OT: What freeware do you use? - Page 11

hadaso · 8 Nov 2004, 05:08 PM

Celestia is an open source "game" that allows one to wander around space, visit solar system objects, including planets, moons, asteroids, commets, spaceships, and also objects outside the solar system (like you can back out of our galaxy and watch it from outside). There are tons of parameters that can be manipulated.

I downloaded the more heavy version that requires a bit more graphic card ability than what my computers have, but it still works OK most of the time, and my sons realy enjoy it. There is a lighter version for more graphics-challenged systems that I haven't tried yet (though I should have. Actually the full version has a control to reduce resution of displayed graphics to make it easier on weaker systems.)

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

hadaso · 30 Dec 2004, 07:48 AM

Drape is short for Drawing Programming Environment. It is really a nice little freeware program that allows a child that doesn't have to be able to read to "write" little computer program and excute it by dragging and arranging icons representing instructions. It is a lot like Logo, with a "turtle" that "walks" on the screen drawing things, but is simpler to learn, and has another advantage of having easy to use instructions to detect mouse position and mouse button status, making it very easy to create little games. I made a little program that lets the user draw with the mouse freehand or polygon, using five instructions! My son and I (separately) programed several little games, averaging something like 10 instructions each, that are fun to play. It's a great educational tool for children, but also nice to kill time for adults - certainly better than freecell/solitaire.

With the real thing - Logo - my 10 year old son tried several implementaions and prefers the free MSWLogo. My 4 year old sun prefers the only version he can use which is the web-based (Java) rLogo.

beeboy · 30 Dec 2004, 08:33 AM

Thankyou for opening up the universe to me hadaso. Celestia is terrific.

roadstar · 2 Jan 2005, 12:17 AM

This sites being serviced at the moment:
Celestia is an open source "game" that allows one to wander around space, visit solar system

Should i download from the other site or wait until the main site reterns? I only have a small graphic card.

robert@fm · 2 Jan 2005, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by roadstar
Should i download from the other site or wait until the main site reterns? I only have a small graphic card.

Although I downloaded Celestia a month or two ago and haven't yet got around to trying it, IIRC the "lite" version will run on machines which are ridiculously low-spec by today's standards...

I've found another legal (i.e. hosted by the actual copyright owner) abandonware site:  www.fools-errand.com (this one being for the ex-retail software "The Fool's Errand" which I'm told was a big hit on the Mac a few years ago).  As well as the original Mac and MS-DOS versions of the title game, there are also two others available for MS-DOS and five (IIRC) for the Mac; the three DOS ones are also available for Windows, due to the Windows packages including a Mac emulator.  (This unfortunately is a 30-day trial version, which can't be registered as the publisher has gone bust; however, there are (ahem) "ways" around this. 

 )

The above site and the downloads on it are of course a promo for The Fool's Errand 2 (The Fool and his Money), due to be published in July 2005.

(In case anyone's wondering, this is the thread about the other legal abandonware site I've found.)

hadaso · 23 Jan 2005, 07:42 AM

Mentioning a Linux distribution is stretching the meaning of "freeware" a bit. I just tried Knoppix this week, and it was amazing. In just a few minutes (2 or 3) I had a full OS running, with tons of applications, games, etc. all ready to use (and an open browser and working connection to the internet).

The reason I thought about mentioning it in this thread, apart from its being doftware and its being free, is that for a Windows user it is not so m,uch harder to use than just any downloaded app. You just put it in the CD-rom, and let the computer boot from the CD-rom drive, and in a few minutes you can, say, play asteroids.

For anyone that doesn't know what Knoppix is: it is a Linux distribution on a bootable CD. You just download the CD image, burn it, set your computer to boot from the CD-ROM drive, put the disk in the CD, and in a few minutes you have a new operating system running, without making any changes to whatever you already have installed on your computer. After you take the CD out and restart your computer, you have your old OS and applications.

On the same PC I have Windows 98 installed. I still have to find a few hours to sit down and run all the instalation CDs for all the hardware, then setup the network and install the applications. At least half a day of work. I also have another Linux distro installed on that machine that for some strange reason refused to recognize the old and quite common ATI graphics card, and so works only in text mode. But then I put in Knoppix, and in less than five minutes It booted, recognized the hardware, installed all the needed drivers without needing to put in a dozen different vendor CDs, and installed hundreds of apps, again without the ritual of having to put in dozens of vendor CDs and run dozens of instalation programs manually. Amazing!

robert@fm · 24 Jan 2005, 02:04 AM

So, how about a download URL?

beeboy · 24 Jan 2005, 02:06 AM

There are a variety of live linux distros including knoppix. You may find something more 'cutting edge' at distrowatch.

www.distrowatch.com

hadaso · 24 Jan 2005, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by robert@fm
So, how about a download URL?

Here !

christinn · 24 Jan 2005, 09:02 AM

thanks for all

kander · 24 Jan 2005, 09:11 PM

For all you Knoppix fans out there: There's a new kid on the block. It's called 'Ubuntu' and comes in two flavours: One is an all-out installation, the other is a Knoppix-like bootable linux. Ubuntu's motto is 'linux for human beings' and I got to admit.. it's pretty usable. For a linux distro.

They also offer a bundle of free CDs to be shipped to your home, 2 cds in each set, and you get a few sets to encourage you to give it away.

http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

--K

Starion · 3 Feb 2005, 05:55 AM

I think Google aquired a thumbnail or image cataloging program. Unfortunatly, I can't remember the name. I thought I saw the name in this thread too, but I can't find it.

I hope someone knows what I'm talking about.

robert@fm · 3 Feb 2005, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Starion
I think Google aquired a thumbnail or image cataloging program. Unfortunatly, I can't remember the name. I thought I saw the name in this thread too, but I can't find it.

I hope someone knows what I'm talking about.

Picasa.

Starion · 3 Feb 2005, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by robert@fm
Picasa.

Thanks Robert. I don't know how I missed the post on page 10. I'll post my list of freeware another day. I gotta run now.

Later

euroman · 2 Mar 2005, 05:04 AM

8 Nov 2004, 05:08 PM	#151
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,854	Celestia Celestia is an open source "game" that allows one to wander around space, visit solar system objects, including planets, moons, asteroids, commets, spaceships, and also objects outside the solar system (like you can back out of our galaxy and watch it from outside). There are tons of parameters that can be manipulated. I downloaded the more heavy version that requires a bit more graphic card ability than what my computers have, but it still works OK most of the time, and my sons realy enjoy it. There is a lighter version for more graphics-challenged systems that I haven't tried yet (though I should have. Actually the full version has a control to reduce resution of displayed graphics to make it easier on weaker systems.) http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

30 Dec 2004, 07:48 AM	#152
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,854	Drape and Logo Drape is short for Drawing Programming Environment. It is really a nice little freeware program that allows a child that doesn't have to be able to read to "write" little computer program and excute it by dragging and arranging icons representing instructions. It is a lot like Logo, with a "turtle" that "walks" on the screen drawing things, but is simpler to learn, and has another advantage of having easy to use instructions to detect mouse position and mouse button status, making it very easy to create little games. I made a little program that lets the user draw with the mouse freehand or polygon, using five instructions! My son and I (separately) programed several little games, averaging something like 10 instructions each, that are fun to play. It's a great educational tool for children, but also nice to kill time for adults - certainly better than freecell/solitaire. With the real thing - Logo - my 10 year old son tried several implementaions and prefers the free MSWLogo. My 4 year old sun prefers the only version he can use which is the web-based (Java) rLogo.

23 Jan 2005, 07:42 AM	#156
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,854	KNOPPIX Mentioning a Linux distribution is stretching the meaning of "freeware" a bit. I just tried Knoppix this week, and it was amazing. In just a few minutes (2 or 3) I had a full OS running, with tons of applications, games, etc. all ready to use (and an open browser and working connection to the internet). The reason I thought about mentioning it in this thread, apart from its being doftware and its being free, is that for a Windows user it is not so m,uch harder to use than just any downloaded app. You just put it in the CD-rom, and let the computer boot from the CD-rom drive, and in a few minutes you can, say, play asteroids. For anyone that doesn't know what Knoppix is: it is a Linux distribution on a bootable CD. You just download the CD image, burn it, set your computer to boot from the CD-ROM drive, put the disk in the CD, and in a few minutes you have a new operating system running, without making any changes to whatever you already have installed on your computer. After you take the CD out and restart your computer, you have your old OS and applications. On the same PC I have Windows 98 installed. I still have to find a few hours to sit down and run all the instalation CDs for all the hardware, then setup the network and install the applications. At least half a day of work. I also have another Linux distro installed on that machine that for some strange reason refused to recognize the old and quite common ATI graphics card, and so works only in text mode. But then I put in Knoppix, and in less than five minutes It booted, recognized the hardware, installed all the needed drivers without needing to put in a dozen different vendor CDs, and installed hundreds of apps, again without the ritual of having to put in dozens of vendor CDs and run dozens of instalation programs manually. Amazing!

2 Mar 2005, 05:04 AM	#165
euroman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 136	bump

30 Dec 2004, 08:33 AM	#153
beeboy Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 551	Thankyou for opening up the universe to me hadaso. Celestia is terrific.

2 Jan 2005, 12:17 AM	#154
roadstar Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1	This sites being serviced at the moment: Celestia is an open source "game" that allows one to wander around space, visit solar system Should i download from the other site or wait until the main site reterns? I only have a small graphic card.

24 Jan 2005, 02:04 AM	#157
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	So, how about a download URL?

24 Jan 2005, 02:06 AM	#158
beeboy Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 551	There are a variety of live linux distros including knoppix. You may find something more 'cutting edge' at distrowatch. www.distrowatch.com

24 Jan 2005, 09:02 AM	#160
christinn Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1	thanks for all

24 Jan 2005, 09:11 PM	#161
kander The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,112	For all you Knoppix fans out there: There's a new kid on the block. It's called 'Ubuntu' and comes in two flavours: One is an all-out installation, the other is a Knoppix-like bootable linux. Ubuntu's motto is 'linux for human beings' and I got to admit.. it's pretty usable. For a linux distro. They also offer a bundle of free CDs to be shipped to your home, 2 cds in each set, and you get a few sets to encourage you to give it away. http://www.ubuntulinux.org/ --K

3 Feb 2005, 05:55 AM	#162
Starion Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Washington D.C. Posts: 240	I think Google aquired a thumbnail or image cataloging program. Unfortunatly, I can't remember the name. I thought I saw the name in this thread too, but I can't find it. I hope someone knows what I'm talking about.