laptops and games
#118408
03/15/05 04:35 PM
03/15/05 04:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,446 the desert foothills
Liz
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the desert foothills
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I'm sure this has been discussed many times before but I can't find anything offhand. I'm actually thinking about getting a laptop.....are they any good for gaming?? What do you all think?? I need some sage advice.........thanks so much!!!
Beeba
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Re: laptops and games
#118409
03/15/05 05:46 PM
03/15/05 05:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,818 Beverly Hills, Florida
kjos
BAAG Specialist
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I have a laptop and I play a few games using the mouse, but if I have to use the keyboard it's hard. It's hard to explain, but the keys are to close to the keyboard. Richard
***To Error is Human**To Forgive is Divine***
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Re: laptops and games
#118410
03/15/05 07:20 PM
03/15/05 07:20 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,232 Western New York
Sandy Sleuth
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If you are going to play games on the laptop, make sure you get one that can be upgraded. My sister in law had to buy a new one just recently because her video card could not be upgraded to play the newer games. -Sandy ---------------------------------- Playing:Shivers
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Re: laptops and games
#118411
03/15/05 07:48 PM
03/15/05 07:48 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 965 WNY
JKEerie
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Liz... This is Sandy Sleuth's sister-in-law. I've been playing adventure games on a laptop for several years now, but I now have to purchase another laptop because the video card cannot be upgraded in laptops. Apparently, the video cards in laptops (at present) all come welded to the mother board as opposed to slotted...like in a desktop. As a result, you just can't update your video card as the graphics in the newer games require. So...if you are going to go laptop, make sure you get a good one right up front, with a fast processor, plenty of RAM, CD/DVD drive, at least a 15 inch screen, and the best video card you can find with the most memory (currently 256 MB in the laptops I've seen.), and buy an external mouse as the one on the laptop is not good for gaming. I got my first laptop at Dell. Got it with a docking station so I can use it with a mouse and keyboard (wireless). At the time it had the best video card available (Nvidia GeForce). But that video card has only 32MB RAM, so the newer games that require 64 and 128 MB video cards won't work. I contacted Dell about upgrading and they gave me the above explanation. I priced the newer laptops at Dell, then went to Best Buy and did a "build your own" using an HP program. Since the sales clerk at Best Buy was into gaming, he and I together designed my next laptop. And it was about $500 less than the Dell...which already was discounted $500. We also discussed upgrades and he had the same thoughts as Dell. So, if the capacity is out there, it's not well publicized. I guess it all comes down to what else you will use the laptop for...which will necessitate the mobility. Desktops are infinitely less expensive and more upgradable. But they chain you to one room. I've gotten used to gaming on a laptop and I really enjoy the portability. So...my newest toy will be used strictly for gaming. And I hope the developers don't go beyond a 256 MB video requirement for a while! Hope this helps. JK
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Re: laptops and games
#118413
03/15/05 08:19 PM
03/15/05 08:19 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 965 WNY
JKEerie
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Hi again, Liz...
Yes, the laptops come with all the ports that a desktop comes with. So you could hook up a mouse, a printer, a monitor, etc.
They come with built in speakers, so you don't have to buy speakers for them. Although you could hook up external speakers or even earphones if you'd like. (I do that when I'm at my parents house because some of the games can get pretty loud!)
When I undock my laptop, and take it "on the road", to game with Sandy Sleuth, I just plug it in (otherwise we'd drain the batteries in a few hours. They do come with cords etc, to plug them into AC power.), plug in the mouse, put in the game CD and we sleuth and enjoy the adventure together. One of us drives and the other rides shotgun! As to the keyboard, I haven't had any problems with adventure games. Action would be a much different story.
If you have a Best Buy in your area, I would suggest making a visit and talking with one of the sales associates. They can answer all your questions, and now they have their Geek Squad folks that actually service the computers, etc, so they're pretty knowledgable.
Cheers!
JK
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Re: laptops and games
#118414
03/15/05 08:39 PM
03/15/05 08:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,446 the desert foothills
Liz
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Thanks so much, JK, for all the info; it's been a great help. I'll have to do a little research i guess; but at least maybe I'll have some kind of clue! Thanks again!!
Beeba
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Re: laptops and games
#118417
03/16/05 12:10 PM
03/16/05 12:10 PM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,446 the desert foothills
Liz
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the desert foothills
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Thank you all so much for your advice.......it has been really helpful....now if I can just figure out what I want on the thing; i'll be halfway there!! Thanks again SO much!!
Beeba
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Re: laptops and games
#118419
03/16/05 01:37 PM
03/16/05 01:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,693 Isle of Man
gremlin
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As with all things computing, the driving force in what you buy is what your most important requirements are: if it is vital that you're mobile, a laptop is the only solution; if you just have to be able to play the latest, most requirements-intensive games out there, don't bother with a laptop. It's a 'horses for courses' thing. My most recent computer is a laptop - because a DVD drive and high mobility were the leading requirements. That I'm able to play current games on it is a bonus. (for the record, it's an Acer Aspire 1360) Gremlin
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Re: laptops and games
#118429
03/21/05 12:48 AM
03/21/05 12:48 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 9 Ontario, Canada
Aquila
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I use a widescreen HP laptop (less than a year old) and it plays games fine. However, for some games that have low resolution, the graphics doesn't look so good, because it stretches the picture to the full screen size of the laptop display, this make the picture look very blurry and unattractive. I can't figure out how to make it better and I'm not sure if that's even possible. Games like the earlier Myst's and Mysterious Jouney look so bad I don't even want to play them. But fortunately the games I like more such as Syberia and TLJ are gorgeous.
Now playing: Broken Sword Sleeping Dragon; The Messenger; Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor
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Re: laptops and games
#118431
06/07/05 10:10 PM
06/07/05 10:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,675 Texas
Melia
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This is an old thread that I resurrected because I've been hoping I could, some day, afford a laptop computer to play games.
Last edited by looney4labs; 06/15/07 02:37 PM. Reason: remove broken link
The four food groups: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and HOT chocolate.
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Re: laptops and games
#118432
06/07/05 10:45 PM
06/07/05 10:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,041 Bay Area, CA
Melanie1
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This sounds awesome but very HEAVY. The thought of carrying it on a trip makes me think of the old monster we share for travel at work. Once you get it loaded in the case with your goodies, you're carrying a lot of weight! I think I'd want something a little lighter. Melanie
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: laptops and games
#118433
06/07/05 11:15 PM
06/07/05 11:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,663 Massachusetts
friedmonky
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I would get an Alienware Area-51m 7700 notebook instead but, that is my personal preference. Upgrading to 1 gig of memory in the Alienware brings it up to the same price as the Dell, which only has 512mb of memory. Rusty
Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.
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Re: laptops and games
#118434
06/07/05 11:21 PM
06/07/05 11:21 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,041 Bay Area, CA
Melanie1
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What's the weight on the Alien, Rusty?
Melanie
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: laptops and games
#118435
06/07/05 11:45 PM
06/07/05 11:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 33,073 Calera, Oklahoma
gymcandy1
Joe's Diner Proprietor
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Calera, Oklahoma
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Liz, I've never played games on anything but a laptop. I've played all the most popular games.
I know this is not a selling forum but I have a brand new laptop to sell and it's one of the best for anyone interrested. If you have to edit this out I understand.
Incidentally, I just read where laptops are outselling desktops for the first time.
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.
William Butler Yeats
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Re: laptops and games
#118436
06/07/05 11:51 PM
06/07/05 11:51 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 33,073 Calera, Oklahoma
gymcandy1
Joe's Diner Proprietor
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Joe's Diner Proprietor
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Calera, Oklahoma
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Originally posted by Aquila: I use a widescreen HP laptop (less than a year old) and it plays games fine. However, for some games that have low resolution, the graphics doesn't look so good, because it stretches the picture to the full screen size of the laptop display, this make the picture look very blurry and unattractive. I can't figure out how to make it better and I'm not sure if that's even possible. Games like the earlier Myst's and Mysterious Jouney look so bad I don't even want to play them. But fortunately the games I like more such as Syberia and TLJ are gorgeous. I have an HP zd8000/17"Brightview screen and I love the way those games look on it. I change the resolution on some games but Myst Exile looks awsome! Mysterious Journey Chamelion looks awsome! FWIW
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.
William Butler Yeats
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Re: laptops and games
#118438
06/08/05 10:48 AM
06/08/05 10:48 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 226
SirDave
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As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I also play all my AGs on laptops from a tiny Libretto to a large, heavy Vaio with a 16in screen. Since the Librettos run on Win98SE, I'm able to play all the old games and they play pretty well even on the small 5in screen. One interesting (or at least I think it is ) experience with AGs & laptops came with URU which became notorious for putting special demands, by AG standards at least, on the systems it will run on. URU requires certain video boards to run and a relatively powerful system. It simply doesn't run well at all with a system that is at or near the minimum requirements. This became a problem when I planned to play URU on one of my laptops. None of the really portable ones would run it and it turned out that the only laptop that would play it was my desktop-replacement laptop- the Vaio. It was a little irritating because I had hoped to take URU with me wherever I travelled to- not an option with the big Vaio!
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Re: laptops and games
#118439
06/08/05 11:14 AM
06/08/05 11:14 AM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,675 Texas
Melia
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Gymcandy, I'm interested if it's a WIN98 so I can play the older games. I have a desktop win XP which works great for newer games, but would LOVE a WIN 98 laptop for the older ones I can't play.
The four food groups: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and HOT chocolate.
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Re: laptops and games
#118440
06/08/05 12:24 PM
06/08/05 12:24 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 33,073 Calera, Oklahoma
gymcandy1
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It's An unused HP zd8000. P4 3.2GHz/512MB + 264MB Radeon x600 graphics card just like the one I use only I've added more memory to mine. The P4 is 1gig. It sells for $1735 after $100 MI rebate. I'm asking $1300. Also 17" Brightview screen w/1440x900 res.
Which older games are you refering too?
Sorry! To answer your question...It's XP.
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.
William Butler Yeats
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Re: laptops and games
#118442
06/08/05 02:30 PM
06/08/05 02:30 PM
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,675 Texas
Melia
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I've had older games that changing compatibility mode didn't help. Have gotten lots of help from Inferno, but would prefer not twiddling with the XP to make it fit older parameters.
The four food groups: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and HOT chocolate.
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Re: laptops and games
#118445
06/08/05 06:40 PM
06/08/05 06:40 PM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,663 Massachusetts
friedmonky
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Everything is upgradable with an Alienware. Alienware's laptops are no more money than Dell's top gaming laptop. Here is a comparison: Alienware vs. Dell Rusty
Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.
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Re: laptops and games
#118446
06/08/05 06:53 PM
06/08/05 06:53 PM
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Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,119 Glennville, Ga., USA
Albert
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Hey guys, check out this gadget for laptops. Great if you ever want to compute in bed, or anywhere else in your home for that matter. www.savvydecorator.com/catalog/item/582561/1365278.htm Laptops are the only reason wireless networking exists in my home. My computer room is also the spare bedroom. So when I have guests over, I'm on the laptop. I origanally bought it to play games when I travel. State of the art when I bought it, it won't play a lot of modern games. But it's still great at the old classics. In fact, it plays them much better than my desktop. But the real thing I've wound up using the laptop for is car travel. Load Delorme Street Atlas on that baby and hook up a GPS unit, then you'll know what I'm talking about. So, I've seen no reason to upgrade my five year old 700 Mhz Pentium 3 laptop yet. If it was my only computer, it might be a diferent story. Albert
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Re: laptops and games
#118447
06/08/05 07:14 PM
06/08/05 07:14 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 33,073 Calera, Oklahoma
gymcandy1
Joe's Diner Proprietor
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Joe's Diner Proprietor
Sonic Boomer
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Calera, Oklahoma
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I may have to order one of those AHuber. I use my laptop on the couch and twist to my left because it sits on an end table. Having arm and back trouble.
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.
William Butler Yeats
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Re: laptops and games
#118448
06/08/05 08:06 PM
06/08/05 08:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,750 Oregon
Rice burner
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Hey gymcandy1, I do the same thing except my end table is on the right side. Its a pain to retrieve it from there so I just put in my order for the laptop caddy. Thanks for the link Al. Kay
Its one of those doors that needs a thingy thing.
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Re: laptops and games
#118449
06/08/05 08:24 PM
06/08/05 08:24 PM
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,932 Sumrall, MS
raylinstephens
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Originally posted by kjos: I have a laptop and I play a few games using the mouse, but if I have to use the keyboard it's hard. It's hard to explain, but the keys are to close to the keyboard. Richard That's really funny Richard, but oh so true! I just never heard it put that way, lol.
So many games, so little time.
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