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From: johnston@f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (johnston)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Don't post stuff using stuffit
Message-ID: <619.2783DED3@busker.fidonet.org>
Date: 28 Dec 90 11:58:02 GMT
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Reply-To: johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu

In article <SBCHANIN.90Dec27174738@fiber-one.ai.mit.edu> 
"Steve Chanin" writes...

>       In response to the past few articles which mentioned problems
>with stuffit, I'd say don't use it. 

[Q&D benchmarks for shareware compression utilities deleted.]

I disagree.  I wrote some of the articles that complained about the
StuffIt Deluxe installer;  but I have nothing but praise for the 
features and performance of the application.  The overall structure of the 
new StuffIts is more robust and forward-looking than that of Compactor. 

I see Compactor as perhaps the last in a series of stand-alone, inextensible,
  
file compression applications that support only proprietary file formats. 
StuffIt Deluxe, on the other hand, represents the first of the next
generation.  It provides for direct hooks to the Finder and White Knight 
(And indirect access for HyperCard and Microphone through XCMDs that use 
the StuffIt engine).  This allows compression/decompression to be done 
from within the Finder or other applications.

If archive size, speed, and price were the only important features of
for a file compression tool, then MacCompress by Lloyd Chambers would be
the hands down winner.  It's fast, efficient,and FREE -- and handles unix 
compression to boot.  What's makes StuffIt well worth the few extra $$ ?

While Compactor users are still clamoring for elementary features
such as BinHex'ing, which StuffIt has handled in a very robust fashion
for years, Aladdin has been working on tools that take file compression
to a new level of integration with other computing tasks. 

Here are some of the new features offered by StuffIt Deluxe:

All of these new features are implemented as modules that users
can install optionally.  The whole package is large, but the user doesn't
have to install features he or she doesn't need.  The modular structure 
allows for convenient feature additions, customization, and continued
evolution of the product.

It allows the user to view and "clip" archived text and pict
files -- you can realistically leave clip art and text files stuffed
and easily make use of them.  This is better than a Disk-Doubler-type
feature, because the user doesn't need to uncompress an entire archive
in order to open a file and do a quick copy and paste.

It offers optimized compression for particular file types such as
sound and image files.

It integrates directly with Mac-based e-mail packages such as Quickmail 
and Microsoft Mail.

It also allows sophisticated scripting with wildcards that lets the
user automate repetitive and boring tasks.  It supports modular extensions
for 'other' file compression schemes such as .arc, .zip, in addition
to the out-moded 'packit' format.  New file compression schemes can 
be handled by simply dropping a new extension module into the Extensions
folder.

As far as speed is concerned, Deluxe 2.0 is said to be much faster than 1.0;
the free upgrade to registered users is begins shipping this week.

The bottom line is that users will be able to create sophisticated, 
integrated file management environments that can be tailored directly
to the task at hand.  Lots of flavors, not just Vanilla.  The Compactor
format, when Goodman gets around to making it available, will simply
be dealt with as a format extension file.

There is more to the new StuffIts than meets the eye -- I don't want
to discourage anyone from paying shareware fees to Bill Goodman,
but sooner or later, you'll own StuffIt.

-- Bill (johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu)

 + Organization: Univ. of Delaware, CCM

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