Jon's Website

Not the only tools in the sea, but I like them.

Contents

• Hardware
• Technical software
  • Programming / software development
  • Compilers
• For all users
  • Internet utilities
  • Editors
  • Graphics
• Programs for everybody
  • Novelty programs

Psion stopped making PDAs, and so I don't link to them any more. I use a Dell laptop and various other scrounged hardware. A friend whom I've known since grade school runs a local computer reseller, Runtime Computer Systems, and he will treat you well.

Programming / software development

Bloodshed Dev-C++

Don't let the name put you off. This is a good, free C and C++ IDE for either the Cygwin or Mingw compilers (eventually there will be details on those compliers below). And it's even distributed with the Mingw compiler, too.

LCC-Win32

This is a fairly small, fast C compiler for Windows. The included IDE is a bit buggy, at least on my system, and I haven't used the thing as much as I have Dev-C++, so my opinion on it's small-ness, fast-ness, and stability isn't as reliable as it should be. Still, it's an option for the programmer on a budget.

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Compilers

DJGPP

This is a 32-bit DOS port of the GNU C and C++ compiler, GPP. It's a pretty popular compiler, having even been used for the DOS version of the original Quake game, and comes with a DOS-based IDE as well. Free, free, free!

Internet utilities

Toward a more secure browser. Firefox is the latest offering from The Mozilla Foundation, open-source heirs to Netscape's legacy. Loads of neat features. I'm addicted to the RadialContext right-click menu extension.

This is an excellent download manager, on par with Gozilla. Some of the stuff it does:

• Massive batch downloads
• Restarts failed downloads
• Tracks speed/etc of download sites
• Helps you find the fasted download site for a particular file
• Lets you import Internet Explorer browser cookies for sites that use cookies as part of their downloading scheme (I could even use it to pull stuff off the old MP3.com)
• Optionally monitors browser clicks, provides a floating drag-and-drop box for adding download jobs, etc.

Outlook Express

I use Microsoft's email client (much to my shame. But not the most current version! I'm proud of that! See me resisting the juggernaut! ^_^ ). I may switch over to Mozilla sometime soon (the program is getting good enough), provided I get off my lazy arse and do some testing. ^^;

THE instant messaging / chat program. It can immitate AIM, Yahoo IM, MSN Chat, ICQ and IRC clients. All at the same time, and with mulitple connections to each service. It's skinnable, featureful, stable, pretty and free. Definately worth a look.

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Editors

NotePad+. Customizable, easy to use, and able to open any size file (memory permitting). It's like Windows Notepad on some moderate dose of steroids. It's currently my HTML editor of choice.

frhed

frhed is a Win9x hex editor. There are plenty of other more powerful hex editors out there, I'm sure, but this one is small, fast and travels well on a floppy. For all your individual byte-poking needs. Source code included.

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Graphics

Infinity Texture Maker

This is a very cool texture-generating program. Lots of tools, brushes, et cetera. Useful for creating wallpapers, backgrounds (like the one on this site), textures for 3d models, and the like. Infinity Texture Explorer, a program for previewing and browsing texture graphics, is also available.

xnView

If this graphics viewer program can't view it, almost nothing can. It supports more wierd graphics formats than I've ever heard of before, and it still manages to be a fairly small program, only 1.4 megs or so. Also supports batch-converting between graphics formats, includes a browser with built-in preview, screen capture, slide shows, and maybe some features I've missed. Oh, yeah, like the fact that it's available for almost every operating system in existance.

Novelty programs

There are no more novelty games. Ok, I lied.

Desktop Destroy

This program seems to have vanished from the face of the 'net. The site still has some little novelty games, though, and what appears to be a programming language for children.