Computing

Flight Simulators

Given my interest in aviation, I find flight simulator software fun. I am currently using:

• Microsoft Flight Simulator (I also have the 98 version, the 2000 version and the 2002 version and have added aircraft from Abacus Private Pilot, Data Becker  Private Wings, Just Flight Royal Air Force 2000 and Wilco Publishing 767 Pilot in Command to earlier versions)(see also Flight Simulator Insider)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe Series, WWII Pacific Theater and Battle for Europe
• IL2 Sturmovik and Pacific Fighters

In the past I enjoyed Flight Unlimited, the Windows 95 version (from Looking Glass Technologies), which simulates top aerobatics aircraft.

There are a number of sites which offer tips on flight simulation software and forums for discussion. Try:

A number of members of the Microsoft Flight Simulator team are now writing their own blogs:

Adrian Woods   Brian Hunt   Susan Ashlock

Hal Bryan  Paul Lange Mike Gilbert - has left the team to work on Microsoft Train Simulator

Relevant news groups include:

alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim   comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim

microsoft.public.simulators   rec.aviation.simulators

Other Software

For good sources of information on games software try:

When I was younger I used to play war games with small lead models (1/300^th WWII armoured vehicles and 1/3000^th WWI warships still manufactured by Navwar Productions and Skytrex).

I have enjoyed playing:

• Age of Rifles 1846-1905, a Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) war game developed by Norm Koger, for which there is a large collection of scenarios available at the Wargamer's Age of Rifles Web Page
• The Operational Art of War Volume 1 1939-1955 and Volume 2 1956-2000, a Talonsoft war game developed by Norm Koger, for which there are collections of scenarios available at the Wargamer's The Operational Art of War Section and The Gamers Net The Operational Art of War section
• Steel Panthers II: Modern Battles, another SSI war game covering the period from the 1950s
• Allied General, a WWII game from SSI
• 688(I), a Jane's Combat Simulations nuclear submarine game
• Fighters Anthology, with modern military aircraft also from Jane's Combat Simulations
• Age of Empires, a Microsoft game set in the pre-historic and ancient world
• Harpoon, a modern naval warfare game, for which information is available at Harpoon HQ  
• Railroad Tycoon II - Railroad Tycoon 3 has now been published
• Microsoft Train Simulator (see also Train Simulator Insider), for which additional information is available from Train-Sim.Com  

Computing News

Some sources for the latest computing news are:

Software and Hardware

Most of the software that I use comes from:

However, a couple of programmes that do not, that I would recommend, are MindManager, which allows you to use your PC to draw the Mind Maps popularised by Tony Buzan, and Photo Explorer (freeware) from Ulead, which is great for organising your digital photos.

There are a number of open source programmes available for free on the web including: 

Another program that I was  introduced to by my now wife when she was in England is PhoneFree

My computer hardware, most of which which has come from Quay Computers here in Wellington, has included:

My older computers have Intel CPUs, a Diamond graphics board, Iomega drive, Dynalink modem, and a Leadtek graphics board and DVD drive.

Time

For the current UTC time check here. Here is a comprehensive World Time Zone Map. I sometimes use the site of the Time Service Department of the US Naval Observatory. Go into "What time is it?" for a utility that will check the accuracy of your computer's clock. The GeoClock shareware is worth a look. When it comes to watches those from Breitling, which has a close association with aviation, are great.  Swatch has created something it calls Internet Time.

Telecommunications

I use Telecom New Zealand as my telephone and cell phone service provider. It has the New Zealand telephone White Pages  and Yellow Pages on-line.

Last modified 11 June 2008

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