                              Stacker 3.1
                          for Windows and DOS


                             by Tony Curro


    Stac Electronics has longed been a leader in data compression. I can
    remember several programs that I have used, mainly for backup, where
    I would see that the compression routines were licensed from Stac.
    They are also the makers of Stacker, which is available on several
    platforms.

    Stacker 3.1 for Windows and DOS can be installed from either
    platform. It comes with two sets of disks. One set is for DR DOS and
    all versions of DOS up to 5.x. The second set is specifically for
    MS-DOS 6.0 users. Stacker 3.1 will automatically convert DoubleSpace
    files into Stacker drives.

    Features include:

    * Two-gigabyte Stacker drives.
    * Compress RAM drives.
    * Full EMS support
    * AutoProtect
    * AutoRecovery
    * Compression Tuning
    * Stacker Anywhere
    * Stacker Automount
    * Unstack

    Stacker 3.1 will create a group in Windows, and add itself to
    Windows File Manager. By adding itself to File Manager's toolbar you
    have the following features:

    * File Info to view compression information on selected files.

    * Disk Info to display the kilobytes used and free for the entire
      compressed disk along with the expected and actual compression
      ratios for the selected drives.

    There are three compression methods you can use with Stacker. These
    are: Fastest speed and standard compression; More compression and a
    bit less speed; Best compression. The default is the first one. The
    whole installation of Stacker is seamless. About all the user has to
    do is insert and change disks, and start the program. Selecting the
    defaults throughout the program will compress all drives on your
    system. The manual even explains how to create a Stacker-aware boot
    floppy. Speaking of the manual, it is well documented, and should
    get you through any problems you may encounter. I did not have any
    encounters, and I have a large assortment of "stuff" in my system.
    It did work that well.

    I installed Stacker on one drive, accepting the default compression
    method. These are the results:

    Before Stacker          After Stacker

    170MB drive             280MB drive
     34MB Free              168MB Free

    I did have almost 12 MB of ZIP or other compressed files on this
    drive that, since they are already compressed, cannot be further
    compressed. Stacker took about 30 minutes to do the above.

    When you run the program called STAC, from a DOS prompt, you get the
    Stacker Toolbox. This allows you to Stac or UnStac a floppy,
    removable disk or another hard drive. Get compression report or
    change the compression ratio. Check drive integrity, optimize, tune
    drive, set drive size, and more.

    I chose the option to UnStac the above drive. This worked
    flawlessly, and I did not lose any data. You must remember, that if
    you ever UnStac a volume, that the uncompressed data does not exceed
    the actual (not Stacked) size of the drive. Had I added 40 or 50
    megs of data to the above drive, I would have had a problem.

    Stacker 3.1 is compatible with popular disk utilities and caching
    programs. It is also fully compatible with permanent Windows swap
    files. I had one on the above drive, and Windows performed as usual
    after installation of Stacker. There is also a Stackometer in
    Windows that allows you to monitor disk capacity, compression ratio
    and fragmentation levels.

    Registered users of version 3.0 can upgrade to 3.1 for $19.95. If
    you purchased v3.0 after March 30, 1993, you qualify for a free
    upgrade.

    If you are in the market for a data compression program, my money is
    on Stacker. As mentioned, it is the leader. While other may imitate,
    or try to imitate, there is only one leader in this field and its
    name is Stacker.


                          Product Information

                              Stacker 3.1
                          for Windows and DOS

                          List Price -- $149.

                            Stac Electronics
                          5993 Avenida Encinas
                           Carlsbad, CA 92008
                              619-431-7474
                              619-431-0880
