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    compressing files in OS X

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by hoolyproductions, Mar 21, 2008.

  1. hoolyproductions

    hoolyproductions Notebook Evangelist

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    When I use Finder to make a Zip file (e.g. a 60mb folder of music) the resulting file is the same size as the original folder.

    What's that all about!? Is there a better way?
     
    hoolyproductions, Mar 21, 2008
    #1
  2. r0k

    r0k Notebook Evangelist

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    Music is already compressed so the zip algorithm doesn't get you much more compression. Zip a folder full of documents and you get about 2:1 compression. There is another algorithm that does slightly better. Rar. I don't remember which mac software can make rar files but you still don't get very much compression so I don't bother.
     
    r0k, Mar 21, 2008
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  3. hoolyproductions

    hoolyproductions Notebook Evangelist

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    Ok, gotcha thanks.
     
    hoolyproductions, Mar 21, 2008
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  4. kgeier82

    kgeier82 Notebook Deity

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    stuffit!

    not literally, thats the name of the program that is basically the best option
     
    kgeier82, Mar 21, 2008
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  5. r0k

    r0k Notebook Evangelist

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    Careful with stuffit. It's not really needed now. Stuffit expander is free to download and offers an alternative to the built in archive in app Leopard. But the full stuffit program is not cheap and I'm not convinced it's even needed. It's good to have stuffit expander around for the occasional hqx or sit file but those are pretty much a thing of the past and I would be very careful of any app that doesn't come as a zip or dmg these days for fear it's too ancient to work well on Leopard.
     
    r0k, Mar 21, 2008
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  6. hollownail

    hollownail Individual 11

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    Stuffit is probably the worst program ever made.

    Seriously. It does not work well at all, and it costs money. Unless you want to get the part that decompresses, but getting that on their site is a hassle.
    that and it fails to work with many zip algorithms from my experience.
     
    hollownail, Mar 21, 2008
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  7. Xander

    Xander Paranoid Android

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    I hate Stuffit too.

    You can easily create RAR archives with SimplyRAR.
     
    Xander, Mar 22, 2008
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  8. ItsDaKronic

    ItsDaKronic Notebook Consultant

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    I have stuffit and I gotta agree with you guys. Its sucks. I have the full program and no i dint pay for it. But anyway it comes with a whole bunch of unneeded things for the regular user. + its pretty complicated. I had to get it just to open sit and sitx files. I never tried simplyrar but maybe ill try that.
     
    ItsDaKronic, Mar 22, 2008
    #8