UNZIP IIE
"""""""""
by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W.
                    [thelamp@delphi.com]

                                 UNZIP IIE
                                 ~~~~~~~~~

          Product Name:      Unzip IIe
          File Name:         UNZIPIIE.BXY
          Database:          Utility Software
          File Size:         18048
          Program Type:      ProDOS 8 Application
          Author:            Russ Woodroofe
          Version Reviewed:  1.0
          Distribution:      Shareware, $10 U.S. dollars, see ReadMe for
                             details
          Requirements:      Apple IIe, IIc, or IIgs; 19k disk space.


     It's a reality we all need to face: not everyone is fortunate enough
to have an Apple II.  Sooner or later, you'll encounter a file that you
just have to have, perfect for you in every way--except it has a ".ZIP"
suffix on it.  Boom!  You've hit the MSDOS wall--the Zip format is their
packing standard, just as the NuFX format (the one used by _Shrinkit_ and
_GS Shrinkit_) is ours.  What to do, what to do--especially if you have a
//e or //c?

     While the well-known Apple IIgs solution to dealing with .zip files is
the shareware _PMP Unzip_, there is also a less-well-known 8-bit II
solution, at an even better price: the $10 shareware _Unzip IIe_.

     Borrowing heavily from the _Shrinkit_ interface, _Unzip IIe_ does
primarily one thing, and does it well--it unzips .zip archives.  Like most
ProDOS 8 programs, it's fast and efficient, and its interface ought to be
very familiar for 8 bit Apple II users.

     _Unzip IIe_ will handle a variety of .zip archives without a hitch--in
fact, I didn't come across a single .zip archive it failed to handle.  One
omission is the self-extracting (.exe) archives--no known Apple II program
will currently these in one step, although there is a two-step solution we
may look at next month.  _Unzip IIe_ also doesn't -create- .zip archives,
but then again, it doesn't claim to.

     In summary, _Unzip IIe_ is a simple, fast, and needed product.  A
meager $10 is a more than fair price to pay for a program that can quickly
become invaluable.  For any 8-bit Apple II fanatic, _Unzip IIe_ is a
must-have utility.