Use file compression to avoid clogging the pipe

How many times has your e-mail server been clogged by huge files that will never fit into your 56 kbps dial-up pipe? The only solution is to go to the Web site of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), click on Web Mail, enter your user name and password, go to Inbox and delete the culprit(s). Once the blockade is removed, the rest of the contents can be downloaded normally to Outlook Express, if you use that.

Some people just get too excited about the pictures taken during their child's first birthday and, after downloading them from their digital cameras to their PCs, they simply send the huge image files to everybody in their address books.

If every recipient had a broadband connection, the situation would not be that bad. However, as many people here still rely on dial-up connection, then they will be in big trouble.

Unless you know the guy you want to send the files to has a 24-hour, broadband connection to the Internet, it is important to make the files as small as possible before you attach them to your e-mail. Here, the word ZIP comes to mind.

PKWare Inc (www.pkware.com) was one of the pioneers in file compression technology. They created the PKZIP and PKUNZIP utilities. Today they have compression utilities for different computing platforms, including Windows, UNIX and Linux. They have also added security features to the compression technology, so unwanted prying eyes can be kept away.

The good thing about the ZIP standard is that it has become a standard. It is not difficult for us to find a piece of freeware that can be used to return the compressed file into their original state.

WinZip (www.winzip.com) is another major player in compression technology. Its latest product is offered at US$29, but you can download an evaluation version free. You can also download similar utilities from a lot of other sources -- both legal and illegal.

PKWare and WinZip have been in a love/hate relationship for some time. They know they have to support one another to ensure that the ZIP standard will not be replaced by big players such as Microsoft, which may have their own compression technology. However, at the same time they have to compete with each other.

PKWare and WinZip are not the only vendors that offer file compression and decompression utilities. Another place you can go is www.4zip.com. You can download 4ZIP Zip Manager ($9.95), which will allow you to handle common zipped files as well as files that have been compressed using newer and better techniques such as BZip2.

Another utility is Power Archiver, which costs $20. If you want a Zip utility in a different language, try http://members.ozemail.com.au/~nulifetv/freezip/, as they may have the version that you want.

There are many other different ways to make files smaller and then return them to their original condition for use, including LHARC, ARJ and RAR. Stick to ZIP unless you have a very strong reason to do otherwise. And, even when you have already chosen a small file format for images, such as JPEG, for example, do try using compression so that your recipient will not have to pay too much for his Internet access time while downloading your attachments.

-- Zatni Arbi

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