The following links represent various things that I am interested in.
- Astronomy
Who doesn't love looking at the night sky? Stellarium is a planetarium program available on several platforms.
If you have an Android phone, Google Sky Map is also a nice thing to have. (Google Sky Map is available on
Google's Play Store.)
Stellarium
- Graphics
Many people like messing around with graphic images, in the style popularized by Photoshop®. GIMP is a
free alternative available under multiple platforms.
GIMP: Image Manipulation
Advanced 3D modeling and animation is available to the masses with Blender. It's powerful, but not intuitive, so
it helps to use a good tutorial site.
Blender
A decent Blender tutorial site: CG Cookie
- Linux
Are you tired of or just hampered by the Windows operating system? Linux is a UNIX variant which runs on
several architectures, including the i386 and amd64 architectures. Running any UNIX variant does require a bit
of a learning curve. But, if you want to unleash your machine and give your computer a multi-user environment
with full network capabiltiy, and if you like very powerful and free software, Then Linux is for you. There
are many Linux distributions available. Some are purported to be easier to use than others. One favorite seems
to be Ubuntu. I got used to Debian and don't want to switch. Shop around and choose what's right for you.
Below is a link to the Debian home page.
Debian Linux distribution
I still use Debian on some of my systems, but when I bought my Lenovo Legion y540, I had trouble installing it.
I needed proprietary drivers for the NVidia GTX 1650 card. Ubuntu came to the rescue. It implements a better
policy concerning "non-free" drivers.
Ubuntu Linux Distribution
- Programming
When I was first introduced to computers, you couldn't do much with them unless you knew how to write a
program. I still love programming to this day. My favorite language is C++. The current version, C++11, is a
very rich language which seems to offer limitless possiblities. Below is the site of the creator of C++,
Bjarne Stroustrup.
The C++ Programming Language