What is StuffIt Deluxe 1.5.x - 8.x? StuffIt was the most versatile and used compression suite on the Mac since 1987. Political theory by rajeev bhargava pdf file free. It began as shareware and then it went commercial but StuffIt Expander (the decompression tool) always remained free and was even bundled by Apple on Mac OS release CD-ROM's starting from the mid-90's, coinciding with the popularity of the internet in homes.
The world has changed over the last 20 years, but one constant for Mac users has been the premier compression and archiving software StuffIt Deluxe. Starting out life as shareware from teenage programmer Raymond Lau and riding along through multiple versions as its parent company Aladdin Systems became Allume and was then acquired by Smith Micro, StuffIt Deluxe has continued to add features and improve its lossless compression capabilities. Though the need for compression isn’t nearly as great in this age of large hard disks and fast Internet connections (not to mention Apple’s support for Zip archiving within Mac OS X), StuffIt Deluxe remains useful for large numbers of Mac users. (For those who can’t quite understand this, the merefact that it remains the flagship product of Smith Micro’s Consumer Group should be sufficient evidence that many Mac users do rely on it.)
Most notable among the changes in this version, StuffIt Deluxe 2009 adds support for new technologies in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Thanks to Quick Look support, Leopard users can now look inside archives without having to expand them first, a major boon. This works within the Finder, Mail, or any other Quick Look-capable application. Similarly, you can preview archives while browsing in Time Machine. And, though unrelated to Leopard, new support for Google’s MacFUSE filesystem utility lets users mount any browsable archive type in the Finder as though it were a disk.
It’s unclear if StuffIt Deluxe 2009 has particularly different compression capabilities, but the program does offer optimized compressors for common file types, including MP3, PDF, iWork files, Microsoft Office files, and more. It can losslessly compress even JPEG images up to 30 percent. One new capability is “duplicate folding” – a way of saving space within an archive by storing only a single copy of duplicate files that’s likely to be most helpful to those who rely on StuffIt Deluxe’s scheduled archiving capabilities as part of a backup routine. Duplicate folding is yet another instance of how StuffIt Deluxe views compression as happening to a collection of files, rather than merely to each individual file in an archive. Also new issupport for expanding 7-Zip and segmented Zip archives; in total, StuffIt Deluxe 2009 can now expand over 30 compression formats.
DropStuff, one of the major utilities that makes up the StuffIt Deluxe 2009 package and itself the bulk of what Smith Micro sells as the StuffIt Standard 2009 product, has been enhanced with additional customization options. Sets of compression formats and other options can be saved as Desktop droplets, enabling users to create different types of archives quickly via drag-and-drop.
Another utility, SEA Maker, lets users create Mac OS X mini-installers – it’s not new, but what is new is its Remote Payload feature that lets SEA Maker retrieve the parts of an installer from an FTP site or iDisk. DropStuff, with help from the StuffIt Scheduler utility, can also automatically transfer archives to your MobileMe iDisk, making it potentially useful as part of a backup strategy.
StuffIt Deluxe 2009 costs $79.99, StuffIt Standard 2009 (which comprises DropStuff and the otherwise free StuffIt Expander) costs $49.99, and StuffIt Expander 2009 remains free. Upgrades to StuffIt Deluxe 2009 from any previous version of StuffIt Deluxe or StuffIt Standard run $29.99, and upgrades to StuffIt Standard 2009 from previous versions cost $14.99. Mac OS X 10.4 or later is required.
Years ago, back in the days before OSX, file compression on the Mac meant using applications like DiskDoubler and Aladdin Stuffit. Stuffit was a staple of every Mac computer. Many applications required the Expander app just to install, and virtually any file you downloaded off the Internet for the Mac was compressed using the Stuffit format. You could make the argument that it was the single most popular non-Apple application on the Mac for years. Aladdin (later known as Allume) sold Stuffit to Smith Micro Software in 2005, at which time it was still the dominant file compression method on the Mac OS. Flash-forward to present day and we now have file compression built-in to the OS, via BOMArchiveHelper’s .zip format. So you might be wondering why you would need anything more. Read on to find out why. Stuffit Deluxe 2009 is still the ultimate in file compression for the Mac. Stuffit Deluxe does a superior job compressing files, including photos, MP3s, PDFs, and all your other documents. Compressed archives are compatible with both the Mac and Windows operating systems, which can be de-compressed with the free Stuffit Expander. Files can be compressed by up to 98%, making online file transfer speedy, and backups more space-efficient.
More than just compression
Stuffit Deluxe offers more than just compression though, it’s a full archive management application. With Stuffit Deluxe, you can securely archive multiple files into one archive file with strong 512-bit password encryption. It also offers built-in protection against data corruption. Stuffit Archives feature the ability to preview the documents contained inside them with the Archive Manager, or using OSX’s Quick Look feature. You can even browse archives in the Finder. It’s really quite handy, and resolves one of the things I hated about using Stuffit in years past (not knowing what’s inside the archive). Stuffit offers a plethora of OSX integration via contextual menus that allow you to Stuff and email with a single click. The MagicMenu feature allows you to compress and expand archives with a simple keystroke, making working with Stuffit files a breeze. Stuffit also works with Automator workflows, and Stuffit archives can be previewed in Time Machine. There’s also built-in FTP and MobileMe file transfer support. Colorful icons indicate at a glance what compression format a particular archive uses.
Compression options
One of Stuffit’s strongest points is that it can handle a mountain of file compression formats. Over 25 formats are supported, including:
Files can be compressed as single archives, or automatically split into customizable sizes. Stuffit can also create Self-Expanding Archives, making it easy for those without the free Expander application installed. Unlike past versions, Stuffit Deluxe 2009 uses a patented 24-bit image compression method to shrink .jpg images up to 30% with no visible image artifacts. Optimized compression for PDFs and MP3 files is also included, along with TIFF, PNG, GIF and BMP compressors. Virtually any file you can think of will benefit from Stuffit’s latest compression algorithms.
Purchase Options
Stuffit comes in three flavors. Stuffit Expander 2009 is free. Obviously, Expander only expands files. This is perfect if you frequently receive compressed files of all types, but don’t have the need to compress or manage them beyond what OSX can do. Stuffit Standard 2009 offers basic compression and expansion tools, including data corruption protection and password/encryption features for $49.99. Bus simulator 18 license key crack. Stuffit Deluxe 2009 offers all the features I described above for $79.99.
Closing thoughts
While I’ll admit that for basic file compression, the typical Mac users needs nothing more than OSX’s built-in .zip compression feature. But for users who need to save every last bit they can, manage large quantities of archive files, encrypt and password-protect archives, and have quick previews of archive contents, Stuffit Deluxe 2009 is still a worthy app to have in your Mac’s Utility folder.
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