Use 7-Zip to Compress Your Files

What's the best file compression tool out there? According to a recent Lifehacker poll, it's not even close: 7-Zip blew away a crowded field to take home a majority of the votes. Though 7-Zip only works on Windows and Linux computers, it's free, straightforward, and doesn't eat up too much system memory.

Like other Lifehacker voters, I've found it to be quick and capable, and it seems to be able to deal with any file format I throw its way. (I'm also fond of ALZip, which we've covered previously.) There's also a portable version of 7-Zip you can download onto your iPod so you can play with ZIP and RAR files anywhere you go.