http://www.pkware.com/products/enterprise/win/pkz/
the founder/creator of the .zip file format, also does .rar files, and is easier to use than winrar or winzip. I tested it myself with 1.38GB file, it is fast.
ObjectDock
http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/
gives a "mac" like dock, no more taskbar, or desktop icons needed. earlier versions kept minimizing games, but 1.1 does not!