Tatsh If I am pointing out the obvious to you here, I'm sorry
To learn about computers, 1st quit using Windows and install Ubuntu on a crappy older PC, or on a 2nd partition on a HD on a PC at home.
To make the PC do your bidding, and not be limited by proprietary software like MS V.S., you should really consider installing Ubuntu from http://www.ubuntu.com/ and using Perl and Bash. Perl is very C++ like, but results are quicker and easier to debug b/c you don't have to worry about syntax and compile-time errors. The modules that you can download for cpan.org make it extremely powerful, just as powerful as C++ for your purposes. Bash, the command prompt, is the glue that helps you fill in the gaps and manipulate system.
Linux is free, the Gnome apps are free, and it is better than any class for learning about programming, networking, server and client programming, and apps in general. There are even free developement environments for creating Windows apps on it!
If you don't do that, at least try Perl for windows from Active State, although I personally use Perl under cygwin from www.cygwin.com
Currently I have used Mandrake, Knoppix, Slackware, and Ubuntu is by far the easiest and most fun.
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Tatsh
If I am pointing out the obvious to you here, I'm sorry
To learn about computers, 1st quit using Windows and install Ubuntu on a crappy older PC, or on a 2nd partition on a HD on a PC at home.
To make the PC do your bidding, and not be limited by proprietary software like MS V.S., you should really consider installing Ubuntu from http://www.ubuntu.com/ and using Perl and Bash. Perl is very C++ like, but results are quicker and easier to debug b/c you don't have to worry about syntax and compile-time errors. The modules that you can download for cpan.org make it extremely powerful, just as powerful as C++ for your purposes. Bash, the command prompt, is the glue that helps you fill in the gaps and manipulate system.
Linux is free, the Gnome apps are free, and it is better than any class for learning about programming, networking, server and client programming, and apps in general. There are even free developement environments for creating Windows apps on it!
If you don't do that, at least try Perl for windows from Active State, although I personally use Perl under cygwin from www.cygwin.com
Currently I have used Mandrake, Knoppix, Slackware, and Ubuntu is by far the easiest and most fun.