Since this is not an Aladdin Expander mailing list I'll try to make this
my last message on this.

Eric Ulevik wrote:
> 
> I've just had a look at Aladdin Expander 5.0.
> 
> It still has problems:
> 
> * Mac UI (eg. Ctrl+Q for quit, main UI is a small drop target window)

Since I let Expander register itself for the various compression file
formats, I always just double click on the file to unzip it: boom, it's
done - I never have any need to drag and drop on the icon or open the
Expander window (except to set the options).

> * does not install properly (OLEPRO32.DLL inside Aladdin directory)

It works - which defines proper installation in my book. It is also a
very different version of OLEPRO32.DLL than what is in my
\winnt\system32 directory -- I don't want them plopping their dll on my
system dll and I'm sure they don't want me "upgrading" their
OLEPRO32.DLL (which they've tested and verified to work properly) with a
version that might totally break their application (keeping your dlls
separate from any M$ might arbitrarily decide to "upgrade" for their
next application is very sound practice - even (especially) if your dlls
are M$ dlls). It also allows a clean uninstall since no other
application in the system is using this "private" dll version.

> * Includes 16-bit software for some reason (inetwh16.dll)

It includes Inetwh32.dll too. I don't know what these files do, but
there is a lot of code in the underbelly of Win95/98 that is still 16
bit -- for example, until Fat32 was introduced in later versions of
Win95, and now Win98, the whole file system was Fat16. Some older
hardware still forces the use of Fat16, even in Win98, so the code is
still there.

> Both PKZip for Windows and WinRAR are much better choices.

I won't argue that one way or the other, but I do like to also be able
to decode and decompress all the Mac file formats (sit, sea, bin, hqx,
bin,...).

-- Dwight

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dwight Hughes <dwighth at ipa.net>
> To: <squeak at cs.uiuc.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, 19 January 2000 3:16 pm
> Subject: Re: HangMan, II (Stupid Letter Tricks)
> 
> > It would seem that you are thinking about Aladdin Expander for Windows
> > 1.0 -- which had the various limits like 8.3 filenames, 16 bit software,
> > only a few formats for expansion, so-so interface and such. Aladdin
> > Expander for Windows 5.0 is a horse of a different color - it is a fully
> > 32 bit Win95/98/NT app with full long filename support and is quite on
> > par with Aladdin's current Mac Expander offering. I cannot claim to have
> > tested and verified it to its absolute limits, but I have used it quite
> > a bit without problems.
> >
> > -- Dwight
> >
> > Eric Ulevik wrote:
> > >
> > > From: David N. Smith (IBM) <dnsmith at watson.ibm.com>
> > > > >>  Try:  http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html
> > > > >
> > > > >The big minus is that the software corrupts data. It does not
> preserve
> > > > >complex directory structures when expanding some ZIP files. Aladdin
> > > Expander
> > > > >should not be used.
> > > >
> > > > Is this a general known bug? Does Aladdin know if it? Do they refuse
> to
> > > fix it?
> > > >
> > > > If they know of it and won't fix it, I'm a little surprised, since
> > > > Aladdin has been known for quality Mac archiving and compression
> > > > products for 15 years. PC magazine just gave a rave review of it.
> > > >
> > > > I hate to recommend something that is no good; can you help me with
> > > > more info in this corruption bug?
> > >
> > > Aladdin Expanded didn't like x files in a folder. It extracts the files
> into
> > > new folders. So where you had a folder, Aladdin creates (# files / x)
> > > folders. Presumably this software design flaw derives from MacOS limits.
> 'x'
> > > was some number > 1000.
> > >
> > > There was also some other bug which only happened on the original Win95.
> I
> > > don't remember the details, but the fix was to get some new DLL.
> > >
> > > Aladdin's Windows software has Mac-style UIs. They rely heavily on
> > > drag-and-drop and precise mouse targeting - this is a bad idea when most
> > > mice on Windows machines are so poor at positioning. They also use the
> old
> > > Windows logo, store products in 8.3 filenames, provide 16-bit apps...
> it's
> > > clear that their Windows software is an afterthought.
> > >
> > > For file compression in Windows, I recommend PKZip for Windows and
> WinRAR.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Eric Ulevik
> >