GIMP Version: 2.6.11
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: XP - SP3
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

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Whats the best way to make a transparent background using gimp? I have always used the fuzzy select too and the eraser. I know there has to be an easier way.
I did find one in the Gimp Scripts section but I am not sure how to open & add it to my gimp. I am not familiar at all with SCM files.
Also, what is the best, free, easy to learn, and use program to unzip files?

Thanks

If you mean masking your subject from the background, there really is no easy way to do so but work unfortunately Sher. If you have a solid background, you can try to pick the color to make it transparent, but if hair's involved, I've seen a variety of techniques and all require work unfortunately.

For solid colors (text/logo over uniform background) this technique gives rather good results (much better than the wand-select alone):
- wand-select the background
- grow the selection by two pixels so that it overlaps the logo/text border
- use "Colors/Color to alpha" with the background color

The free solution for ZIP files under windows is the built-in "compressed folders" in the file explorer.

Thanks for the responses everyone, you have helped a great deal.
Can someone elaborate on what Ofnuts said "The free solution for ZIP files under windows is the built-in "compressed folders" in the file explorer" please?

In the Windows file explorer, at least since XP, .ZIP files are shown as folders (I think by default, otherwise there is a setting for that), so you just click on them to enter them. To 'extract' files, you just copy them to another folder (click/drag).

If you download a folder that is RAR zipped 7Zip is an excellent freeware choice.
To open a zip simply right click the file and select
extract files... OR
extract files here... OR
OR extract files to the same folder name in the same directory.
I use it all the time on Windows XP 32 bit.It works on many compressed file types.
If you want to ever zip a folder for distribution just right click and select send to...
Select new zip folder , select yes to the dialog that pops up.The zip will be created with the same name as the file you put in it.And the new zipped file will be created in the same directory.

You guys are great, thanks again!