Editorial Review:

Amazon.com Review:
As is often the case with dually developed software, the Macintosh version is better. While Stuffit Deluxe 5.5 does make cross-platform file exchange easy by supporting the most popular Windows compression formats, Mac users have long been used to Stuffit (.SIT format) compression--which gets about 20 percent smaller. Combined with version 5.5's new browsing feature and direct menu-bar access, Stuffit users have an all-around essential utility for any Mac.

The browsing feature allows you to peruse the contents of a compressed archive without actually expanding it--you can double-click on the one file that you need and the utility will unstuff only it. If you've got a small hard drive, this is a perfect way to keep everything compressed to save space while accessing files as fast as if you were browsing your Documents folder normally. Stuffit Deluxe also integrates with your Web browser and e-mail client to simplify decompressing downloads, and it adds a handy menu to both your desktop and to your pop-up menus for quick access to compression and decompression functions from anywhere.

Version 5.5 now features full compatibility with Mac OS 9.0--but you only need System 7.5.3 or higher to make use of it. This is one of a few key utilities every Mac owner should have. --Erik Macki

Stuffit-Supported Compression Formats: StuffIt (.sit), Zip (.zip), Bzip (.bzip), BinHex (.hqx), MacBinary (.bin), UUencode (.uu, .uue, .U), Gzip (.gz), Tape Archive Format (.tar, .tgz), .arc, Compact Pro (.cpt), DiskDoubler (.dd), .lha, MIME (.mim, .mime), AppleLink (.pkg), Unix Compress (.Z), Private File (.pf)

Amazon.com Item Description:
StuffIt Deluxe makes your files smaller, so they transmit faster wherever they're going, whether it's across the office or around the world. Plus, you'll get more onto a hard drive, Zip disk, or any type of storage media. And with the most comprehensive array of translators and decoders available, StuffIt Deluxe easily makes exchanges with other Macs, PCs, or Unix-based computers.

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Rating: - * a must-have for Mac users on the Internet ... This package contains more than just one piece of software, but actually a suite of products that are intuitive and easy to use. There is also (believe it or not) a printed manual ... and it has been written for mere mortals, not just geeks! The stuffit expander can be downloaded for free, but what if you need to stuff some files (like a bunch of photos you want to send to Grandma via e-mail) to send over the Internet? This is the software you need. It will mount and create disk images, create archives and you can also include password protection on your archives. Windows users can also "unstuff" files sent to them that are stuffed w/ Stuffit Deluxe as the Windows version of the expander software is also free and can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. The manufacturer has been faithful in updating this software over the years and Stuffit is here to stay. I've been using this software for nearly 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. It will open a lot of mysteriously archived files including .cap, .bin and .zip without error. Works in tandem with web browsers or as a stand-alone.