I just tried to install a program from Atom.IO, it's a really nice coding text editor. However, when I open the .deb file, it opens the software center and throws the error "Wrong architecture 'amd64'". I'm not sure what that means. Should I look for some alternative, or should I try the provided archive file instead?
Note that this is my first time using Ubuntu, or any form of linux other than Android, so I don't know much.
The wrong architecture refers to the type of processor your device is using.
You have downloaded a deb file designed for a processor running the amd64 machine language, commonly referred to as a 64bit processor or an x86_64 processor.
But either the processor you are using is not a 64 bit processor, or you have installed a version of Ubuntu not designed for 64 bit.
How old is this computer? If it is more then 5 years old, it may be a 32 bit processor, in which case you need the i386 package (or i486 or i686 or x86, depending on site notation, for most purposes, it's the same thing).
Is it a micro-device, like a beaglebone? It may be using an ARMv7 architecture.
Is it a chinese system, like a Lemote Yeelong? It may be using a MIPS architecture.
If you are certain it is an x86_64 processor, check to make sure you haven't installed the 32 bit version of Ubuntu.