If you want to learn low-level programming but aren't really enticed by networking / operating system hacking, I'd recommend writing a software rasterizer. It'

If you want to learn low-level programming but aren't really enticed by networking / operating system hacking, I'd recommend writing a software rasterizer. It's a fun project, and it's satisfying at a visceral level to see your creation come to life. And it will make you a better programmer for the rest of your life. If nothing else, you'll come away with a much more solid understanding of memory, CPU caching, etc. Here's my (terrible) software rasterizer: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/programming/demos/viewer.zip http://dl.dropbox.com/u/315/programming/demos/viewer.zip (Windows only, sorry. But there's no reason why it has to be. All you need is the ability to make a pixel change color, and you can therefore write a software rasterizer.)