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Read this one if you have no idea what to read

1 points by danvoell ↗ HN
I dabble in technology but I am not very good at it. I want to learn but when I try to learn a new tool I generally end up on pages like this (Python) - http://www.python.org/download/ - and I have no idea which version I should be using. I realized this when I was on the Notepad ++ site today - http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v6.1.2.html - and it explicitly says, if you don't know, use this.

Not ripping on Python, I like it, but they should tell me what to use. Same thing with your products. Their is probably one tool or pricing plan that your users choose 90% of the time. Tell everyone to use it. If they have refined tastes, they will be able to find what they are looking for.

5 comments

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bockris
You mean this piece of text:

  If you don't know which version to use, start with Python 2.7; 
  more existing third party software is compatible with Python 2 
  than Python 3 right now.
Which is almost directly above the link to the 2.7.3 installation link for windows.
danvoell
Sorry, good point. Thanks for pointing it out. I am not good at reading instructions that aren't blatantly in front of me. I stopped at, the current production versions are Python 2.7.3 and Python 3.2.3
manuscreationis
There is a bit of an issue amongst the Python community about support between 2.7.x and 3.x.x

Lots of things still only target/support the 2.7 releases, and 3.x.x stuff is only slowing coming around.

I had read (via a link here on HN months ago) someone explaining that Python used to have a solid versioning strategy for these changes, but I'll have to leave it up to those more qualified to explain exactly what the issues behind 3.x.x adoption are.

It's definitely a pain, as I always want to install the newer version, but practically every library I want to use seems to target 2.7

Also, on that Python download page, they actually do tell you which one to use if you're not sure:

"If you don't know which version to use, start with Python 2.7; more existing third party software is compatible with Python 2 than Python 3 right now."

It's just above the download links.

danvoell
Thanks. And again I have nothing against Python. I just don't know which production version I should use. The regular one or the X86-64 Installer.
manuscreationis
If you have a 64bit PC, use the one with 64bit on it. If not, use the "Regular" one.

If you're unsure if you're 32bit or 64bit, right click on "My Computer" and go to properties. In there the OS will identify itself with 32 or 64bit.