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Geek Culture / Question on .rar versus .zip

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Jeff Miller
19
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Joined: 22nd Mar 2005
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:37
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I notice many downloads posted on the TGC forums in .rar files. At work, on the other hand, I am continually being sent .zip files. One of the competitions, as I recall, specified that the submission had to be in .zip. I don't seem to get any exposure to .rar other than here. What are the relative advantages between the two?
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indi
22
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Earth, Brisbane, Australia
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:41
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there are a lot of points to consider with this.

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=162325

basically winrar will open a lot more (including zip) and allow for better compression.

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Kohaku
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Location: The not very United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:43
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The compression with rar in comparison to zip is like, woo!

More importantly:
Rar, rar, he's our man. If he can't do it, 7z can!


You are not alone.
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Nicholas Thompson
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Location: Bognor Regis, UK
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:51
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I only use 7z now. The app can make ZIP and (I think) RAR (it can at least READ RAR files).

7z, although a touch slower to compress and extract, will wipe the floor with both WinZip and WinRAR.

Plus its free - unlike the other two

[center]
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UFO
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:52
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The compression goes pretty much like this:

Win Zip < RAR < 7z

Unfortunately, the amount of usage of each goes like this:

Win Zip > Rar > 7z

Why must everything work out like this? :'-(

Visit my website!
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Kohaku
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:55
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Yeah, 7z rocks. I use it for everything on my site of doom.

I do tend to get a few people who download AGE and they're like, '7z? wtf is 7z?!'

The pain!


You are not alone.
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Grandma
18
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Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: Norway, Guiding the New World Order
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 00:57
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I only use 7z lately because it compress so well.

Quote: "Why must everything work out like this? :'-("


It's not fair my friend, not fair.

Comp : 1024mb Ram, 3.0ghz, GeforceFX 5800, 1,1TB storage
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 01:03
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The thing I like best about 7z is that you can make your file a self-extracting file for about +50kb on file size. Saves lots of hassle with the "7z wtf" crew.

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Richard Davey
Retired Moderator
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Location: On the Jupiter Probe
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 01:58
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The reason zip is most popular, other than the fact it has been around for decades now, is probably because Windows has been able to create and unzip zip files for *ages* without the need for any other software.

I use WinRAR all the time (I find the interface much nicer than 7z), but I always create .zip files with it if they're going on the TGC site. It's just so much less hassle.

Heavy on the Magick
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Phaelax
DBPro Master
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Joined: 16th Apr 2003
Location: Metropia
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 02:56
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I knew XP included support to unzip, but I don't know any version that allows you to zip without downloading something.

I've always preferred winrar, smaller file size.

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 03:07
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You can right click in your folder and go to New > Compressed folder I think it is. In XP anyhow.

Sometimes the only way over a wall is to pile up enough bodies to climb over - Dave W.
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Jeff Miller
19
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Joined: 22nd Mar 2005
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 03:16
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Yes. Every computer I've gone on with XP has the zipping capability that Agent Dink just mentioned. I've assumed it's part of XP. I end up using it myself if I have to email an Access (.mdb) file because Outlook on many people's systems is configured to block files with an .mdb extension.
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Lost in Thought
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Location: U.S.A. : Douglas, Georgia
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 05:03
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When I first heard of 7z compression I thought they were talking about the map, z7 on MegaTF and got totally confussed for a few mins there. I use a combination of both Rar and 7z now. Most things are smaller in 7z, but a few are smaller in rar. Plus most people I know use rar.

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Dazzag
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Location: Cyprus
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 15:13 Edited at: 2nd Feb 2007 15:14
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I bought PKZip myself. Was the only one at the time (probably still as it was only a year ago or so) that would not only password up the contents but totally encrypt the filenames. I found others such as WinZip and WinRar would not allow access via a password, but would show the names of the directories, files, etc. Not what I wanted at all at the time. I found one of them (WinZip Pro or somesuch) would do it perfectly on machines it was installed on, but try another machine with a lower version of WinZip or whatever, and there were the files for anyone to see without getting the password correct (you couldn't copy or access the files, but you could see the names and sizes etc). Really really annoying. If you use the encrpyt mode in PKZip then nothing else can even read the zip file, let alone attempt to view the files. Much more like it if you need a totally private zip (but totally incompatible with any other zip program), and also the ability to make normal zip files (eg. for here) that will work in any zip program.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
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dark coder
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Location: Japan
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 16:54
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@Dazzag in winrar you can encrypt and encrypt filenames so when you goto open the rar only a password box appears.

I personally like WinRAR the most, other than the annoying popup box because I'm a cheapass I find it easy and has alot better compression than Zip and alot of people have it, and if they don't they more than likely don't deserve to play my game/file whatever :p.

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Dazzag
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 17:12
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I tried Winrar (which I personally prefer to all others as it is seriously fast in comparison), but could always get the filenames to appear even with passwords etc. That is if you take the file away and open it on another PC with an older version of WinRar or Winzip or whatever. Password still works but it still shows the file names. At least it did a year ago. Maybe better now.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
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Jeku
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Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 2nd Feb 2007 17:42
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I use ALZip because it is free and lightweight, and does most of the compression types.

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