Virtual Curiosities - Page 10 - PC Tutorials, Software Reviews, and Virtual Curiosities

Cross-Platform

Definition
Means that an application, game, or other software has more than one supported target platform, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.
MPC-HC

Freeware
Open Source
Windows
A free and open source discontinued video player for Windows.
What is the Difference Between MPC-BE and MPC-HC?

Reference
MPC-BE (Media Player Classic: Black Edition) is a fork of MPC-HC (Media Player Classic: Home Cinema), which in turn is a fork of the original MPC.
MPC-BE

Freeware
Open Source
Windows
A free and open source video player for Windows.
Note 2025-04-05: Scrolling Youtube's Homepage Gives Me Anxiety

My Blog
Could it be that just the fact the thumbnails are too large is making me irritated like this? It feels kind of suffocating.
VLC

Android
Freeware
iOS
Linux
macOS
Open Source
Windows
A free video player for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Why Electron Applications Exist?

Explanation
Applications made with Electron ("Electron apps") are literally an entire web browser that must be installed in order to display a single webpage containing the source code of the application. This means that any webpage on the Internet that contains a web application can be turned into an Electron app, including browser games like Cookie Clicker, and it also means there must be something seriously wrong with the state of the world if anyone thinks shipping an entire web browser just to display a single webpage makes any sense. After all, why is this even necessary?
Cookie Clicker

Definition
A browser game about clicking on a cookie.
Web Browser Game

Definition
A game made to run inside a web browser.
PICO-8

Linux
macOS
Paid
Windows
A fictional retro gaming console.
How Target Platforms Work

Explanation
Every application, game, or other piece of software has a target platform, which describes on what platform the software can be run. There are various target platforms, and various types of, such as operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, Android, iOS), CPU architectures (x86, x64, ARM), and even target other applications such as web browsers. In this article, we'll learn why this happens and how it works.
.exe (File Extension)

Reference
The file extension of an executable file on Windows.
Can a Program Compiled for One CPU Architecture Run on Another CPU Architecture?

Reference
In general, no, but x64 can run x86 programs.
Abandonware

Definition
Software that has been abandoned, that doesn't receive more any more updates or support, and as such may gave you trouble when you try to run it on modern operating systems and hardware.
Compile

Definition
To turn the source code of a program into machine code, or into some other sort of code intended for its target platform.
Target Platform

Definition
The software and hardware that the application or other software depends upon, is based upon, and as such that is required in order for the application to function.
CPU Architecture

Definition
The format of machine code that the CPU can process due to the physical architecture of the CPU.
Machine Code

Definition
The only type of code that a CPU understands.
Electron Application

Definition
An application made using Electron, a development tool used for turning webpages and web applications into standalone desktop applications and apps for smartphone.
Electron

Definition
A subatomic particle or an application development tool.