Systems maintenance utilities are similar to other technologies that previously may have proved a luxury but, once you've used it, you have trouble living without—rear window defrosters, GPS, and single-shot coffee makers come to mind. Such maintenance utilities typically remove unneeded files and applications to free disk space and improve performance. In addition to those capabilities, includes redundant file identification and removal and system resources monitoring. The application also packs maintenance tools for scheduling common script actions, optimizing Mail, reindexing Spotlight, and clearing the Mac's DNS cache. SEE: (Tech Pro Research). SEE: (TechRepublic) Once installed, the application runs in the background, by default; this comes in handy, especially if you wish to leverage WinZip Mac Optimizer's disk monitoring and alerting features, which, while customizable, remind you when disk space and Trash and Downloads folder sizes become problematic.

When you click Unzip at the top of the WinZip window, a drop down menu will display and you can choose to unzip to a location on the Mac or you can choose a cloud service. Starting with WinZip 5.0 you will also find an Unzip button at the bottom of the WinZip window. WinZip brings the convenience of Windows to the use of ZIP files and other archive and compression formats. The optional wizard interface makes unzipping easier than ever. WinZip features built-in support CAB files and for popular Internet file formats such as TAR, gzip, UUencode, BinHex, and MIME.

You can easily change the program's other settings using the program's icon, which lands on the Menu Bar. Upon opening, WinZip Mac Optimizer displays a Dashboard view ( Figure A). The easy-to-understand window provides a graphic illustration of the Mac's disk usage, battery status, and a summary of installed applications. The tool also confirms the processor, memory, and OS version. A convenient navigation pane appears on the Dashboard's left-hand side. The pane separates the program's tools into three categories: Security, Cleaning, and Optimization. Image: WinZip In my tests, the program's tools and components worked quickly and reliably.

Disk Usage information was available within moments. Java download for mac 10.9.4. The Uninstaller listed not only my Mac's installed programs but those programs' many subcomponents, too. Manipulating the Battery Optimization controls proved intuitive, and the Maintenance routines, such as optimizing Mail, were clearly described and easily accessed.

No one looks forward to performing systems maintenance, but most everyone appreciates a reliable and fast-performing system. WinZip Mac Optimizer eases the pain and simplifies achieving such a goal (and reminds you when you forget) to keep your system running smooth.