[mdlug] Archive formats (was "Linux Format" March issue available for download)

[Aaron Kulkis]

Robert Adkins wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org 
>> [mailto:mdlug-bounces at mdlug.org] On Behalf Of Aaron Kulkis
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 11:00 AM
>> To: MDLUG's Main discussion list
>> Subject: Re: [mdlug] Archive formats (was "Linux Format" 
>> March issue available for download)
>>
>>
>> But who widespread is software which reads 7-zip archives, 
>> not only on Linux, but most importantly, on Windows and OSX?
>>
> 
>   7-zip runs on... everything.

But what's the installed base?

What percentage of users even know where to get 7-zip?

I'm not saying that it's a bad format -- only that it's
not appropriate for the purpose for which the archives
in question are being distributed.

The goal is to make the data as easily available to as
many people as possible, NOT to optimize decompression
time.

> It's an open source program available for
> quite a few platforms. Although, I must say that I never use its native
> format. I use it to create and open up zip files, period.
> 
> -Rob