an archive a little more).

Multi-volume The archive is needed in order to break the file in several archives (which are interrelated among themselves). For example, you have two flash cards for 2 GB. However, the film you want to show a friend weighs 3 GB. Then you create a multi-volume archive, breaking the film for two archives smaller (each of which is placed on the USB flash drive). However, if you try to unzip them separately, then you will not succeed. Therefore, you need to first transfer a multi-volume archive to a computer, and then unpacking (pressing extract files From the first archive, the rest unzipped themselves).

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What computer mouse to choose

One of the first questions arising from a person who has just installed the operating system - which of the popular and public archivers to choose to work with archive files? Take advantage of popular WinZip, WinRAR or look for an alternative? The criteria for choosing a simple user are usually quite obvious, but it is hardly objective - which is easier to download which interface is like more, which link was open first in the results of search engines.

However, the key factor becomes the format obtained to unpack the file.

Early WinZip versions did not know how to unpack RAR format files. WinRAR, on the contrary, supported both compression formats - both RAR, and ZIP. Despite the fact that in the latest versions of WinZip support for RAR files is implemented, not all users know about it. And therefore continue to make a choice in favor of the "multi-format" WinRAR. It is also worth noting that, starting with the XP version, reading and unpacking the ZIP files are possible by the staff of the Windows operating system.

Let's try to approach the question of choosing an archiver from computer professionals and answer the question - how many program-archivers differ not only when reading and unpacking archives, but also when creating them.

Basic criteria when choosing an archiver

1. Supported operating systems

WinZip: OS Windows, Mac OS X, IOS, Android.

WinRAR: OS Windows Mac OS X, will also have to place also fans of Linux, FreeBSD, but not supported by operating systems for Apple mobile devices.

2. Distribution conditions of archiver

Both programs apply to the principle of a conditionally free license. The period of the WinRar trial is 40 days, for WinZip - 21. WinRAR for Android is distributed free of charge.

3. Command Line Support

Both programs also support work from the command line.

As can be seen from the above-described, with an organizational point of view, working with WinZip and WinRar is similar. The main differences between the programs are manifested when performing the main function - archiving files.

Key features of WinZip and WinRar programs

1. The format of the formed archives is Zip and Zipx for WinZip, for WinRar - Zip and RAR. The most important difference lies not so much in the program-archivers themselves, as in the format of the output file. According to the results of numerous tests, the quality of the file compression into the RAR format at the maximum archiving mode is higher, but the speed of creation of ZIP files exceeds RAR. WinRar has the ability to select one of the six levels of compression - from the maximum to simple packaging of files to the archive without compression, which reduces the file archiving time, increasing its final size.
2. In WinRar, a functionality of creating self-extracting (T.N.SFX-archives), as well as multivolume archives, is implemented. The latter is a very useful opportunity, if the medium of information on which the archive is transmitted, or another transmission channel does not allow you to skip the large file. For WinZip, there is also the possibility of creating self-extracting archives, but this requires installing an additional WinZip Self-Extractor utility, or its abbreviated version - free (with a general license) WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition utility.
3. In WinRar, there is a formal limit on the file size - 8.59 billion gigabytes. In WinZip version 18.0, the restriction is completely removed (in previous versions was 4 gigabytes).
4. For data recovery in case of damage to the archive in WinRar, there is the possibility of adding additional redundant data into it.
5. WinZip uses special algorithms for archiving sound files.

It is also worth mentioning that in both programs support file encryption 128 and 256-bit keys and support for file names in Unicode.

Additional differences WinZip and WinRar

As long as WinRar developers are concentrated on file compression algorithms, several useful additional features are developed and implemented, directly affecting the speed and archiving quality:

1. Support for the FTP protocol to place archives immediately to the file server. There is a possibility of downloading the entire file of the entire file, as well as individual files and directory inside it directly from the WinZip application.
2. Backup. Ability to automatically create backup copies of important documents. Scheduled and with specified parameters will create an archive.
3. Record archives on CD or DVD carriers. Creating a copy of the archive file to the laser media without leaving the WinZip application.
4. Sending archives by email. The ability to create alerts on a successful or unsuccessful archival execution, while the archive file can be attached to the body of the letter, or place it in the cloud, in the body of the letter only referring to the link. Using the free (if there is a general license), the WinZip Courier utility can send emails manually without leaving the WinZip application immediately after completing the archiving process. In this case, the installation of the mail client to the work machine is optional.
5. Creating PDF files. WinZip Before archiving Microsoft Office documents, it can be converted to a PDF file with watermarks.
6. Image editor. In Winzip, it is possible to change the size of the source image, as well as the application of watermarks on it.
7. Publication of files in popular social networks Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as in the cloud services of Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox by pressing one button.

conclusions

Summing up, it is impossible not to note the similarity of the archivers presented in the review. For unpacking, reading and simple file archiving by an inexperienced user, WinRar and WinZip products are twin brothers. But for more serious purposes, as in the case of any other software, the choice must be done, guided by the spectrum of tasks performed.

If you need a high-quality archiver, providing maximum compression (with reasonable speed loss), the use of complex settings when archiving or simply creating multi-volume or self-extracting archives - it makes sense to purchase WinRAR.

If you wish to get an administrator program that does not only pack files, but also possession of them on the FTP or write to the disk, send an email, publishes on popular cloud storage resources of information or on social networks, will automatically create backup copies - WinZip will automatically create an excellent assistant In such matters. At the same time, it provides a high speed of compression of documents - WinZip is better suitable for archiving large files, in the case when the time spent is critical.

Help Menu

It concentrates all the necessary modes to receive a user reference and auxiliary information required to develop an application program or to resolve the application resulting from its use. Menu Help. It contains only two modes.

Mode Contents. Initializes the built-in search and reference system, from which the user can learn a wide range of information. Mode About WinRAR is designed to output a kind of business card program.

WinRAR latest version fully supports archives rAR and zip.And without problems are managed with the archives of other formats. That is, in addition to the full support of archives rAR and zip.In WinRar implemented support for basic operations for format archives cab, Arj, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE and UUE, Created using other archiving programs. These include: Removing files, as well as view the contents of the archive, comments and information about the archive. To work with these archives, no additional programs are needed. And this is an undoubted advantage of the WinRar archiver.

WinRar provides:

· Full support for RAR and ZIP archives;

· Original highly efficient data compression algorithm;

· Multimedia interface (Drag & Drop);

· Managing other formats archives (CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE, UUE);

· Creating self-extracting (SFX) conventional and multi-volume archives using standard or additional SFX modules;

· Support for continuous (Solid) archives, multivolume archives; Encryption, add archival comments (with support for ANSI ESC sequences), Maintain error protocol, etc.

In addition to WinRar, the package includes a file Rar.exe.. It is also a 32-bit RAR version for Windows, but it only supports the command line interface and works in text mode. Usually the RAR console version is used to call from batch files (BAT and CMD), to start from the MS DOS and other invitation. It supports more commands and keys on the command line than WinRar.

WinRAR can be used in two ways: in the graphics shell mode with the standard Windows interface and in the commendine string.

Like WinZip, WinRar is fully integrated with the Windows environment, allowing you to operate with files and archives using the conductor and context menus.

Both formats - RAR and ZIP - support encryption. To encrypt files, you must specify the password before archiving on the command prompt or in the menu. In RAR and ZIP formats, original encryption algorithms are used, however, encryption in WinRar is significantly more reliable. If you need to encrypt important information, it is better to choose the format of the WinRAR archive. To ensure a sufficient security level, use passwords of at least 8 characters long. If you lose your password, you will not be able to restore encrypted files from the archive. True, encryption does not give 100% guarantee that your information will be protected from prying eyes.

The main advantage of WinZip is its popularity. So, most of the archives in the Internet have zip format. On the other hand, in this case, you can send self-extracting SFX archives (SFX, Self-Extracting). Such archives are slightly more common, but for their unpacking no additional programs are required. Self-extracting archive - This is an archive to which the executable module is attached. This module allows you to extract files by simply starting the archive as a regular program. SFX archives, like any other executable files, usually have an extension. eXE.True, if you want to create a STF archive for small files, then the loss, in the amount of comparison with the usual RAR or Zip, is very significant. Another thing is quite large files. There is a undoubted leader - STF. The difference in the amount will be about 0.1-5%.

Another advantage of WinZip is speed. The WinZip archives are usually created faster than WinRar archives. RAR format In most cases, it provides substantially better compression than Zip, especially in the mode of creating continuous archives. Another important WinRar opportunity is support for multivolume archives. They are much more convenient and easier to use than the so-called "split disks" (Span Disk) WinZip archives. In addition, RAR format has several important features that are missing for ZIP, for example, adding information to restore, which allows you to restore a physically damaged file, and blocking important archives to prevent them of random modification.

The continuous archive is the RAR archive packed in a special way, in which all compressible files are considered as one sequential data stream. Continuous archiving increases the compression ratio, especially when adding a significant number of small similar files. However, it is manifested only in the absence of some opportunities inherent in ordinary archives, as well as in a slightly larger time on their archiving.

In both formats, six archiving methods are supported: Without compression, speed, fast, normal, good, maximum. Maximum The method provides the highest compression ratio, but at the lowest speed. On the contrary High-speed Squeezes bad, but very fast. Method Without compression Just places files into the archive without their packaging. If you create an archive for distribution or for long storage, it may make sense to sacrifice time and choose a method Maximum For best compression. If you create a daily backup of data, then, as a rule, it is better to use Normal method.

Div.Main (Margin-Left: 20pt; Margin-Right: 20pt) WinZip or WinRar: Choose to taste
maxim Stepin

It is difficult to find a personal computer user who never worked with archival programs. How to transfer many files on one diskette? How to send a voluminous document by email? How to save old data so that they do not occupy a lot of space and if necessary, were easily accessible? Anyone who has ever asked such questions, knows the answer and uses archival program programs.

There are many programs there are a great set. Let's recall a number of archival file extensions: ARJ, ZIP, RAR, CAB, LHA, ICE, PAK, HA, ZOO, AIN, YAC, UC2, HAP, PAH, JAR, BOA, ACB, 777, X1, UFA, IMP , BIX, ARI, SQZ, AKT. Impressive, isn't it? But it is clear that, on the one hand, this list is not full: there are archivers written "for themselves", there is for use within the company, etc. On the other hand, this list is unnecessarily complete: one person does not need to use several dozen Different formats. And no one, of course, does not. What formats of archive files are most common to date?

DOS version of the RAR archiver. The built-in shell quickly made the archiver popular.

The first to mind comes, of course, Zip: This format has become practically a de facto in the Internet. Generally speaking, it is recommended to use the ZIP format, because in this case you can safely transmit archival files to other people and be sure that there will be no problems with unpacking. What kind of program to use to work with archive files of this format is another question, the answer to which will partially be given below text.

Console Far Manager Far. Created by the author of the RAR archiver. It has built-in support for quite a large number of archiving formats.

Rar format is widely known - it was developed by the Russian programmer Evgeny Roshal. A sharp increase in the popularity of the corresponding archiver contributed to the presence of a built-in graphic shell in the first DOS versions. Mark multiple files and click the button - this is not at all what you dial a long command line with a bunch of options. In addition to the convenience of use, the quality of the archiver itself is very high. This allowed RAR to become one of the most common formats on the territory of our country.

Another archiver - Ultra Compressor. It has a shell to facilitate file operations. It does not use big popularity, although the product is quite interesting.

ARJ Not so long ago was one of the most popular data archiving formats. The popularity of the archiver ARJ has gained a large number of options. In particular, it was very convenient to break the archive of the archive on the volume with the subsequent unpacking along the same. Before the emergence of RAR and the distribution of Internet ARJ, it was perhaps the most running format on the territory of the former USSR. Now I would not say that Arj is also popular as before, although certainly known.

DOS Navigator is a very famous file manager for DOS. Provides support for most compression formats.

CAB is a standard format of packaged Microsoft files. The corresponding packaging program is one of the most advanced and optimized products. Algorithms are not published and not described, because many specialists are slowly sitting on themselves and lick on CAB.

JAR - java archiver. Standard format adopted when working with Java means. Based on ZIP format.

HA is a very slow archiver, but with a very high degree of compression, especially on text files. Often used when working with various collections of texts.

LZH is a very old format. It was popular before the appearance of Arj. Now it is rare (mainly in old archives).

The remaining formats are perhaps less common and rarely come across. In any case, you need to remember that the file extension is usually the name of the archiver.

WinRAR program: We view the archive file. Completely familiar interface of the standard file manager.

As part of this article, it is unrealistic to consider many archivers, so it is, in fact, and do not need. Let us dwell on the two most common ZIP and RAR formats and the relevant archival programs - WinZip 7.0 and WinRAR 2.60. Both programs have a Windows GUI interface (graphic) and provide all the necessary functionality when working with archives.

WinZip: We view the archive file. To understand the directory structure within the archive, you need to look at the extreme right column. It is a bit unusual, although tolerant.

So, what compression formats support these programs? Obviously, WinZip understands Zip, and WinRar understands RAR. But not everything is so simple. In addition to these basic formats, both programs understand some others. WinZip can view and unpack the files of traditional for UNIX systems of TAR, Z, GZ, TAZ and TGZ formats. Create archives in these formats, as well as add files to already existing WinZip does not know how. On the other hand, whether it is necessary? Sorry for the slang, but Windows, so to speak, Windows, and Unix - respectively, Unix and. Next, the WinZip program understands the internet formats common in Internet via email: UueNcode, XXENCODE, BINHEX and MIME. You can extract the data encoded in this way, as well as encode in the UUENCODE format. Winzip understands Microsoft - Cab formats and more "ancient" Microsoft Compress, often called LZExpand. In addition to these built-in features, WinZip supports ARC, ARJ and LZH formats, but only in the presence of appropriate external utilities.

And what does WinRar offer us? Full built-in support for zip-format. Cab, ArJ and LZH are limited to supported by appropriate external utilities. It limits that you can view and unpack, but you cannot create and modify files such formats.

Winzip and WinRar are very similar in appearance. There are also different ways of presenting a tree of subdirectories inside the archive. Winzip shows all the "one pile" files in a separate column. And it fully complies with the method of storing information about the path inside the archive: The path is an optional file attribute. But in WinRar, the subdirectories of the ZIP file are depicted carefully, as it should be relying. To see what's inside, you need to produce a traditional double click on the folder you are interested in. It is more familiar and, perhaps, convenient.

WinRAR: Compression rating function. You can first estimate, and then archive.

Let's touch other interface moments: for example, convenience in creating archives and in their unpacking. Here the difference between the approach is also felt. WinRAR always shows a specific folder that can be changed in the same way as it is done in the usual Windows Explorer. Therefore, the ideology of work is: the user chooses the files you need, clicks the Add button and receives a dialog that the archive file name is set (with the ability to view), the archiving format (RAR or ZIP) and the various archiving options. After that, you can run the archiving process. To unpack, you need to find the desired archive file, go inside it, mark the necessary files and press extract.

WinZip has a slightly different interface. When the user makes a new archive, first it is proposed to enter the name of the archive, after which the file selection dialog is displayed for archiving, and the current folder does not match the one where we create an archive, but is the latter from which the files archived. Personally, I am very uncomfortable to choose two times the same way if you want to create a archive in the place where files are for archiving (in my opinion, absolutely logical desire). After selecting files, you can finally run the archiving process. As for unzipping, a similar approach is used. Pressing the Open button causes a new dialog. By choosing an archive file in it, we get its contents in the main window.

WinRAR: Create a new archive. Available many options. What other archives need external programs are needed by simple arrangement of checkboxes in Checkbox "ah.

Personally, the WinRAR approach is more logical. In any case, the number of pop-up dialogues is less, which is more convenient and less confusing.

In addition to the basic functions of the UPA forging and unpacking, both programs have many other useful features. Consider them.

Breaking the archive on the volume. WinZip offers this feature only in the case of creating a self-extracting archive, and the size of the volume will be determined by the presence of a free space on the carrier where archiving is made. It is called all this in WinZip Spanning terminology. WinRAR offers a more flexible and universal method: in the archive creation dialog there is an input field where you can set the volume size in bytes or specify an automatic definition (Autodetect).

Creating self-extracting archives

WinZip provides this feature as a separate program - WinZip Self-Extractor Personal Edition. It can create a self-expanding file as a 32- or 16-bit executable code. As for WinRAR, this archiver will make a self-extractor if you simply set the option when creating an archive. What type of this file will be a separate question. There are no explicit settings and options, although WinRar creates executable files for Windows GUI interfaces, Console Win32, DOS and OS / 2. This variety is set as follows: In the WinRar installation directory there are files with the SFX extension. They are different self-extracting supplements. According to their names, it is easy to understand, "Who is who" - dos.sfx, os2.sfx, etc. To create a self-expanding archive, use the default.sfx file. Thus, renaming the file you need in Default, you will get the desired result. This, of course, is somewhat more complicated than in WinZip, and for an unprepared user can become a serious problem. On the other hand, the above-mentioned unprepared user rarely have to create self-discovery RAR archives for OS / 2, and the default setting (for a Windows shell) will arrange in most cases.

WinZip: Create a new archive. The usual dialog box, minimum options and several buttons.

It is funny to talk about the ability to save and restore the tree of subdirectories, about installing a balance between speed and quality of compression, as well as about adding or erasing files in an existing archive. All this is in both archivers. In both products, there is also the possibility of close integration with the shell. Under this implies the installation of default programs to open files of certain types (of course, referred to the supported types of archives) and add programs to context menus.

WinRAR is more saturated with rare options, such as Solid archives. In the event of this installation, the WinRar flag will be interpreted all the packaged files as one large flow of information. Another interesting option is the use of multimedia compression. This algorithm shows good results when archiving uncompressed audio information (for example, WAV files) or high-color pictures.

The WinRar program includes the repair feature of archives - REPAIR. You can try to restore all available RAR or Zip files. At the same time, the _recover.rar or _reconst.rar archive will be created from the recovered files (well, or.zip if the ZIP archive was restored). The chances of a prosperous repair will significantly increase if there is a Recovery Record - the so-called "fixing record". As for WinZip, this program itself does not contain the remedies. For these purposes, you need to use the PKZIPFIX program from the PKWARE DOS archiver from the PKWare.

WinRAR: Unpack the archive. You can specify a folder for unpacking and specify a variety of additional options.

Okay. All the above was interesting, but is it important when you compare two archivers? No no and one more time no. The main thing is the quality of its main tasks. And here the key parameters are the quality of compression and speed of work. In order not to reinvent the bike, I will give open data from a very reputable source - Archive COMPARISON TEST by Jeff Gilchrist (see, for example, Act.by.net Web site). From several large and detailed tables, data relating to WinZip 7.0 and WinRAR 2.60 archivers were retrieved.

WinZip archiver: Configure external programmatory programs. It can be "loracing" files, creators of self-extracting archives, antivirus programs, etc.

Tests were performed on the Intel Pentium 200 MHz computer, 64 MB of EDO RAM, HDD WD 3.1 GB, Windows 98. The purpose of the experiment was to obtain the maximum compression degree permitted by various settings.

1. Compression of texts

Three books were pored in one archive: English Translation of the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (1.3 MB); Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (0.58 MB); 1995 Cia World Fact Book (2.99 MB).

Archiver Compression time Unpacking time Archive size Winzip. 16.31 S. 1.67 S. 1.57 MB WinRar 60.82 S. 2.13 S. 1.24 MB

2. Compression of graphic files

In one archive, 12 TIFF files were pored, a total of 12.47 MB.

Archiver Compression time Unpacking time Archive size Winzip. 29.42 S. 4.65 S. 5.09 MB WinRar 47.67 S. 15.68 S. 4.12 MB

3. Compression of executable programs

In one archive, Dos Chemical Analysis Program distributions (0.44 MB), Windows 95/98 Netscape Navigator V 4.06 (2.9 MB) and Linux 2.x Pine E-Mail Program (1.56 MB).

Archiver Compression time Unpacking time Archive size Winzip. 22.07 C. 1.87 C. 2.14 MB WinRar 66,41 S. 21,34 S. 1.95 MB

As it is not difficult to understand, WinRar always wins according to the degree of compression. The described ACT test includes several other results blocks, including for a selection of differential files, but the situation is similar: WinRar provides a higher compression, though it works more slowly. It should be noted that real WinRar is not so slow. If when working with this archiver is satisfied with the compression at the appropriate level of WinZip, then the speed of operation will not be very different (and sometimes WinRar can be and quickly). Just the essence of the ACT test is the achievement of the greatest compression.

Thus, you can make an unambiguous choice: WinRar provides better compression quality, more options, has a much more intuitive interface. The only indisputable advantage of WinZip is working with UNIX format files. But in general, there is a lot of free utilities with similar functions similar to WinZip, and it all depends on the tastes of a particular user. So our advice is simple: clearly imagine, the solution of what tasks you require from this or that archiver, and then your choice will be reasonable and practical.