# Let us now praise interesting software. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 12, 2003, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975 "2003-10-12T10:57:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/21 "2003-10-14T02:41:03Z")
Getright. Brilliant download manager. Compact and clean. I can also run it in the background while playing games without too much of a performance hit. There’s also the magic 8 ball that that sits in my sys-tray. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/22 "2003-10-14T02:51:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*Whoa. That’s almost exactly what I did for a large part of the thirteen years I worked at Photonics Systems, Inc. in Northwood, OH - design/packaging of Mil-spec enclosures for custom plasma displays, including integration of all sorts of touch systems. \*\* Photonics Systems, Inc. Never heard of you… :dubious: Just kidding! We don’t do any mil-spec work (thank God) We have several UL/FM units tho. We’re just a small place. No plasma, but plenty of LCD/touch systems. I’m more mechanical. My boss does the integration end. ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/23 "2003-10-14T04:38:38Z")
**MegaHAL** No link sorry. Talk to this thing for a while and you will SWEAR your computer is possessed!!! (or retarded at least) ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/24 "2003-10-14T04:41:04Z")
Daisy… Daisy… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/25 "2003-10-14T04:42:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*AppleScript is still the bomb. \*\* If you like writing small programs that use system programs, you should look into Python: It has a clean syntax (whitespace defines blocks, not special characters\*), easy OO and functional programming (two of the most powerful concepts in the modern programmer’s toolkit since the block structure), and a way of being powerful without being unexpected (in other words, it follows the Principle of Least Surprise, so even if it is your first language, it’ll teach you good habits). Plus, it has a powerful interactive mode where you can do everything from arbitrary-precision math to creating and testing entire classes and subclass structures. \*(If that shocks you, consider this: Any sane programmer would indent Python the _exact same way_. By making it a rule, python gently creates a minimum standard of readability for any Python code. It isn’t Fortran, there are no sacred columns, just some simple rules stating that an enclosed block must be indented a bit more relative to the block that contains it.) (And I’m beginning to love MacOS X’s roots in UNIX. :D) ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/26 "2003-10-14T04:45:53Z")
lol, I just realised I had a link in my sig… ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/27 "2003-10-14T07:42:55Z")
Zoom Player. I made it default for mp3, wav, mpeg, avi, wmv, divx files. I really love that you can set it so your mouse wheel is a 5-second jump forward or back. None of that stupid overshooting like with WMP. Available free from [www.download.com](http://www.download.com). ---
**Author:** ![Swoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Swoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swoop)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/28 "2003-10-14T10:27:40Z")
[Celestia](http://www.shatters.net/celestia/)! The world at your fingertips! (it’s a space simulating program. Way cool.) ---
**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/29 "2003-10-14T12:13:58Z")
Celestia may just be about the coolest thing I’ve ever played with. ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/30 "2003-10-14T12:49:00Z")
WOW! Celestia is sweet. Thanks. I’ll contribute one that I have enjoyed… [Further](http://www.furthurnet.com/) > [@](#): > > The Furthur Network changes everything about sharing and trading by allowing you, me and everyone else to share their tunes with each other. It is peer-to-peer, so what you share is available to everyone else on the Network. Download music 24/7/365. > > The Furthur Network is the first and only 100% non-commercial, open-source, peer-to-peer network of legal live music created by fans for fans! The software itself is currently in beta development, available to download and is being developed and supported by volunteers and members of the [etree.org](http://etree.org) and [sugarmegs.org](http://sugarmegs.org) music sharing communities. Keeping with the wishes of the bands that allow their music here, we have no paid software or website developers, nor do we accept any advertising or compensation. We are involved only to help spread legal live music to the fans. I’ve gotten tons of live shows and have really enjoyed them. The software has been extremely stable for a beta version and the bulk of the users seem to be very quality conscious, also evidenced by the extensive set and recording info. info that accompanies each download. Simply select a band from the dropdown list and start downloading concerts. I have not illegaly downloaded a single track since finding Further. And THAT is an amazing thing in itself. If you are at all into live music, I highly recommend this software. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975/31 "2003-10-14T14:27:11Z")
[WinU](http://www.bardon.com/winu.htm) is a wonderful little program that keeps the little darlings the hell OUT of the operating system. It works extremely well, it fits on a floppy, and it’s inexpensive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-now-praise-interesting-software/206975.md?page=1)