WinZip

[squxe]

WinZip 12.1 introduces the new extended Zip file (.zipx), the next step in the evolution of the Zip file format. By using the most recent compression methods to create .Zipx files, WinZip 12.1 creates WinZip's smallest Zip files to date. The new .zipx file extension also makes it easier to share highly compressed files with others by making it clear that the file was created using an advanced compression method and that WinZip 12.1 or another compatible compression utility is required to open the file. Of course users can also still create ?Legacy Zip 2.0? compressed files with WinZip 12.1 (resulting in a .zip file extension) by changing the compression method on a case by case basis or by changing the default compression method.

http://www.winzip.com shareware, USD $ 29.95

[chornobyl]

At least, when already added ppmd, wavpack, lzma, "jpeg" they decided to create new file format and not extend zip furter.

[Sotho Tal Ker]

It is a commercial program, so developing their own zip-extension is a natural process in maintaining or increasing their market-share.
People without WinZip won't be able to read those files, so there are only 2 solutions:
- Buy a new WinZip 12.1 program
- Tell their friends/work contacts to make legacy zip files because zipx files are incompatible with any other software. (And when you have to create legacy zip files, why would you need to buy/upgrade to 12.1 anyway?)

If WinZip holds the absolute majority of the market, a new zipx format would make sense, but with the many different (commercial) compression programs I do not see it to be very successful.

[chornobyl]

their own zip-extension

with blackjack and hookers i suppose

[Rugxulo]

It is a commercial program, so developing their own zip-extension is a natural process in maintaining or increasing their market-share.
People without WinZip won't be able to read those files, so there are only 2 solutions:
- Buy a new WinZip 12.1 program
- Tell their friends/work contacts to make legacy zip files because zipx files are incompatible with any other software. (And when you have to create legacy zip files, why would you need to buy/upgrade to 12.1 anyway?)

If WinZip holds the absolute majority of the market, a new zipx format would make sense, but with the many different (commercial) compression programs I do not see it to be very successful.

WinZip is no less of a useful tool now than before .zipx, so people will apparently still flock to it. Having incompatible new methods never stopped RAR, normal ZIP (e.g. Bzip2 or LZMA methods), LZMA2, etc. So it's just more to use or not use.

[Skymmer]

WinZIP v16.5 #10095

- ultra-fast zip engine that taps into your computer's full processing power
- next-generation technology that harnesses the power of AMD graphics processors (GPUs)
- streamlined interface with a more attractive, intuitive look-and-feel

x86 http://download.winzip.com/winzip16-32.exe
x64 http://download.winzip.com/winzip16-64.exe

Thanks to PAQer who pointed me to these news.
I got a quite bad exprerience with WinZIP I must say. First of all I cannot reach official page in normal way. If I try to access the winzip.com then I always redirected to allsoft.winzip.ru partner site, where they try to sell the obsolete 16 version, not the 16.5 I suppose. Only if I write winzip.com/en then I access the original page.
If you'll decide to install it then I must warn you. Prepare for one of the worst install procedures ever
At almost every step it tries to offer you something that you probably don't want to have. Forget about console. The one which is available for download is obsolete and doesn't support the OpenCL, so the only way to measure the perfomance is the stopwatch.

Testbed: 571 JPG files with total size of 1 434 144 063
OS: WinXP x64 SP2
CPU: i5-2500K @ 3700 MHz
Software: WinZIP v16.5 #10095 (x64 version), PackJPG v2.5

WinZIP default    1 138 657 863     283 sec.
WinZIP OpenCL     1 138 657 863     105 sec.
PackJPG 2.5       1 118 417 119     821 sec.

And now the funny thing. I have ATI HD 4770 and it doesn't support the OpenCL. At least according to Wiki page and GPU-Z software, which claims that there is no OpenCL supported by my card. So the question is: where such performance comes from? I monitored CPU usage with Proccess Explorer and found that with OpenCL option turned on, WinZIP utilizes all 4 cores at maximum, giving overall CPU load of 99%, while without OpenCL option it reaches maximum 35-40% of CPU load.
I wonder if there is a real support for OpenCL or its just a fake?

Also I noticed that multi-core support is available for compression only. Decompression of zipx archive took 409 sec, which is 4 times slower than compression speed.

[Piotr Tarsa]

Wiki says Radeons HD 4xxx have OpenCL 1.0 support

[Skymmer]

Seems you're right. I looked a little bit more and found that support for OpenCL is available for 4xxx series. But during compression I monitored the GPU load with GPU-z Sensors tab and there were NO gpu load at all.

[Piotr Tarsa]

Did you try to monitor CPU + GPU usage during some OpenCL demos? AMD has lots of demos in their OpenCL SDK.

[Skymmer]

Previously not, but just done it.
http://skymmer.narod.ru/images/shots...-47-25_000.png

[Piotr Tarsa]

Try overclocking or underclocking your GPU and see if performance in WinZIP changes

[Black_Fox]

I monitored CPU usage with Proccess Explorer and found that with OpenCL option turned on, WinZIP utilizes all 4 cores at maximum, giving overall CPU load of 99%, while without OpenCL option it reaches maximum 35-40% of CPU load.
I wonder if there is a real support for OpenCL or its just a fake?

OpenCL can be CPU-accelerated as well, so that may be the cause of it Can you try that with some very old graphics card with absolutely no chance of having OpenCL support?

[Gonzalo]

Official WinZip for Android.
Official WinZip for iOS.

[wyk1ng]

I've searched quite a while but i cannot find a .zipx library / integration and some documentation to it. Anyone more luck?

[Gonzalo]

It is not exactly a library but 7zip handles the format, although it is not capable of decompress some of the algorithms yet, for example, the one used for Jpg images.

[Skymmer]

It is not exactly a library but 7zip handles the format, although it is not capable of decompress some of the algorithms yet, for example, the one used for Jpg images.

You're mistakening here so let me correct you. Yes, we can found the presence of 7-zip code in WinZip, but its only the 7ZXA64.DLL file, which is used for extraction of 7z and some other archives. It has nothing related to zipx. You can even delete it and WinZip will continue to work with full zipx support.
By itself zipx is extended version of zip, aimed for improved compression by adding additional algos: BZip, LZMA, PPMd (I version), XZ, Jpeg lossless recompression, Wavpack based audio compression.
Nothing special here except the JPEG model. Its quite fast and its the only JPEG recompression implementation with assymetrical type of compression.
Althought WinZip itself is stupid overbloated marketized peace of crap, there is quite good info base available. Basicly user oriented but it can drop some light on some aspects.
http://www.winzip.com/comp_info.htm
http://kb.winzip.com/kb/entry/7/

By the way the new version have arrived so in case somebody will want to try it, dont waste your time browsing the site, use support download page.
http://www.winzip.com/win/en/dprob.htm

[Black_Fox]

He was saying that 7-Zip app can decompress some of the .zipx archives, he wasn't mistakening.

[Bulat Ziganshin]

winzip added new compression algos to the .ZIP format for many years. afaik, they just started to give .ZIPX extension to archives using non-deflate coompression algos

[Gonzalo]

@Skymmer: I'm talking about 7zFM opening *.zipx, not Winzip opening *.7z.
BTW: Thanks for be polite this time.

@Black_Fox: Thanks for clarifying.


Seems like Bulat is right. Aparently the only diffenrence between both formats is the "x" a the end.

From WinZip knowledge base:

The .zipx extension quickly and easily conveys that WinZip 12.1 or later (or another compatible compression utility) will be required to open the file. The advanced compression methods used in Zipx files are extensions to the original, open source Zip file format. The particular ones available in WinZip are:

• BZip
• LZMA
• PPMd
• XZ*
• Jpeg**
• Wavpack*

From Wikipedia:

WinZip, starting with version 12.1, uses the extension .zipx for .ZIP files that use compression methods newer than DEFLATE; specifically, methods BZip, LZMA, PPMd, Jpeg and Wavpack. The last 2 are applied to appropriate file types when "Best method" compression is selected.

From 7zip:



So every program capable of open or extract a zip file will happily open *.zipx. But of course it will throw an error when attempting to extract a file compressed with newer algos.

[Skymmer]

Gonzalo, seems I need to sleep ) Now I see what you meant.