[comp.compression] PKZIP 2.0

rdippold@cancun.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold) (05/14/91)

Big news!  I just talked to a sysop on a board I frequent... I suggested that
he convert all his ZIP files over to ARJ, as he is seriously low on disk space.
He says that he called Phil Katz and talked to him, and that PKZIP 2.0 will be
here Real Soon Now.  It gets the same compression as LHA 2.12 and ARJ 2.0,
but is much faster (again, because it is optimized for the PC).

It never fails... As soon as new compression programs appear which can
seriously challenge PKZIP, he brings out a new one which squelches them.
All I can say is, thank goodness for the competition!
-- 
Standard disclaimer applies, you legalistic hacks.     |     Ron Dippold

thom@f517.n107.z1.ieee.org (Thom Henderson) (05/17/91)

 > It never fails... As soon as new compression programs appear which can
 > seriously challenge PKZIP, he brings out a new one which squelches them.

"As soon as"??  Make that "a year or so later" and maybe you'll have a point.  

You also overlook the necessity for the competition to release sources.  As
long as everyone but him keeps doing that, then he'll keep up.  

--- Group 2.23
 * Origin: System Enhancement Associates  (107/517)
--  
 Thom Henderson - Internet:  thom@f517.n107.z1.ieee.org

shaunc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Shaun Case) (05/18/91)

In article <4780.28346102@ieeefs.ieee.org> thom@f517.n107.z1.ieee.org (Thom Henderson) writes:
>"As soon as"??  Make that "a year or so later" and maybe you'll have a point.  
>
>You also overlook the necessity for the competition to release sources.  As
>long as everyone but him keeps doing that, then he'll keep up.  

Grapes, grapes, sour grapes.

-- 
shaunc@gold.gvg.tek.com  atman%ecst.csuchico.edu@RELAY.CS.NET 
Postmaster of 1:119/666  1@9651 (WWIVnet)

It's enough to destroy a young moose's faith! -- Bullwinkle

rdippold@cancun.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold) (05/21/91)

In article <4780.28346102@ieeefs.ieee.org> thom@f517.n107.z1.ieee.org (Thom Henderson) writes:
>
> > It never fails... As soon as new compression programs appear which can
> > seriously challenge PKZIP, he brings out a new one which squelches them.
>
>"As soon as"??  Make that "a year or so later" and maybe you'll have a point.  

It's only lately that new versions of LHA and ARJ have become real threats to
PKZIP.  Version 2 of ARJ just came out.  Before that, ARJ compressed better,
but wasn't fast enough to be worth the switch for many.  That's changed, now,
and entire BBSes are beginning to convert to ARJ.  I can think of quite a few
in San Diego alone.  This has only been happening for about a month, so he's
only a month into the "crisis."  If he releases a new PKZIP within a month
I'd call that fairly "as soon as."  

He did take a while from PAK to ZIP, but that was forced because of a legal
challenge, not a technical challenge, and starting over from almost scratch
can take a while.

-- 
Standard disclaimer applies, you legalistic hacks.     |     Ron Dippold