Sometime in the past few years, I stopped using WinZip. That’s after ten years of enthusiastic use of what used to be an essential utility. It helped that basic support for the non-proprietary and widely used Zip format was built into Windows Me and then Windows XP.
But WinZip also lost me because somewhere along the way they turned from a scrappy little underdog that sold a necessary product at a reasonable price into a faceless corporation that tried to maximize its revenue stream by squeezing its longtime customers. First they bundled Google’s toolbar. Then, after years of offering free upgrades to paying customers like me, the company started charging for upgrades last year. In fact, the new, $29.95 license (the pro version is a mind-boggling $50) doesn’t include any upgrade rights unless I pay an extra $6.95 for upgrade assurance. (I think that’s close to what I paid for my original WinZip license 10 years ago.) As a longtime customer, I get a paltry five bucks off the single-user license price. Gee, thanks, WinZip.
It’s no wonder that WinZip’s revenues have been plummeting in the past three years.
And now the transformation is complete:
Corel Corporation Acquires WinZip Computing
Corel Corporation (NASDAQ: CREL; TSX: CRE) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of WinZip Computing, makers of the world’s leading aftermarket compression utility.
So long, WinZip.
Update:
A commenter at PC World’s Techlog says:
[A]fter 15 years in this industry, I have to say that I don’t know of ANYONE who has EVER actually paid for WinZip.
I paid for my copy of WinZip back in the day. I know others who did as well. But individual users are the exception. The real revenue stream for a product like WinZip these days is from corporations, which dare not have dodgy unlicensed evaluation software on their users machines. So because they know that some of their users will try to sneak WinZip in, they buy site licenses that cover the cost for every seat in the organization. It’s cheap insurance against lawsuits.
I would bet those licenses are a buck or two per seat, rather than the $29 or $49 that WinZip wants. Those prices may have made sense in 1993, when a computer cost $5000 and a copy of WordPerfect was $299, but they don’t make a lot of sense today, when free and cheap alternatives are widely available.
What do you use now as a replacement? Do you rely on the built-in Windows zipping capability, or have you switched to another program (such as WinRAR or 7zip)?
I use the Windows built-in zip tools (Compressed Folders) 99% of the time. When I need more, I use WinRAR.
I haven’t used WinZip in ages either, but not because of the ‘faceless global corporation’ angle, but rather because I found WinRAR to be better at the job. Anyway, why were you paying for WinZip? The free version does the job equally well.
There is no ‘free’ version. Starting with version 10, they require you to register after the 30 day trial period, or it stops working, as I recall.
David,
There was never a “free” version. Like most shareware programs, the original WinZip was free to use for an evaluation period (in this case 21 days), after which you are expected to pay for it or stop using it. To the author’s credit, WinZip didn’t time out, so a lot of people continued using it without ever paying for it. That helped build up its reputation and was smart marketing.
IIRC, I paid $10 for WinZip at least 10 years ago, maybe more. I believe in paying software authors for programs that I use regularly, which is why I purchased the license. It helped that the cost was reasonable and the upgrades were free.
RIP Winzip
I’ve been a licensed user of winzip for probably as long as Ed. I used PKZIP before that in DOS. The trouble for trying to get revenue out of current users is that the application is so perfectly tuned for what I need. I don’t need upgrades, there’re no new formats I need opened, etc. Corel will probably try the Quicken strategy of naming a version after a year and trying convince people that they need the latest, even if there are no new features.
7-zip does everything I need for free.
Corel does seem to have that effect on things. I was pleased with Paint Shop Pro until they took it over and turned it into an odd-looking freak show. I stopped using WinZip when the most recent version came out; PowerArchiver seems like a better product.
I’ve has a PC since 1994 and never even used WinZip. I never could understand why so many people did, since there was always a free alternative. Lately, I’ve been using IZarc. Simple and works very well. http://www.izarc.org/
I think you guys are being too harsh on Corel. Blame Vector Capital, its parent corporation, which is a venture capitalist firm. I wrote a review of archive utilities for DonationCoder.com (http://www.donationcoder.com/Reviews/Archive/ArchiveTools/index.html) last fall, where I found WinRAR the clear winner, but WinZip had died long before Corel came along. It’s decision with version 10 to embrace the PPMd format over 7z assured its irrelevance.
I’ve been using ZipGenius (www.zipgenuis.it) to handle about 75% of the zip file work. The other 25% of the time I use the standard Compressed Folders utility.
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Don’t blame WinZip or the VC’s or Corel. Blame all the freeloaders (millions of them?) who used the ‘free’ version and never paid for the product. WinZip had to do something. Unfortunately, decent paying customers and ultimately the company ended up paying the ultimate price.
It’s too easy to criticize “corporations” when a lot of the time it’s individuals who need to take responsibility for their actions.
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So, for 10 years you used the application that you paid $7 got free upgrades all that time. Now, you are asked to pay for an upgrade an you balk. There squeezing you? Really? The only reason you are a “long time customer” is cause you were happy to d/l and install and use all those “free” updates.
Are you a developer? Lets assume you were and you had a client that paid you to write an application. Now, once they paid for it you are expected to give free upgrades for ever?
What about as a Network admin. You are hired to set up a companies network. So, you set it up and get paid for doing that. Now, you must return every year and maintain and update that as needed without being paid. Is that right?
I don’t know how you expect a software publisher to stay in business by giving out infinate upgrades for a one time purchase? Give me a break!
Bob, WinZip is the one that CHOSE to offer me free lifetime upgrades and then CHOSE to change that policy.
I pay for software all the time, although by my back-of-the-envelope calculations roughly 98% of the people who download WinZip never do. If they had offered a reasonable upgrade deral, I might have taken them up on it, but offering a registered user of the previous edition a $5 discount off the single-license price is bullshit.
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Bob,
I understand the point, however I believe there are a couple of important points…
1) Winzip was effectively a finished product many years ago, it doesnt NEED upgrading. It provides a simple function, which it does well, and doesnt require additional function/form.
2)In a market, if you are providing the same product as your competitors, except yours costs money then I believe yes you probably are in trouble. (except if your selling water lol)
Ed,
I went through the same thing. I recently switched to Tugzip, it’s free, and feels a lot like Winzip. I think the interface is nicer as well.
http://www.tugzip.com/
Jim
I even paid for PKZip.
“Much like Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux operating system, the name Phil Katz isn’t familiar to most home computer users of today. Mention his name to anyone who’s been involved with the hobby since the very beginning, however, and you’ll likely get a nod of recognition and a grin. Phil’s story is fascinating but cut short by tragedy.
On April 14, 2000, Phil Katz was found dead in a Milwaukee motel room. An empty bottle of peppermint schnapps was still clutched in his hand, and five more empties were scattered about the room. It was a miserable, lonely end for a man who had created a product now in use by millions of people; a product that revolutionized computer data storage and made file transfers less complicated and more efficient. He was only 37 years old when he died.”
Phil Katz