ZipZag is one more representative of the archivators family. Functions are more of less common: compresses, decompresses,emails, performs all file operations Windows Explorer can do. Whatever your user preference is, you might want this program supporting formats for Linux, Windows, and Macintosh systems. More then 180 formats sound impressive. Let's look at it in more detail.

It's clear: to make users switch from classical WinZip or WinRar, archivators developers have to add functions, options, formats. And appeal to needs "whatever platform you use in the future, you won't have to pay additional money for a proper archivator". Sounds reasonable, though, statistically speaking, users are not used to lurching enthusiastically from one system to another, as well as preserving programs for the future.

What does ZipZag provide to a regular use here and now to appreciate it and want to switch?

Actually, almost nothing new comparing to, for example, WinZip or WinRar. Drag-and-drop interface and the opportunity to add, delete, sfx, unsfx, convert, merge, run, install, checkout, view, test, virus scan, repair, span, unspan, mail, and much more. To compress and decompress using ZipZag, no specific skills are required.

We have to define an archive location, its type, whether or not it's going to be self-extracting, look throw the options, choose some suitable for you and press the Add button. The number of options is not actually numerous: Archive type, Compression and Paths.

All of them sound familiar, but some additional alternatives inside might be not clear for a regular user. For example, whether it's important to set paths saving and what, in the case, shall I do with the conveying boredom dialog window. What does "reset archive bit" mean? And, in several minutes, with some irritation "Where … can I find some explanation for all the questions?" Obviously, not inside the program: ZipZag Help section is easily the worst I've ever seen.

So, an attempt to take into account lots of useful characteristics makes the program's interface a bit more complicated. It's still intuitive, but of the second-order: when we are offered some choice, we understand how to make changes, but are at a loss what for we shall do it. The obvious way out is just to skip options and use the most general operations.

The next shortcoming is lack of interface customization. Users have to take it on "as is" basis, there is no opportunity to change, for example, the toolbar or panes layouts. No context menu with the most common operations at right-clicking on a file. ZipZag starts standard e-mail client and doesn't provide an option for users to set another one.

There is no equivalent for, let us say, WinZip's Favorites folder including all zip files on your computer independent of their actual location.

But ZipZag supports different languages and dialects. Cockney, Moron, Redneck: find yourself.

Now some panegyric words to ZipZag operating. Developers declare better compression for 7-Zip and Sqx archive formats than Rar, Ace or Zip. Good. We can convert an archive into another format. Very good. ZipZag build-in viewer works with most of popular formats, like Html, Doc, Xls, Bmp, Jpg, Tiff, etc. Convenient.

ZipZag provides Batch Add and Batch Extract options to compress and extract many files at once, each in/from their own archives. But it doesn't support a command line. So, partially satisfying needs of regular users (they still keep to simple compression/decompression and emailing), ZipZag somewhat disappoints its more advanced users.

In general, ZipZag seems promising, but crude and, with such a Help, useless for beginners and regular users. But it's obviously worth trying. And maybe buying…the next versions.