7-Zip – Fast internet connections have made it easier to transfer large files across the internet. 7-Zip is special program that helps in extracting compressed files and later, creating converting them in different formats. These tools are good for multiple or huge files that need to be shared over the internet.
You can send, download and convert the compressed files easily. 7-Zip is free and is compatible with Linux (through command line), and Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It works with the help of Windows Shell and supports encryption. It is equally good software for both – commercial and personal use. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of 7-Zip.
Maybe it is one of the best features of this software that it is able to handle diverse compression formats. You can package files in TAR, BZIP2, GZIP, ZIP and 7z formats and 7-Zip will unpack them easily. It can also deal with DMG, DEB, CPIO, CHM, CAB, ARJ and several other formats.
Though it has all the advanced features, a beginner will never face any sort of trouble, due to its easy-to-use interface. Professionals will enjoy the complex options that are the core of this software. With the help of advanced features, you can protect compressed files with a password and enable self-extracting 7z archives.
Some users have complained that the process of compression takes a lot of time to execute files. There are a few other alternative programs that take less time. Your system resources are also consumed heavily during the process.
Ultimately, 7-Zip can be termed as efficient, easy to use, fast and reliable extraction software, which is totally free. There are a few minor drawbacks listed above, which appear light in front of its heavy features. It is a fine or, you can even call it ‘a superior replacement’