The Smallification Wars--Where Will It End? by Jerry Weichbrodt In the beginning there was ARC, and then there were PKARC, LHARC, DWC, PAK, ARJ, PKZIP, .... We all found ourselves combing the boards just trying to find the archiver to un-xxx (fill in your favorite archive suffix above) that terrific new utility we just downloaded from Joe Blow's BBS. Of course most of these folks wanted money for their latest-and-greatest (for this week anyway) archiver, so we walked around with guilt-ridden souls if we hadn't invested the customary $500 in archivers for all occasions. After all, the archiver of choice for a particular set of files really does depend on the phase of the moon, the 10.7 cm solar flux, the barometric pressure, and your horoscope, doesn't it? Ok, I guess I had myself all reconciled to this state of affairs. After all, everybody wants to make a buck, so the invention of the 1,850th iteration of the mouse trap is just the American way. And then ... there was PKZIP version 2.04C. And then there was PKZIP version 2.04E. And then there was PKZIP version 2.04G. And then .... Well, I thought it would be fun to contemplate just where it might all wind up. Try this on for size, if you would: PRESS RELEASE PKZIP VERSION 2.04Z THE ULTIMATE IN COMPRESSION SOFTWARE Features: -Multiple archives in one cluster: Why waste an entire 512, 1024, or up to 4096 bytes on one single file. PKZIP 2.04Z packs multiple zip-files into one cluster with PKWARE's new ZleepingBag (TM) technology, the best way ever to bag your zip-files. -New Something-to-Nothing File Fractionalization (SNUFF) compression algorithm reduces entire archive into one VERY informative byte*. -New -gbg (garble-but-good) option generates random passwords for encrypted archives. Nobody, but nobody, will be able to break into your secure data. Just try to unzip the file yourself, and see how well it works!! -New PKSFD option for creating self-deleting archives. This takes the "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds" concept one step further, applying it to the space-age realm of computers. -New -dm (delete-before-move) option deletes files from disk and then moves them to the archive. This ensures that archived files take up the smallest possible space (zero bytes). With this host of new options, can you afford to be without PKZIP version 2.04Z! Order your copy today and unclutter your hard drive with PKWARE's new PKUHDR (PK Unconditional Hard Disk Reformat) utility, included as a special bonus. *Note: The new SNUFF algorithm is available in PKZIP but is not supported in PKUNZIP. It is intended to be analogous with the popular WOM (Write-Only-Memory) integrated circuit chip. I'm going to order my copy today. How about you? {RAH} -------------- Jerry Weichbrodt is an electrical engineer with General Motors in Milford, Michigan. He's also a new father, so a sense of humor is particularly important to him. His Internet address is: jerry.weichbrodt@semsog.com