Getting Back to C++
I used to do some C++ programming in school and wanted to get back to programming as a hobby. In school we wrote programs to solve partial differential equations (chemical engineering). I was fairly new to OOP back then and was struggling to understand the newer standards. I was using Borland C++ 6 back then. By the end of the project I would rate my skills as a newbie in OOP.
Now I wanted to get back into OOP and do some programming to strengthen my OOP skills and also learn how to generate GUI and other stuff. I was wondering if Borland C++ 6 is still good or Visual Studio would be better for this.
I would also appreciate if someone can provide with some hardware system requirements. Would a netbook with 1.6 Ghz Atom processor, windows xp and 2 gig of ram be enough? (thinking Lenovo S10) Or would a dual core processor with 4 gig ram, a lite graphics card and windows7 be good? (Acer Ferrari One?)
Thanks for your time!
Now I wanted to get back into OOP and do some programming to strengthen my OOP skills and also learn how to generate GUI and other stuff. I was wondering if Borland C++ 6 is still good or Visual Studio would be better for this.
I would also appreciate if someone can provide with some hardware system requirements. Would a netbook with 1.6 Ghz Atom processor, windows xp and 2 gig of ram be enough? (thinking Lenovo S10) Or would a dual core processor with 4 gig ram, a lite graphics card and windows7 be good? (Acer Ferrari One?)
Thanks for your time!
As long as the compiler is post-standard, it should be okay. The newer, the better, though.
As for hardware, you'll obviously need at least something that can run what you'll work on. For C++, usually more CPU is better because C++ programs take longer to compile. If you don't mind waiting (but eventually you probably will mind), then go for the cheaper. The number of cores is mostly irrelevant. I still haven't seen a compiler take advantage of multicore processors by building more than one compilation unit at once. Maybe make can do that, but I haven't seen it.
As for hardware, you'll obviously need at least something that can run what you'll work on. For C++, usually more CPU is better because C++ programs take longer to compile. If you don't mind waiting (but eventually you probably will mind), then go for the cheaper. The number of cores is mostly irrelevant. I still haven't seen a compiler take advantage of multicore processors by building more than one compilation unit at once. Maybe make can do that, but I haven't seen it.
Thanks for you reply. I will stick to Borland C++ 6 for now and move to VS 2010 at a later stage. (The software is quite expensive to buy for learning. I own the old BCB6 version.).
As you said that number of cores is irrelevant. I will probably look for the highest clock speed dual core as this will not need much upgrading in the near future.
Thanks again!
As you said that number of cores is irrelevant. I will probably look for the highest clock speed dual core as this will not need much upgrading in the near future.
Thanks again!
Visual Studio Express Edtion is free though
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/E/5/1E5F1C0A-0D5B-426A-A603-1798B951DDAE/VS2010Express1.iso
http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/E/5/1E5F1C0A-0D5B-426A-A603-1798B951DDAE/VS2010Express1.iso
http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/
If you are running Windows XP on a machine, you already have more than enough hardware to write the vast majority of C++ programs.
Thanks a lot everyone!.
@moorecm Do you mean the athlon with 1.2Ghz dual core can run Visual Studio 2010 express? The system requirements say it VS2010 needs 1.6Ghz of processor speed. Not sure about this since the total speed of the athlon X2 will be about 2.4 Ghz.
@moorecm Do you mean the athlon with 1.2Ghz dual core can run Visual Studio 2010 express? The system requirements say it VS2010 needs 1.6Ghz of processor speed. Not sure about this since the total speed of the athlon X2 will be about 2.4 Ghz.
Ummm no.... The "total speed" of a system can only be viewed in the way you are describing if the program is using both cores at the same time. I don't think that VS2010 does that so you are looking at 1.2Ghz
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