Total Commander can handle archives as if they were subdirectories. It also has an internal ZIP-compatible packer. The search function allows you to search for files inside archives, even for text.
Two file windows side by side
Multiple language support
Enhanced search function
Compare files (now with editor) / synchronize directories
Quick View panel with bitmap display
ZIP, ARJ, LZH, RAR, UC2, TAR, GZ, CAB, ACE archive handling + plugins
Built-in FTP client with FXP (server to server) and HTTP proxy support
Parallel port link, multi-rename tool
Tabbed interface, regular expressions, history+favorites buttons
Thumbnails view, custom columns, enhanced search
Compare editor, cursor in lister, separate trees, logging, enhanced overwrite dialog, and more