Review: WinZip 18 stays light on its feet with new Express add-ons

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Software grows. That's almost an axiom: As time goes by, more and more features appear... a little bell here, an extra whistle there, and you end up with a behemoth weighed down by its own bloat. WinZip is no stranger to this phenomenon, but its new version 18 fights the trend with new optional add-ons that let you get stuff done without even opening the main WinZip window.

The new WinZip Express add-on isn't flashy, but is clear and useful.

The most useful add-on is one you can get for free: WinZip Express for Explorer. Once installed, it shows up in Explorer's right-click menu. Select a bunch of files, and click Zip and Share (WinZip Express). A simple dialog instantly appears. Its plain looks modestly conceal its power: This one dialog effectively replaces the big WinZip window for most users.

The WinZip Express dialog lets you zip your files in one of two formats, and optionally encrypt either; convert them to PDF; resize and watermark images; and share the resulting archive over email, social media, a cloud storage service, or just put it somewhere on your local machine.

Other Express add-ons include Express for Photos, Express for Outlook, and Express for Sharepoint. Each of them requires the full version of WinZip 18 (either $30 Standard or $50 Pro) to be installed, and of course, you're going to need Microsoft Outlook installed if you want to use Express for Outlook. Unfortunately, the only add-on that comes free with WinZip (Standard or Pro) is the aforementioned WinZip Express, and that too is free for a limited time only. All other add-ons cost $10 and are available from WinZip.com as individual downloads.

The Ribbon is still here, and the main interface is as beefy as ever.

Looking past the add-ons, WinZip 18 can talk to Box, CloudMe, Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, and a host of other services. It presents one interface for them all. The main WinZip window retains in Ribbon interface and its large array of features, with a few minor changes to the way items are ordered in the Ribbon. WinZip Pro also adds a cloud-backup option, but it still isn't as full-featured as a dedicated service such as CrashPlan.

All in all, WinZip 18 is not a revolutionary release, but the Express add-ons take it in an interesting direction: Suddenly, newer doesn't necessarily mean larger. Now if only they were included in the main product's price.

Endlessly tweaking his workflow for comfort and efficiency, Erez is a freelance writer on a mission to discover the simplest, coolest, and most effective software and websites to make tomorrow happen today.
More by Erez Zukerman

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Winzip 17 adds integration with Box cloud storage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Winzip has been a household name in file compression for two decades. WinZip 17 takes file compression and management to the cloud with Google Drive, SkyDrive, and Dropbox integration—and now a new update is available that adds Box to the mix.

WinZip was a pioneer of the freemium software business model—basically providing the software for free, and relying on the moral compass of customers to pay for the product if it proved to be useful to them. I used to download a wide variety of shareware applications following a similar strategy, but WinZip was the first one I ever felt compelled to actually pay for.

WinZip is a leader in file compression and file management.

Over the years, hard drive and flash drives have grown exponentially in size, and the cost of storage has gone down, so the need for a file compression utility has declined. However, the rise of photos and videos—which can be massive files—and the desire to upload information to social networks or cloud storage services has brought it back in vogue. It’s much easier and faster to upload a 100Mb file instead of a 1GB file.

WinZip has evolved to be a much more comprehensive file management tool than it once was. It still provides file compression, but now it also includes the ability to convert documents to PDF, add custom watermarks to PDF files, and post files directly to popular social networks.

Another advantage of WinZip 17 is that it ties disparate services together. Rather than dealing with your PC, Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Box as separate entities, WinZip 17 gives you a single tool from which to manage all of your data no matter where it’s stored.

There are two flavors of WinZip 17, Standard and Pro. The Pro version includes features that strengthen and speed up file encryption, as well as the ability to view photos within a ZIP file without extracting them first, and features that make it easier to transfer and manage photos from supported cameras and mobile devices, among other things.

New WinZip 17 integrates with cloud storage services like Box.

You can get WinZip 17 directly from the WinZip site starting at $30. WinZip 17 Pro is $50. WinZip offers volume licensing discounts for businesses that purchase the software in bulk. WinZip 17 is only available for Windows (XP or later), but there are versions available for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android as well.

Customers who already have WinZip 17 can download an update to add integration with Box cloud storage.

Tony is principal analyst with the Bradley Strategy Group, providing analysis and insight on tech trends. He is a prolific writer on a range of technology topics, has authored a number of books, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
More by Tony Bradley

View the original article here

Winzip 17 adds integration with Box cloud storage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Winzip has been a household name in file compression for two decades. WinZip 17 takes file compression and management to the cloud with Google Drive, SkyDrive, and Dropbox integration—and now a new update is available that adds Box to the mix.

WinZip was a pioneer of the freemium software business model—basically providing the software for free, and relying on the moral compass of customers to pay for the product if it proved to be useful to them. I used to download a wide variety of shareware applications following a similar strategy, but WinZip was the first one I ever felt compelled to actually pay for.

WinZip is a leader in file compression and file management.

Over the years, hard drive and flash drives have grown exponentially in size, and the cost of storage has gone down, so the need for a file compression utility has declined. However, the rise of photos and videos—which can be massive files—and the desire to upload information to social networks or cloud storage services has brought it back in vogue. It’s much easier and faster to upload a 100Mb file instead of a 1GB file.

WinZip has evolved to be a much more comprehensive file management tool than it once was. It still provides file compression, but now it also includes the ability to convert documents to PDF, add custom watermarks to PDF files, and post files directly to popular social networks.

Another advantage of WinZip 17 is that it ties disparate services together. Rather than dealing with your PC, Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Box as separate entities, WinZip 17 gives you a single tool from which to manage all of your data no matter where it’s stored.

There are two flavors of WinZip 17, Standard and Pro. The Pro version includes features that strengthen and speed up file encryption, as well as the ability to view photos within a ZIP file without extracting them first, and features that make it easier to transfer and manage photos from supported cameras and mobile devices, among other things.

New WinZip 17 integrates with cloud storage services like Box.

You can get WinZip 17 directly from the WinZip site starting at $30. WinZip 17 Pro is $50. WinZip offers volume licensing discounts for businesses that purchase the software in bulk. WinZip 17 is only available for Windows (XP or later), but there are versions available for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android as well.

Customers who already have WinZip 17 can download an update to add integration with Box cloud storage.

Tony is principal analyst with the Bradley Strategy Group, providing analysis and insight on tech trends. He is a prolific writer on a range of technology topics, has authored a number of books, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
More by Tony Bradley

View the original article here