WinZip: 1 billion downloads by September

Who hasn't heard of WinZip, the popular file compression software? It's about to hit the one-billion download mark by September, a tech site reported Thursday.

 

It would have taken the popular software more than 20 years to achieve the feat, according to a report on The Next Web.

 

The original WinZip was released in 1991, to help users compress files and store them on removable media  —such as floppy disks.

 

"(WinZip) hit is peak in the days of dial-up, when many website owners ‘zipped’ files for easy downloads, but its use has faded over the years as more efficient compression algorithms have surfaced and other apps have incorporated support for them," The Next Web said.

 

It gained popularity by allowing users to try it for free for 45 days, but then would nag users to buy it once the trial period has lapsed.

 

But now, it appears to be fading as Microsoft and Apple incorporated support for ZIP files in their operating systems.

 

Still, it said WinZip is now at version 16.5 and still has apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Windows 8.

 

"(T)he software has still seen a billion downloads, so there’s demand for it somewhere," The Next Web said. — TJD, GMA News