Tutorial By Marc Hoffman
Problem: An email containing a file with the extension .hqx, .bin, or .sit arrives in the email. What are these, and what do I do with it?

Solution: These files are all Macintosh compression format and encoding formats, similar to the ZIP format on Windows computers (see the ZIP explanation). Despite the fact that the internet is getting faster (via 56k modems, ISDN, and so forth), saving time on bringing in large amounts of information is still important. So, on large files that are sent via the internet, compression is the key. The smaller the file is the less time it will take to bring into a computer over the internet (via downloading or email). In the Macintosh community, the answer lies in Aladdin Systems' (www.aladdinsys.com) Stuffit format. Stuffit works by looking at files such as pictures, programs, word processing files, etc., and removes any redundant data stored in them. This has the effect of making the file much smaller, sometimes going as far as cutting the size of the file in half. And this all happens without damaging the file's data!

One of the best examples of over-bloated sized files is the Windows Bitmap image format. Typically, the file extension on a Windows Bitmap image is ".BMP". BMP images are the native image format that Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT use to store pictures on a computer.  So, to demonstrate the usefulness of Stuffit compression and the advantages of Stuffit on sending files over the internet, consider the following example, in which we created a test BMP picture.
 
 

Windows BMP Picture File Without Stuffit Compression
Windows BMP Picture File With Stuffit Compression
1.37 Megabyts
150k (over 86% smaller)
Requires 5.8 Minutes to download over a 56k modem connection
Requires 37.5 Seconds to download over a 56k modem connection
Time savings in downloading a Stuffit compressed file is one of Stuffit's advantages.

So now that we know why Stuffit is such an important means of sending information over the internet, the next question is obvious. Once the file is compressed in Stuffit format and you receive the file, how do you get the file back into its original condition so that you can use it (or, in this case, view the picture), especially if you're a Windows user and don't have access to a Macintosh?

Aladdin Systems, makes a program called "Aladdin Expander". This program is free of charge, and will decompress just about every compression format known to exist, including Windows ZIP files as well as Macintosh Stuffit archives. If you work with both Mac and Windows, this is the way to go. Expander can be downloaded free of change by going to www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html.