Jenny, will the Intel UMA graphics which shares 224 MG of memory on this netbook play ANYTHING? I might be wrong, but as I understand it, these netbooks are simply not meant for gaming.

Couldn't wait, so this afternoon I asked Mom about it, and she told me to email my PC-savvy nephew to check it out.

Will let you guys (and gals) know as soon as I hear from this nephew/Mom.

Yes. Almost any XP you find will be 32-bit. If you were buying a computer with 64-bit XP, they'd be advertising it and you'd be paying extra for it. XP Home is 32-bit.


It will play anything she's currently playing on her netbook in VPC and VMware (or ScummVM or DOSBox). It won't play most recent adventure games. The only advantages over her current netbook are the larger hard drive and the keyboard including all the keys she wants.

Looking at the differences between ***the blue netbook that's sold out*** and ***the white one***, the white one only has a 3-cell battery while the blue one had a 6-cell battery.

Cruise02, how many cells does your current netbook battery have? And since you're expecting to order online anyway, have you checked out prices at ***Newegg***?

That's good to know.

I don't know; how can I find out?


Will check it out as soon as I post this...Jenny, the ones you linked me to have Windows 7, but I searched a bit and found this one Asus Eee PC netbook at Newegg with an 8.5 hr battery life, price is $319, S & H is free.

It may say somewhere on the battery. Or tell us the brand and model number of your netbook and maybe we can look it up.

xp's

It's a Dell Inspiron Mini 9, I think. Dell Inspiron netbooks - mine That's the one (AFAIK) they're talking about here. Check it out, please. It talks about the keyboard criticism, 16 GB or 8 GB solid state drive. My netbook's screen is about 9 " diagonal.

Looks like it can come with different size batteries. The solid state hard drive would conserve battery life. About how long does your battery last on a charge?

If you enter your Service Tag on ***this page*** it may tell you more about your battery.

What is Service Tag? I got this from my nephew. Oops, sorry - i just found it. it's 949HWF1. And here's all the info on it that I got: Service Tag: 949HWF1 Change Service Tag
System Type: Inspiron Mini 9 (910)
Ship Date: 10/31/2008
Dell IBU: Americas


Quantity Parts # Part Description

1 DP118 Base,No Bios,N270,1.6,512K Diamondville,910
1 W959F PRC,N270,1.6,512KB,DMV,C0
1 P677X Module,Accessory,United States,910,Dell Americas Organization
1 D160H Module,Adapter,Alternating Current,30W,2P,United States 910
1 H106H Module,Assembly,Base,WO/WWAN 910
1 C050H Module,Battery,Primary,32WHR 4C,Dynapack International Technology Corp
1 P156H Module,Bezel,Liquid Crystal Display,Silver,8.9,W/1.3CMRA
1 X625G Module,Card,Network,Broadcom Corporation,Arcadyan,US
1 T370H Module,Card,Network,Bluetooth QH/YM
1 K124H Module,Cover,Liquid Crystal Display,IMR,White,Wireless Local Area Network Card,910
1 P334X Module,Dual In-line Memory Module,1GB,800MHZ,DDR2,1GBIT
1 N128J Module,Information,ALP WHT Color
1 J536J Module,Information,VID/GRPHC SOLN
1 M108J Module,Information,WO/WWAN
1 R117H Module,Keyboard,61,English Qiao Hong,Windows,Dell Americas Organization
1 J341J Module,Label,Intel,Tablet,AtomDual Core
1 MC386 Module,Label,MSLOGO,Windows Xp,SMALL
1 R085H Module,Liquid Crystal Display 8.9WSVGA,True Life,Au Optronics Corp,Qiao Hong
1 M642H Module,Media,Digital Video Disk Drive,Resource Dvd,910
1 P304H Module,Ship Material,System, Inspiron
1 T479H Module,Solid State Drive,16GB Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment,STEC,910
1 K637C Module,Software,Creative Camera,Consumer
1 J206C Module,Software,Dell Connect 2.1,Dell Americas OrganizationEMEA,Brazil Customer Center
1 KW181 MOD,SW,DSPRT-CTR,2.0
1 WK528 Module,Software,GOOGLE,Search Consumer
1 CM132 Module,Software,Mcafee,9,30DAYEnglish,Across Line Of Business
1 W914C Module,Software,Dell Computer Corporation,CHAT,M09
1 T013C Module,Software,Works,9 English
1 P788J Module,Software,WXPH,Low Cost,Certificate of Authenticity, V#2008
1 W265J Module,Software,WXPHSP3,Low Cost,DVD,English,DAO/BCC
1 G311J Module,Software,WXPHSP3,Low Cost,Factory Install,English Dell Americas Organization
1 G419J Module,Software,WXPHSP3,Low Cost,Factory Install,Quick FixEngineering
1 J843H Service Install Module Software,Inspiron,910

Doesn't look there any battery life info here (not that I know of).

As Winfrey posted, you can filter search results at Newegg - the page she linked to all have XP.

Thanks - I found this one Asus Eee PC netbook - seashell
and I emailed my nephew about it along with the link - am awaiting word from him.

It's 4 cells then.

I went back on that page to that blue netbook that's sold out at Best Buy before just now, and apparently it's been restocked. That blue Best Buy netbook is back This time there's nothing on this page that says "sold out/unavailable".

I just emailed my nephew about this one with a link to that page.

Cruise02,
That link is to Google's cache of the webpage, not to the current webpage (which no longer exists). Unless you find that netbook in your local Best Buy shop, you may not be able to get it from them.

These specs still stand, I'm just posting here because they were buried deeper in this thread, and if my PC-savvy nephew comes over soon (maybe tomorrow) I'll have these specs from EcollegePC ready for him to order the desktop on the last page of this thread so I won't have to go a-diggin' for it.

As for the netbook, I'd like to pay a little more at Newegg for one that has a 6 cell battery, so will repost the link here... Asus netbook I saw at Newegg has 8 hr battery life - I can while away the day playing games at the mall!

Desktop PC specs at EcollegePC - Newegg doesn't have what I want, I just checked there, and my searches came up empty (Nvida video card + XP OS).

CPU - 2.8 GHz Dual Core E6300;
Heatsink/fan - took default;
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA 73PVM (old); this MB no longer available, so have selected the Gigabyte GA G41M
Memory - default - 2 GB; b/c XP cannot use more than 2 GB RAM
Hard drive - default - 500GB 7200 RPM;
CD / DVD / CDRW - default;
Video card - 1 GB GeForce GTS 250;
Operating System - MS Windows XP Home_sp3;
Case - Apevia Silver X Dreamer;
Power Supply - 500 Watt Antec Earthwatts EA500;
Networking - default;
Wireless networking - Wireless B/G PCI Adapter (old); chose wireless B/G/N PCI adapter this time.
Sound card - default;
Speakers - none - will use these from current Dell Dimension 8200;
Floppy drive - 1.44 Floppy Drive (I never know when I might order a DOS game from Amazon.com/Ebay that comes on a 3.5" floppy disks);
Keyboard/mouse/card reader/accessories 1 & 2 - none;
Will use the keyboard, mouse, and CRT monitor from the current Dell Dimension.

Warranty - default;

price is now $731 (old price).

Just checked these specs at Ecollege - the price is $745.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Latest update - I admit I really have my heart set on getting a laptop (because in this thread I was thinking about buying a desktop PC and a new netbook), but Mom and Tim might decide to get me a laptop instead b/c 1-to buy 2 computers would cost us that much more money, 2-Mom might not allow me to buy 2 computers in 1 month, 3-a new laptop would be like combining the desktop PC and a netbook into 1 computer, and that laptop has win 7 on it but hopefully I'll either be able to get the Win 7 Pro or a laptop that has a Win XP downgrade possible.

Question - I'm playing with the "customize" configurations on the Toshiba page here: Lightweight Laptop Choice "A"
so I'm wondering what GHz should the processor be to be adequate for running the latest/upcoming AG's?
I want to trim off as much of the price that I can, yet I want something I'm going to be very happy with.

EDIT 2 - I figured how long it'll take me to save up for Choice A laptop, it came to April; by then I'll hopefully have $1000 saved, the price (after making the configurations that I'm comfortable with) comes to $1,099.00, free shipping, but then (oh, my) there's tax on it. Might have to wait until May so my budget will hopefully be $1,200.

Gosh, I didn't know that a good laptop would cost that much! I see them advertised in the Sunday papers for as little as $300 - $500! But Drac told me that these laptops lack a dedicated video card - see how they fool you?

EDIT 3 - Found this one at Best Buy Laptop choice "B"
This one looks like a better deal to me. It's cheaper, yet robust - it's a gaming laptop, backordered, ultraportable, has everything I want in it, plus the Win 7 Pro. But can anyone tell me whether the i3 processor outperforms a Core 2 Duo or not? It costs only $900, so if I pick this one over Choice "A", I'll be ready to buy in April - hopefully around Eastertime.

However, by Easter, I'm positive that Best Buy will have a nice gaming laptop that has everything that this one has, plus it'll be superior to this one, and about the same price. That's one of the ways that waiting is indeed a gift.

(bump) Sorry to stack my latest posts, but this thread has fallen back into the second page of the glitches forum where it will be less likely to get read by these who were advising me so far (thanks), and I wanted to bring it out to the front page of the forum.

Latest update: Am undecided as to whether to get a 13" - 14" regular laptop, (is a laptop and a notebook the same thing, or if not, what's the difference, adventure gaming-wise?) or a desktop PC and a netbook. The deciding factor between a laptop/notebook and a new netbook is its weight - I want a beefy (specs-wise) 13" - 14" yet lightweight laptop/notebook for taking to the mall in my backpack, or if the specs-muscle behind this laptop's hardware would cause the laptop to weigh more than 5.5 pounds (if it'll weigh 7 pounds, it's too heavy for me), then I'll forgo the laptop and get a netbook and a desktop PC.

Since I really don't know that much about what makes a laptop/notebook low-end, average, or beefy hardware-wise when it comes to gaming, I really don't know what laptops to check when it comes to backpack-carrying weight, so could you please help me make up my mind on whether to get a laptop/notebook or a netbook?

Maybe point me to places that have these beefy lightweights (brick and mortar stores, please) as well as some models, please?

Thanks.

And you'll get the worst qualities of each.
More difficult to lug around than a netbook.
Far worse battery life than a netbook.
Fewer games will play on the laptop as compared with the desktop.
Far fewer configuration options than the desktop, and less choice in driver versions.
Probably more expensive than a desktop and netbook combined.
etc.


You won't get the XP downgrade unless you order one online -- and the laptops that come with the XP downgrade are usually business laptops, without the graphics cards that are the best for games.


Any modern processor will be fast enough. However on a laptop they will downclock (and go slower) when you run them on battery in order to save power. And if you turn off that feature, your battery will run out faster and you won't be able to game for long.


As someone else pointed out earlier in this thread, the laptop you want does not exist.


It's got NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics. This is bottom of the barrel for a Geforce card. Your casual games may play very well, but don't expect much from new adventure games that are made to run in Windows 7 64-bit, which is the OS on that laptop.


No it isn't. Not unless you only play casual games and games that run in Virtual PC. It should run those just fine. But those would run on the netbook as well.


The terms are used interchangeably.


Well, here's another consideration for you. Suppose there was a laptop that was 13" to 14." There will be very little room inside that small laptop for air circulation. It will get very hot playing, even with the laptop fan blowing and draining power. The hotter the interior of the laptop gets, the faster the parts inside wear out. Not only are the internal parts subject to more heat stress than inside a desktop, individual parts can't be easily replaced if they fail. That's one reason you don't see very fast video cards in small 13" and 14" laptops. This thread --> ***here*** is about an extreme example of what happened when a midrange video card was put into a "thin and light" laptop.

If you want a gaming laptop, the smallest you should get is 15" and pay special attention to the video card. You'll need at least a good midrange video card, not a low end.

I think you should get the PC. It's the most versatile choice.

You're right about this, Jenny. Tonight when I came home from the mall I tried (if I still insisted on getting a laptop and got a 15") putting my macbook pro into my backpack, strapping it to my back and walking around a bit in the house - I realized yes, had I chose a laptop over a netbook (and a desktop several months later) I'd have to be extra, extra, extra careful not to bump my backpack against a doorframe/table/chair while at the mall, while a netbook is more compact and easier to carry around with less chance of bumping it.

Any idea how much worse the battery life in a laptop would be compared with a netbook?

Today I went to my local Best Buy near the mall and I saw that Asus Eee PC netbook (the dark blue one) that I was looking at on display on the store shelf. I understand it has only a 3 cell battery, but it's the only model in the store that has XP, and besides, Mom feels more comfortable with me buying a computer from a brick and mortar store. Anyway, the price looks good - $280 + tax = $300, and these XP models were being discontinued. So while there, I put one of them on hold so hopefully, if I'm quiet enough, Mom will gave me the money for the netbook tomorrow so I can go out there and get it (hopefully) - Would you say it's a good computer to warrant my buying it? It's battery life is 3.5 hrs.

Thanks a whole bunch for your kind help, Jenny - my mind was made up as soon as I saw your reply earlier today before leaving the house.

Was that ***this netbook***?
The listing there says it has a 6-cell battery that lasts 7 hours 29 minutes.

I really don't know, but thanks, I'll print this out and take it over to Best Buy tomorrow (hopefully) - oops, my mistake - it's a google cache page. The netbook I have on hold has a 3 cell battery with 3.5 hr. battery life. Here I was thinking you found something I missed finding at Best Buy yesterday - but being that there are no others with xp at best buy, i might as well get this one that i have on hold with the 3 cell battery - I mean, this one I have on hold is better than nothing, isn't it?

It's your money, Cruise02.
If I was getting one for myself, I'd get it from Newegg, or Amazon.

Er, Jenny, I was wondering had I gotten a laptop instead of a netbook, how long (as to the laptop's having "far worse" battery life) might a laptop battery last while gaming vs a 3 cell netbook battery that lasts 3.5 hrs?

I was thinking of buying one at Newegg, but Mom is more comfortable with me buying it from a brick and mortar store like Best Buy, b/c it's close to home, she doesn't want to have to pay S & H, and what if there's something wrong with it, she doesn't want to go thru the hassle of wrapping it back up, taking it to the post office, etc. etc., and neither do I. Also, I believe it's Mom's rule that I'll have to get my netbook from a local store, and I'll have to abide by her rules - after all, she's being generous enough to let me buy myself a new netbook in the first place when she could have very easily said, "no, you keep the one Tim gave you. And if you don't like it, you can move out."

I checked online at all the local stores in our area that sell netbooks, and all of their models with XP have 3-cell batteries, while the models with 6-cell batteries have Windows 7 Starter.

What to pick - 3-cell with XP vs 6-cell with 7 Starter? - I chose the only thing that has XP. I hope I'm not making a poor choice just because it has a 3-cell battery - I could have waited until I had enough money for a laptop, but I trust you, Jenny, when you told me that a laptop would bring out the worst qualities of both the netbook and desktop PC combined, so I opted for the netbook now and come Feb., I'll start saving up for the desktop PC.

That would depend on the game you were playing and how demanding it was as well as the laptop. The worst case I've heard of is half an hour, but that was for a high end 17" gaming laptop with a faster video card than you'd need for adventure games. I would guess you might get 2 hours from a 15" laptop with a midrange card, but that's a guess. You'd have to ask someone who actually plays games with a laptop on battery to have a better idea of battery life.

Well, today I went down to Best Buy to try to buy that netbook that I had on hold, but the store wouldn't accept the check (since we prefer that the computer money I'm putting away is in Mom's account, so Mom had to write the check since I don't have enough funds in my account) so depending on whether if it snows tomorrow, Mom will take me in the car to Best Buy and show her ID, as they wouldn't accept my ID. Also Best Buy put the netbook back on hold, they phoned Mom about the check, etc. etc., and told me Mom would take me to get it on the morrow.

Also my PC-savvy nephew emailed us back and told us yes, the Asus is a good computer.