Installing scientific computing packages for Python in MS Windows

Enhanced Python distribution by Enthought

On the Windows platform, it is probably easiest to download and install the Python Enthought Distribution by Enthought, Inc., sponsoror, contributor and champion of SciPy. The Enthought edition bundles the Python interpreter (version 2.7) along with many useful packages for scientific computing (and, fortunately, most of what we need for the computational methods course). Although you will not need everything provided in the Enthought bundle, the one-stop shopping (almost) is recommended. Download the package from the download page, follow the installation instructions, and complain (politely, of course) to Enthought if something goes awry.

VPython: 3D Programming for Ordinary Mortals

VPython is not currently part of the Enhanced Python Distribution for Windows, but it is used for a few modules in the computational methods course. Go to the VPython download page for Windows, and download the VPython exe file (currently VPython-Win-Py2.7-5.74.exe).

Note: You do not need to download the Python exe from the VPython page, since the Python Enthought Distribution has already installed Python for you. For more options see: github.