Computing

It seems as if in the past few years computer technology has been on the rise in power and potential. Mp3's, DVD drives, computer games and reasonably priced tv cards have paved the way for these machines to be a main attraction in the future of home entertainment centers. Meanwhile the Internet has opened up whole new forms of communication through email, instant messaging and video conferencing. The Internet has also given birth to e-commerce and a whole wealth of research information. Computers wear all these hats in addition to the traditional productivity abilities (word processing, spreadsheets etc) that made them famous.

One can't help but wonder what these machines will be able to do next. To keep readers up to speed on such possible advances this page contains some useful (and fun!) freeware as well as some links to several main technology companies.

Freeware

The following software has been written as freeware by Mark D. Brady for Windows 9X computers. Feel welcome to use it/repost it as you please, remembering to give credit to the author when it is due. The programs below are in zip format and require a zip utility to activate.

• Conversion Machine -- This program, though quite large (3.55 mb), is definitely worth your while if you've ever had to wrestle with having to switch measurements from the metric system to the english system or vise versa. Conversion Machine will do this for you in key areas of measurement such as distance, length, volume, and weight. Released August 4, 1997.



• Digital Fortune Cookie -- Similar to it's tangible chinese cousin, this item's purpose is to shed light on life's mysteries with words of advice and prediction. Digital Fortune Cookie (869 kb) chooses from a random selection of 100 preset fortunes. Just paste a shortcut to your Windows 9X startup folder to receive new words of wisdom with every boot-up sequence! Released July 15, 1998.



• Tic Tac Toe -- It's my hope that the simple charm of this program will capture the attention of some of you who appreciate PC entertainment. Tic Tac Toe (3.56 mb) is a refreshing change from the default games that come bundled with Microsoft Windows. It provides One or Two player action and allows you to edit the colors of the board and it's game pieces. Released August 12, 1997.



• Student's Assistant -- I made this after returning home frustrated with my grade on a math test. How could I determine my current grade in the class? I couldn't locate my calculator at the time, so I created the Student's Assistant (1.73 mb). This program is designed to take test and assignment scores from a class and calculate the percentage of credit that has been earned. It's a great tool for teachers and students! Released December 20, 1997.

Other Computer Resources

• CNET -- Full of great reviews and perspectives on a variety of products.



• Intel -- Chances are your computer has a chip inside that is made from this company. Go here for their latest advances in microchips.



• AMD -- These folks rival intel in producing fine microprocessors. They are responsible for such chips as the K-6 and Athlon.



• Microsoft -- The giant. The monster of software developers. These guys make Windows, Office, Internet Explorer and a host of other quality programs.



• Sun Microsystems -- The company responsible for the Java computer language. Also well known for their reliable Unix workstations.



• Windows Magazine -- This online magazine bears news and information reguarding the Windows operating system while not actually being affiliated with Microsoft.



• Byte Magazine -- Excellent source of information and prospecting the future of technology.



• Netscape -- Makers of Netscape Navigator. This company works very hard to stay on top of the Internet world with it's browser and server applications.



• Apple -- This link is to please the people out there who insist upon using a Mac. But don't forget that these computers perform with very high speed processors and excel when working with graphics.



• Redhat -- This company has done a lot to bring the Linux operating system into the mainstream world by selling easy to install commercial distributions.

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