ALZip

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ALZip
Image:ALZip-icon.png

ALZip v6.32 Running under Windows XP
Maintainer: ESTsoft Corp.
Stable release: v6.7  (2007-01-28) [+/-]
Preview release: v6.7  (2007-01-28) [+/-]
OS: Windows
Use: File archiver
License: Proprietary
Website: www.altools.net

ALZip is an archive and compression utility from ESTsoft for Microsoft Windows. It supports 36 compression and archive formats including PKWARE's ZIP (file format).

Originally ALZip was developed in 1999 as an internal application at the South Korean software company ESTsoft in response to employee frustration with using the English interface in WinZip. While several potential names for the new software were considered, ALZip won out. The other top contending name was 'HanZip', while 'DdongZip' (roughly translated as 'PoopZip') was thrown out for obvious reasons.

The Korean interface was immediately well received[1] and later that year ALZip was publicly released[2][3][4] as freeware[5]. In just over a year ALZip became the most popular zip program in Korea[6] and by December of 2001 was the top downloaded software[7][8] in the country. By 2004 dominated the domestic compression market in South Korea[9] with a 70% market share. The popularity of the software and the ALZ archive format[10] played a large role in earning ESTsoft a place in the Digital Innovation Awards Top 100 Companies in South Korea[11] with the software taking special mention.

Early in its development ALZip introduced the ALZ file format to deal with file size limitations of the ZIP file format. ALZ compression has no theoretical upper limit for file sizes and ALZ files are only limited by operating system file size limits or the amount of available storage. ALZ files are common in Korea.

Demand for additional features fueled further development of the software and in October of 2001 ALZip changed from pure freeware to free for home use, with government usage requiring a software license. In April of 2002[12], commercial usage[13] was added as also requiring a license. Licensing is all on the honor system. There are no nag screens in ALZip.

In 2002 was released in English at www.alzip.com but moved to www.altools.net in 2004 when more ALTools were added to the list of ALTools available in English. Since then support for over 20 languages has been added.

Perhaps the most striking aspect when one first encounters ALZip is how cute it is for software. The interface features the cartoon ALZip Egghead animated in the main toolbar in various poses to represent the various functions available there, and for which the application is named.

The AL part in ALZip is a transliteration from the Korean, '알집', which directly translates as EggZip. Other ALTools feature similar egghead cartoon characters as mascots for each program.

An additional feature in ALZip that adds a "New Folder" icon to the top of the Windows Explorer context menu reads '새폴더' in Korean which ambiguously means either "Bird Folder" or "New Folder". Suitably, new folders created with the option keep with the egg motif and have bird names[14].

  1. ^ Jeong, Jong Oh (11 1999). "HOW: 한글 지원 국산 압축 유틸리티 3종" (in Korean) (Magazine). HowPC 1999 (November): 308-311. Retrieved on 1999-11-01. 
  2. ^ Lee, J. N.. "모든 압축파일 자유자재로 풀어줍니다", Yonhap News, Yonhap, 1999-08-23. Retrieved on 1999-08-23. (in Korean)
  3. ^ Yoon, H. J.. "압축유틸리티 '알집' 발표", 전자신문, Chunjashinmun, 1999-08-30. Retrieved on 1999-08-30. (in Korean)
  4. ^ Wi, Yoonhee; Hyunjung Ji (2003-02). "PC 유틸리티는 쉽고 편하게, 알잡에서 알툰즈까지" (in Korean) (Magazine). Microsoftware 2003 (02): 152-155. Retrieved on 2003-02-15. 
  5. ^ Han, Sujin (11 2002). "CEO of the Month: 국산 소프트웨어의 자존심" (in Korean) (Magazine). Popular Science 2002 (11): 90. 
  6. ^ Most used compression program poll (2001-02-09). Retrieved on 2001-02-27.
  7. ^ Maeilkyungjae IT Internet (2001-12-03)
  8. ^ Choi, Yeonjin. "2001 디지탈 이노베이션 大賞 수상업체", Hankooki, Hankook Ilbo, 2001-12-19. Retrieved on 2001-12-19. (in Korean)
  9. ^ Korea Software Industry Association (Korean) (2004 report).
  10. ^ Hanguk Ilbo (2001-12-20)
  11. ^ "디지탈 이노베이션 大賞", Hankook Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, 2001-11-28, pp. 2. Retrieved on 2001-11-28. (in Korean)
  12. ^ Wi, Yoonhee; Hyunjung Ji (2003-02). "PC 유틸리티는 쉽고 편하게, 알잡에서 알툰즈까지" (in Korean) (Magazine). Microsoftware 2003 (02): 152-155. Retrieved on 2003-02-15. 
  13. ^ Program Deliberation and Mediation Committee (Korean) (2003-06 Edition).
  14. ^ Wi, Yoonhee; Hyunjung Ji (2003-02). "PC 유틸리티는 쉽고 편하게, 알잡에서 알툰즈까지" (in Korean) (magazine). Microsoftware 2003 (02): 152-155. Retrieved on 2003-02-15. 

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