REVIEWS

STACKER 3.1

Who needs more hard disk space? Everyone does, as Microsoft admitted when it included DoubleSpace with MS-DOS 6. If you're uncomfortable using DoubleSpace, however, or if you want slightly faster and tighter compression with a more flexible interface, try Stacker 3.1.

This newest version of Stacker comes in two versions: a special version for DOS 6 and another version for all other DOSs. If you're not using DOS 6, however, you can probably skip the upgrade, because many of the program's best features require the new DOS. I'll focus on the DOS 6 version.

The biggest news with Stacker 3.1 is that the Stacker device driver loads before CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC BAT run, so the days of mirrored system files are over. With 3.1, you have one set of system files, and they're on drive C, just where they should be.

Other new features abound. Stacker 3.1 can convert DoubleSpace drives to Stacker drives, it sports an editable STACKER.INI file, and disk and file compression statistics are available from Windows File Manager and the DOS Dir command. My favorite feature, however, is one that's buried in the on-disk README file: When you exit Windows, Stacker 3.1 flushes the SMARTDrive cache. Safety first. That's Stac's motto, and I like it.

CLIFTON KARNES

Stac Electronics

(619) 431-7474

DOS 6 version-$79.95

Stacker 3.0 upgrade—$19.95

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