----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Simmons" <[log in to unmask]>


> Actually I started using Phillip Katz program called PKARC
> and PKUNARC even earlier.  He was sued by a company that
> produced the ARC and UNARC utilities which did some
> compression and he had to substitute "ZIP" for "ARC".
>  Phillip's compression algorithm was so much superior to
> the ARC programs that the ARC programs were quickly
> abandoned.  I've not heard from the company that produced
> ARC in many years.
>

Actually IIRC he substitute extension with .PAC and after that as this
made new improvements (his patent) to algorithm and cerate
new file format known now as ZIP and make source free.  There
was other formats like .lha or . zoo . LHA was quite good to compress
texts and usually compress to smaller files as earlier ZIP.
It was fun times with BBS, specially here in time when phone call to France
cost less than neighboring town! Unfortunately it not last long but in we
get Internet - first e-mail and Usenet via UUCP and soon direct ftp and
gopher and archie. And then of course Web.  I still has SupraModem 2400
(2400 baud)  modem in self.

Toomas

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