New Features poll

spwolf

So we are getting there - to the point of releasing next versions of PowerArchiver.

What are the major features you want to be there - please select from the poll so we know how much will you like next PA.

Just an heads up - like WinZip, there will be 2 versions of next PA and of course, no features will be removed from standard version (a lot more will be added in fact).

Vote!

masu

ZIP files in use! would be a feature I am long waiting for.

Burning feature would just made a bloatware to PA.

spwolf

@masu:

ZIP files in use! would be a feature I am long waiting for.

Burning feature would just made a bloatware to PA.

good good, you will like it then…

TBGBe

Don’t have a need for ftp or encryption for backups.
Unicode - finally :p
Burning - hope we can specify “temp” to be on other partition besides C: drive (unlike Windows).

P.S. Sorry I haven’t been around much lately (work) - hope to contribute more often in future months.

davidsplash

does this mean that existing users end up paying for the pro version?

spwolf

@davidsplash:

does this mean that existing users end up paying for the pro version?

if you want those features, which not everyone might… there will be special price though.

no current features were moved to pro and a lot of new features are in standard version.

Luxor

ZIP files in use!
yes please as I am always forgetting to close things before I run my backup.

As for burning I don’t think that should be the job for PA, tend to agree with masu that would be bloat.

I choose:
-Preview window to preview images, archives and more!
-FTP client to easily download your backups!
-ZIP files in use!
-Faster compression/decompression!
-Proper unicode support for shell and main PA!
-Encrypt tool that works with 7zip and zip?

but in my opinion the most needed thing is full UNICODE support
compression/decopression/preview
I need this the most, that why I use PA and 7z too :p

Regards
Virtual_ManPL

P.S. Give ppl some RC/beta version to test, because some bugs can still be there

spwolf

@Virtual_ManPL:

I choose:
-Preview window to preview images, archives and more!
-FTP client to easily download your backups!
-ZIP files in use!
-Faster compression/decompression!
-Proper unicode support for shell and main PA!
-Encrypt tool that works with 7zip and zip?

but in my opinion the most needed thing is full UNICODE support
compression/decopression/preview
I need this the most, that why I use PA and 7z too :p

Regards
Virtual_ManPL

P.S. Give ppl some RC/beta version to test, because some bugs can still be there

unicode is not full, but it is fully usable - it wont show properly in all tools, but for 7zip and rar compression/decompression and preview of files, works perfectly, including in shell and filenames… so it is big step forward, not perfect.

spwolf

@Luxor:

ZIP files in use!
yes please as I am always forgetting to close things before I run my backup.

As for burning I don’t think that should be the job for PA, tend to agree with masu that would be bloat.

burning is there, but it is separate application so no extra overhead to PA whatsoever…

davidsplash

What are the pro features?

so all of us who have loyaly tested and reported bugs are not getting a free upgrade to the pro version.

I wouldn’t mind if the pro version was minor better features if they are more most of us will be annoyed and angry. Just a word of warning thats what drove me away from winzip in the first place, after i ran it in conjunction with powerarchiver as i had it before pa was shareware.

I don’t mind paying for features that enhance powerarchiver, but it will mean that disabled features need a new foirum to test that they work ok when activated and need to be tested fully.

Be warned that more cracks/keygens have appeared for winzip scince it started having a standard and pro version. what i prepose is not a pro version but extra features via plugins that u can buy which bolt onto powerarchiver. This would mean that you make far more money. what does everyone else think.

spwolf

@davidsplash:

What are the pro features?

so all of us who have loyaly tested and reported bugs are not getting a free upgrade to the pro version.

I wouldn’t mind if the pro version was minor better features if they are more most of us will be annoyed and angry. Just a word of warning thats what drove me away from winzip in the first place, after i ran it in conjunction with powerarchiver as i had it before pa was shareware.

I don’t mind paying for features that enhance powerarchiver, but it will mean that disabled features need a new foirum to test that they work ok when activated and need to be tested fully.

Be warned that more cracks/keygens have appeared for winzip scince it started having a standard and pro version. what i prepose is not a pro version but extra features via plugins that u can buy which bolt onto powerarchiver. This would mean that you make far more money. what does everyone else think.

You are not going to lose any of standard features. So no need to worry about that.

Standard version wont be left out in dark like with some companies - in fact, we expect most of our current users to use Standard and not Pro version. Actually proven by this poll.

And lastly, Pro version wont be expensive - not to upgrade and for new users, not to buy either…

masu

Which target group is adressed with the Pro Version?

spwolf

@masu:

Which target group is adressed with the Pro Version?

people who use standalone backup programs and like features of competing utilities that have direct burning to disc… of course, ours is much better :P.

gate1975mlm

@spwolf:

good good, you will like it then…

I 100% agree please do not add a Burning feature! Last thing we need is PowerArchiver to become Bloatware.

Lets leave the Burning to Nero or something

lol Nero is Bloat too!

I want PowerArchiver to become much faster at everything!!!

And my %1 Vote is for Preview window to preview images, archives and more!

And Speed!

gate1975mlm

Has “keep broken files option for zip and rar files” been added to PowerArchiver 2008?

Please say it has!

We want this sooo bad!

WinRAR can do this.

spwolf

@gate1975mlm:

I 100% agree please do not add a Burning feature! Last thing we need is PowerArchiver to become Bloatware.

Lets leave the Burning to Nero or something

lol Nero is Bloat too!

I want PowerArchiver to become much faster at everything!!!

And my %1 Vote is for Preview window to preview images, archives and more!

And Speed!

all of these features are already in :).
So it is both faster and bloatware in the same time!!!

spwolf

of course, dont expect 1000x improvement in compression/decompression…

In certain cases, especially with Vista, it is quite a lot faster than before.

Some tests vs 2007:
MS Office 2007 folder

PA 2009 is 24% faster in zip max compression (53 seconds faster).
Unrar of same folder PA 2009 is 63% faster.

There are some certain rars where decompression difference will be even bigger (larger MV rars).

Of course, in some cases difference might be minimal but overall thats something we have definetly worked on for PA 2009.

masu

What about 7Zip format?

ivan

There are also improvements in 7-ZIP compression/decompression that consider interface improvements - improved some areas that in PA would make compression/decompression engine slower. But core compression is done with 7-ZIP DLL which has always some smaller optimizations from version to version, but this is something out of our control (e.g. Ultra compression memory requirements and speed).

@spwolf:

unicode is not full, but it is fully usable - it wont show properly in all tools, but for 7zip and rar compression/decompression and preview of files, works perfectly, including in shell and filenames… so it is big step forward, not perfect.

I’m looking forward for it

and speed optimization is needed but not to reduce ratio too much:D

or add Super mode, not for fast compression in high ratio like Ultra or Max mode, but for highest compression without any speed optimization tricks

own command line for 7zip will be good too

Regards
Virtual_ManPL

spwolf

there were no changes to compression, it was just optimizations on PA side of things…

spwolf

bump…

@spwolf:

there were no changes to compression, it was just optimizations on PA side of things…

good to hear

but could we expect console for 7z commands ?:D
it will be vary helpfull;)

@spwolf:

bump…

spamer:p

Regards
Virtual_ManPL

JackH

A feature I’ve often wished for is an “Open as administrator” addition to the Explorer right-click menu. This would be especially handy in Vista, when you want to extract an archive into a folder that requires administrator rights.

RJWaring

I think one area I would like to see in the future is more intergration with todays Antivirus Software.

The current version of PA Just offers a drop down selection of some of the exe’s which run quick scans.

Idealy, on install or upgrade PA could autoscan for any active antivirus and update it self. Or ask which antivirus you use out of a top 10 List and then apply automatically. You could also “add new Antivirus to list”.

Luxor

@JackH:

A feature I’ve often wished for is an “Open as administrator” addition to the Explorer right-click menu. This would be especially handy in Vista, when you want to extract an archive into a folder that requires administrator rights.

That would be a very good idea as Vista can be a real pain when you want to do something as simple as that.

spwolf

for any new features for future releases, it is useless to post it here - you need to post it as separate thread as usual.

JackH

@spwolf:

for any new features for future releases, it is useless to post it here - you need to post it as separate thread as usual.

How could I be so stupid… I thought “New Features poll” might be a good place to suggest new features. How dumb of me.

atlacatl

I absolutely agree with not adding the burn to disk if it’s going to make it slower/fatter.

I personally would like to see a reversed FTP backup utility. I manage allot of websites, and I’m constantly making backups for them. It’ll be nice if I could schedule PA to automatically connect to my site at certain time, and make a backed up “Encrypted” zip on my local machine. I paid money for another tool that does something similar, but not as nice and feature rich as PA.
It seems to me PA has all the key elements already, this feature shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish. I’ll pay extra for this, as long as it’s not another $40.

The schedule backup needs some work, It’ll be nice if I could schedule everything from within PA, not having to create the backup scripts, then go into windows scheduler and set it up….I’ve used programs that handle this automatically, so why can’t PA do this, it would add so much worth to yet a wonderful tool.

I hope this helps

crunch

@atlacatl:

I personally would like to see a reversed FTP backup utility. I manage allot of websites, and I’m constantly making backups for them. It’ll be nice if I could schedule PA to automatically connect to my site at certain time, and make a backed up “Encrypted” zip on my local machine. I paid money for another tool that does something similar, but not as nice and feature rich as PA.

Just curious, which other backup tool do you use?

atlacatl

Well, I’m currently using “BatchFTP”:
http://www.ensware.com/
Which is very powerful, but a bit buggy, and it lacks that nice intuitive UI that I love from PA.

So, to combat the “Not Friendly” UI from BatchFTP, and it’s cost, I decided to give “Cobian Backup Amanita” a try, this is ALLOT easier to use, and very simple, a bit too simple for me, but it gets the job done.

I hope this helps. I still think that PA could replace many of my current wares if it supported this feature.

spwolf

Based on the input from this poll, we have opened new one for 11.5 release, which is mainly for 2 options that got most votes here - unicode and faster compression…

Here is the link:
http://www.powerarchiver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3484

spwolf

closing this one, thanks for participating…