Yeah, Tixati is like an old tractor that way - it ain't pretty, but damn, does it ever work.
I can't say much about eBook readers because I don't have much use for them.
As for DVD Authoring.... *Winces* In my experience, the truly free options leave something to be desired, and everything else is either adware or not free.
File compression, though.... I've had a lot of good experiences with 7zip. It's highly versatile, easy to use, and even has integration with Windows that provides you with right-click commands, so you don't even have to open the app to get an archive started or to extract an archive. It also supports encryption and password protection of archives.
I can't say much about eBook readers because I don't have much use for them.
As for DVD Authoring.... *Winces* In my experience, the truly free options leave something to be desired, and everything else is either adware or not free.
File compression, though.... I've had a lot of good experiences with 7zip. It's highly versatile, easy to use, and even has integration with Windows that provides you with right-click commands, so you don't even have to open the app to get an archive started or to extract an archive. It also supports encryption and password protection of archives.