[WolfpactVI]

1) I can't find anywhere on Stuffit 8 or 9 a setting so that when you double click any kind of compressed file, it just unstuffs it, no apps launched, no having to use a menu option. It is SO annoying to have the stuffit expander app launch and give me a stupid window and I have to go and figure out what to do to get the darn thing expanded. Anyone know if there is still a setting for this? Used to be the default for Stuffit 7. Also, with IE, it usually unstuffs files after downloading automatically, but Safari does not. I'd like to have that option with Safari.
2) Anyone know when a new version of AIM is coming out? I've been running 4.7 for a long time now, and no updates, no version 5, etc.
Thanks all!
- Wolf

[Nobody]

Safari-->Preferences--->General--->"open safe files after downloading" should be checked

[WolfpactVI]

It has been checked for a long time. Never worked with .zip or .sit files.
- Wolf

[dcipjr]

Just curious, why are you running AIM when there are far better options? I personally like iChat, but Fire's pretty good too. Even when I use a PC, I don't use the AOL IM client, I use Gaim.

[lkalliance]

Perhaps AOL cut or drastically reduced its efforts on the Mac AIM front given that Apple provides iChat. Might that be part of their agreement?

[bpmco]

Regarding AOL and updates . . .
It has been my personal experience using AOL
for 10 years, that Mac updates of anything
come 3 years (if then) after the PC versions launches.
Personally, I've given up on them.

[WolfpactVI]

Fire, huh? I thought about it. Why do you recommend it?
Personally, I like certain things about AIM much better than iChat. iChat's kinda simple. I like lots of options. Particularly, I like the file transfer in AIM (I always get much slower transfer speed using iChat for some reason) better, and I like being able to transfer whole folders. I also like the formatting options, especially when it comes to formatting away messages and profiles.
If I were to switch, I would need plenty of formatting options for IMs, away messages, and profiles. I would also need the ability to transfer folders and not be limited to individual files. I would also need a logging option, that retained all of the date and time info, as well as the formatting. AND, I would love the ability to be logged on under two AIM screen names using a single IM app.
Any word on how to get Stuffit to automatically expand things when you double click them, rather than launching that stupid window and making you go through extra steps?

- Wolf

[denisincalif]

In reply to:

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Any word on how to get Stuffit to automatically expand things when you double click them, rather than launching that stupid window and making you go through extra steps?

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There is no way you, the recipient of a Stuffit archive, can make it self-extract. The person who creates the archive has the option of making it self-extracting at compression time. But he/she has to specify whether the file will be decompressed on a Mac or a Windows machine, since application code will be included in the archive.
Years ago Stuffit only supported Macs. In those days we used to see a lot of self-extracting archives. They are named with the extension .sea. Nowadays .sea files have practically disappeared, because the producer of the archive often doesn't know which platform it will be expanded on.
By the way, self-extracting archives for Windows come with the .exe extension, as you would expect. Those can be opened on a Mac, but only by dropping the file onto StuffitExpander, not by double-clicking on the archive.
Edit
There is one case where the compressor knows the platform---when an application and its documentation are being packaged for distribution. Years ago lots of applications were distributed as .sea files. But not any more. In accordance with Apple guidelines, .dmg files are now used.
These do not have to be restricted to applications. You can put anything in a .dmg file. And they are self-extracting in the sense that double-clicking them automatically starts DiskCopy to decompress them and mount the disk image.

[WolfpactVI]

Well, I know it worked not so long ago on OS X. For instance, I recently did a clean install of OS X, and the version of Expander (I am 99% sure it was version 7) would automatically expand .sit and .zip files just by double-clicking the files. It would launch, expand, and then quit. Since version 8, Expander has no longer done that. Somehow, I can't understand why self-expanding a zip file would be determined by the person compressing and not the preferences in the OS set by the recipient. Sorta like how I have every .jpg set to be opened by GraphicConverter regardless of what app created the .jpg, whether it be from a camera, PhotoShop, or wherever. WinZp for Windows can open .sit files, as can Expander. Expander for Mac can open .zip files, even if they were created by Winzip. How hard is it to expand something with a double click, rather than choosing a nested menu option called "Unstuff"?
Anyway, that is my rant. One would think Aladdin would be able to figure out a way easily enough to make it work. Oh well.
- Wolf

[ALG]

I am going to say you have a bad install of Stuffit. I know 8 at least the default is to decompress when downloading and double clicking. I can not speak for Stuffit 9 as I do not have it.

[d00d]

I have Stuffit 9. Double-click expands archives for me. No fuss, no muss.

[dcipjr]

Well, I used Fire for a little while (before I got iChat AV) and it always just worked well for me, hence the recommendation to try it if you haven't. Pretty sure it'll do most (if not all) of what you want.
I also have heard Adium is very good -- I haven't tried it though, iChat AV does things well enough for me, although I desperately want Apple to implement profiles.
I just don't like AIM's interface, ads, or poor Mac support. If they delivered a better product, I'd use it, but I haven't been impressed with their latest offerings. A lot of the third-party IM apps have been pretty impressive, so I'd say they're worth a look.

[ALG]

I currently use Fire and in my opinion it is better than Trillian for Windows and I thought that was a great program. I also do not like the interface on ICQ, MSN, AIM, Yahoo ........ with fire I get a very functional clean interface w/o a ton of commerical junk. I also do not get the disconnect that I was getting with MSN.

[d00d]

Fire is terrible compared to Adium (you might want to jump straight into the latest beta).