Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!fernwood!portal!sv!news From: leonardr@svc.portal.com (Leonard Rosenthol) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Re: StuffIt Deluxe Installer from Hell! Message-ID: <1990Dec27.175936.21768@svc.portal.com> Date: 27 Dec 90 17:59:36 GMT References: <40029@nigel.ee.udel.edu> Sender: news@svc.portal.com Reply-To: leonardr@svc.portal.com (Leonard Rosenthol) Organization: Software Ventures Corporation. Lines: 50 In article , rcbamhl@rwa.urc.tue.nl (Marc Heijligers) writes: > I also think that Stuffit has become much too large. I believe this thing is > meant to compress and decompress... Well, I prefer Compacter now (it is faster, > and has a higher compression rate). The user interface is not so good though.. > I guess this is the general crux of the matter, and that is the purpose of Stuffit Deluxe, especially WRT Compactor & Disk Doubler. Given its feature set, the original Stuffit was primarily used simply for the compression and decompression of files for transmission/distribution, and for the purpose it was well suited - small size, & reasonably fast (we didn't know better back then ;-). In the same vein, Stuffit Classic continues by providing new compression methods, and improved speed & user interface (and some other stuff), and Compactor enters as the new player on the block in this arena. However Disk Doubler and Stuffit Deluxe, especially as commercial products should not be grouped into the same catagory as they are NOT designed for the same primary usage as the original Stuffit - they serve a different need. Disk Doubler is designed and marketed as a product which, by keeping all of your files compressed on your disk, will 'double' your disk space. It also employes a mechanism which makes working with the compressed documents quite transparent. This concept is quite good, and many users of DD are happy and content, BUT DD is not the kind of product that you would use for compressing documents for transmission or archival storage..Its limited 'archival' capabilities and definate lack of 'viewing archives' make it inappropriate for that task. Stuffit Deluxe was designed primarily as an 'Data Storage & Archival' application, and as such the features that it provides (over Stuffit and Stuffit Classic) are those which aid that goal. Things such as scripting, multiple archives, Copy/Move, Viewers, etc. make it perfect for use by those who need to keep archival copies of things, or just like to keep seldom used things compressed to save space (I do this A LOT!). True to its heritage, it also provides all of the capabilities for dealing with transmission of archives, both Mac and other (with Externals you get DeArc, UnZip, and soon UUDecode, MacBinary, and more as they are written). Enough rambling...The bottom line is that if all you want is a program that you can compress/decompress files for transmission, then stick with Stuffit Classic or Compactor - but if you plan to use compression to your advantage then you would best served by Stuffit Deluxe... Leonard Rosenthol Disclaimer: This is my own PERSONAL opinion, and not that of Software Ventures or of Aladdin. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- + Leonard Rosenthol | Internet: leonardr@sv.portal.com + + Software Ventures | GEnie: MACgician + + MicroPhone II Development Team | AOL: MACgician1 + ----------------------------------------------------------------------