Re: AutoArk

[ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean)]

fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden) writes:
: In article <1993Jan11.020733.25905@nuscc.nus.sg> ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean) writes:
: 
: I can't tell you the "why" of things, because I have never seen AutoArk.  I
: do have some rough time comparisons, but they were not very scientific.  I
: will say that HP uses some algorithms which are inherently faster than those
: available with AA.

Oh oh. I am starting to believe that I buy the wrong package.

AutoArk is slow, that's correct. Now let us see HP in speed comparison.
Can you tried some sample? Take some files in System 6 (for example,
synthLab, the music files, Teach, even Finder 6.0), shrunk them and do
the timing for compressing and opening. If any of the HP users willing to
experiment and take down the timing, I can do the same on AutoArk too.

I do hope you take a look at AutoArk. Some of the implementation is pretty
cool, for example, if the option "Finder interface" is disabled, you will be
able to see all the files with their original icons and sizes, just as
though nothing happened. If AA is fast enough (this is true especially for
small files), besides the cursor changes, user will not know decompression and
compression is taking place, and doesn't even know that AA exists.

I hope HP has this feature. And I also hope that perhaps HP can do the file
compression and decompression in the background (like Find File).

: >What does HP actually do? Expand the file only in memory (like what I always
: >thought AA did before I bought it)?
: 
: Yes.  Plus some other amusing tricks.

Like what? This is interesting. 

: Very.  I laugh at YankIt (which, BTW, I also wrote).

So, will AutoArk read ShrinkIt file like what YankIt did? One thing I like
about AutoArk is that it doesn't force you to compress file using LZW only.
I am wondering whether HP is also that flexible. HP can be even more
flexible to allow user to open ShrinkIt or AutoArk files.

: I am the only programmer of HP.  Which is why it has taken this long.

I see. How much longer do we need to wait? Before March 1993?

: Try some TT fonts.  Even GSHK was only getting around 8%, I believe.  However,
: my sample was pretty small (the Pointless fonts + a couple of others).
: 
: You will probably not do much better with MODs, because they are largely
: digitized sound.  The 20% is an exact figure (unless I read it wrong); HP
: provides the statistics for you.  HP may be able to do better, but it would
: take longer than most people want to wait. :-|

Yes, that's right. AutoArk is so slow that I am not willing to compressing
anything other than those I will be using once in the life time (or during 
demos).

: -- 
: fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden)
: [ Above opinions are mine, Amdahl has nothing to do with them, etc, etc. ]

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