3 of 14

Write now Article Tools

WinZip has forever been an easily identifiable compression and extraction utility for the Windows platform thanks to its popularity. However, competition has produced WinRAR from Rarlabs, a pleasantly executed program with which to use as the standard for all of your files.

Although Windows XP and Vista include their own compression utilities, they pale in comparison to third-party programs both in ease of use and power. WinRAR supplants these programs with its own settings that can turn your PC into a harmonized machine capable of handling any zipped file you come across. These days however, the .ZIP format has given rise to other modes of compression including the .ACE file, and of course, the .RAR file. With so many different file extensions, the need for one solid, stable platform becomes a necessity.

WinRAR's greatest strength lies in its interface. Upon first use, WinZip appears to have a solid and user-friendly structure, but WinRAR clearly improves upon its competitor by trimming down unnecessary options and windows and offering a solid, effective interface. Double-clicking a .RAR or .ZIP folder immediately opens a standard window with which to unpack your files quickly to any destination on your system.

Where WinRAR truly pays off is within its compression abilities. Compression tests executed with WinZip and WinRAR showed that WinRAR was able to zip its contents into smaller file sizes at a faster rate. For small files the differences would be negligible, but when dealing with very large archives, speed can quickly become an important factor. WinRAR offers an extremely easy compression menu that can be activated by right-clicking a particular file or files, and choosing from any of WinRAR's embedded shell menu options. There is even a set of hot buttons within its "Add to Archive" feature that allows you to quickly choose between .ZIP and .RAR format depending on one's tastes.

Add in the fact that WinRAR easily handles today's most popular zip formats, including .ACE compression, and its benefits quickly become evident. If WinZip is "Goliath," then WinRAR truly is "David," a little guy with a LOT of power behind him. You won't need anything else to handle your compression requirements, period.

WinRAR is available for free in an evaluation version, and should be registered after a period of 40 days to ensure service without interruptions.

Learn more about this author, Derek Draven.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Why WinRAR is better than WinZip?
We want to hear your view. Write now!