![]() StuffIt also integrates with Microsoft Office 2003 and can create a searchable index of files saved to CD or DVD media. New in version 8.5 is the ability to schedule automatic backups using StuffIt compression. StuffIt Deluxe 8.5 for Windows includes all the features a complete archiving solution should have and then some. These tools can all be accessed from the start page. The easy-to-use StuffIt Express interface makes it child's play to automate common file-transfer and compression tasks. StuffIt Express lets you create folders copy, move, and rename files and e-mail and FTP from within StuffIt Deluxe. StuffIt Deluxe also comes with StuffIt SEA builder, which creates a file that automatically decompresses a compressed file when clicked, and StuffIt Express, a powerful scripting tool. We prefer the no-nonsense, holistic approach found in the WinZip and PKZip interfaces, where toolbars and drop-down menus suffice. Brightly colored icons for wizards in one column and tools in another create the sense you are using a suite of unrelated apps, with duplicate access provided by the toolbar and the drop-down menus. StuffIt Deluxe's start page, however, is not well designed. StuffIt's easy-to-use drag-and-drop screen eliminates the need for menu-driven commands. StuffIt Deluxe's interface also supports drag and drop and the ability to view file archives as a detailed list or as icons. Unlike WinZip and PKZip, StuffIt Deluxe also integrates with Microsoft Office 2003, adding an option to "Save as compressed file" to the File menu within Word, Excel, and Outlook. Like PKZip and WinZip, StuffIt Deluxe integrates with Windows Explorer by adding right-click options for archiving, encrypting, compressing, and e-mailing and for creating self-extracting files. StuffIt Deluxe installs easily with no restart required. We also found the latest versions of WinZip and PKZip for Windows to be easier to use. ![]() Unfortunately, unless the people you exchange files with also use StuffIt 8.5, they won't be able to take advantage of this improvement. And with its encryption options and impressive scheduling and automation features, StuffIt Deluxe 8.5 is a good choice for a complete archiving solution for PC users who also work with compressed files from Mac users. In addition to the most popular compression formats, it includes a unique format called StuffIt X (SITX) that compresses files smaller and faster than the ZIP format. And the included DropConverter utility lets you batch-convert old StuffIt archives to the new format.StuffIt Deluxe 8.5 for Windows is an updated version of Aladdin's full-featured archiving and compression program. ![]() You can view the contents of an SEA without expanding the file, by choosing Remove Self-Extracting from the Magic Menu that appears in the Finder’s menu bar. Its many compression options are available via contextual menus, and the program now supports the MacBinary III format. StuffIt Deluxe 5.0 is also slower than version 4.5: on a 250MHz PowerBook G3, even with the Fast Compression option enabled, version 5.0 took 4 minutes and 10 seconds to stuff a 103MB folder DropStuff 4.5 took only 3 minutes and 50 seconds.Īlthough Aladdin stumbled with this version of StuffIt Deluxe, the program’s not all bad. But when I stuffed a folder containing ResEdit 2.1.3 and all its components, the StuffIt 5.0 archive was 4K larger than its DropStuff 4.5 counterpart. ![]() Compressing a folder with 25 PICT files, StuffIt Deluxe 5.0 did create a smaller archive≡00K versus Aladdin DropStuff 4.5’s 116K. What the update won’t address is StuffIt Deluxe 5.0’s new file format: archives you create with this version can’t be opened with an older version of StuffIt Deluxe or StuffIt Expander.Īladdin claims that StuffIt Deluxe 5.0 increases compression by about 20 percent over previous versions, but that number depends on the files being compressed. Aladdin claims that these kinks will be worked out by the time you read this. ![]()
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