to all laptop users

[cato13]

im gettin a new laptop and dont have that much to spend to i wanna see how low a spec i would get away to play most matrix games? im not really fussed about playin games which are very graphic intensesive,

games i will be playin include

combat mission
hearts of iron 2
crown of glory and any other matrix tittle that will run on my laptop

so what are the minimum specs on laptops's people are using to to run some of these titles?

cmon all u low end users out there give me some feedback on how some of these games run

[pasternakski]

This'll probably do...

[cato13]

yeah il have a look on ebay for one of those

but back to my post i just wanna see how low a spec i will get away with

[bostonrpgmania]

Pretty much every Lap top could run those games
For example, 5 years ago I got 400 mhz laptop and it could run combat mission
So dont worry too much about spec
you will be safe

[pasternakski]

Yes, this is good advice (sorry for the above frivolity - NOT). Anything you buy from a good source (and there's the problem) these days will play just about anything, at least for now, until planned obsolescence sets in.

[cato13]

these are 2 of the lap tops im thinkin of buyin but why r they the same price?

1 .Dell Latitude C640 Low cost Pent 4 with 512 and Large Hard Drive
This sleek used Dell features an Intel Mobile Pent 4 / 1.8GHZ Processor (which is much quicker than the New entry level Celeron M processors), 512Mb Ram,40 Gb Hard Drive,14.1" Screen,CD Player,16K ATI Radeon Graphics, 56K Modem & 10/100 Lan (broadband ready), touchpad pointing device,printer port, external monitor port,USB, RS 232 serial port,inbuilt battery and Charger, Win XP Pro license ( no media), 1 Year Warranty and Free Software with 30 Days

2. Toshiba Portege 4010 lite 1.7Kg with 12" Screen and 30GbHard Drive Win XP and Wireless
This used Toshiba Portege in a silver Magnesium alloy case delivers absolute reliability and ultra portability as a small 32/38mm front/back,27 x 25 and lite 1.7Kg notebook ideal for the traveller. It features Intel Mobile Pent 3/ 933MHZ,512Mb Ram, 30GbHard Disc, 12.1" Poly Silicon TFT Display for toughness,DVD Player, Accupoinr pointing device,Firewire, SD Media slot,TV out, 2 x USB,External monitor port, Infra red, printer port, serial port ,56K Modem & 10/100 Lan,Win XP License , Wireless, 1 Year Warranty anf Free Software with 30 day money back guarantee


option 1 seems to have a much better processor, whats the catch?

[Viper6]

Option 1 does have a better processor, buy a very good margin as well, it also has a (slightly) bigger screen, and "16K ATI Radeon Graphics" - which is a bit vague I must say, it means that it either has an ATI graphics card (which would be really good, comparably) or an on-board ATI graphics processor (which would not be as good, but still better than Option 2, assuming that the lack of mention of any sort of GPU means there isn't one). Option 1 also has a bigger hard drive.

In Option 2's defense it has more USB ports, which can be very nice, also also a Firewire port which for some people is a big plus. Firewire would also be very nice if the laptop does not have USB 2.0 capability, which is not specified, since the Firewire would be faster. Option 2 also has wireless, which is a very nice perk when you have a laptop; especially if you are in college since most campuses now offer free wireless internet in many places.

In all they are both nice. I would try to get some more clarification on a few points, such as the "ATI Graphics" and whether they are USB 1.0 or USB 2.0. All things considered though, I would go with Option 1.

[Hertston]

OK guys.. can somebody tell me what on the earth the big wheel next to the gent in the suit was supposed to be for?

[Jevhaddah]

It is a picture of a submarine control station, I believe the big wheel is for fwd/rvers engines and the box with the keys at the front has been photoshoped in

Quick edit for a wee link http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
CHeers

Jev

(sorry I put the wrong name in again) sigh Its old age.....)
Dive the Boat

[cato13]

yeah im probably gonna go with option 1. ive never had a laptop before so these questions might sound retarded.

1. so your sayin that option 1 will need a cable to connect to the net and option2 wont?

2. the only internet access im gonna have will be internet cafe's. will i be able to plug my lap top into a socket and download matrix or any other games in there?

[Hanal]

Check the video memory on the laptop you plan to buy...I only have a 4mb vid chipset which can handle Crown of Glory, Strategic Command 1, HOI2, Football Manager 2006, but cannot handle SC2, World at War, Birth of America, Massive Assualt or any of the Combat mission series....

[jchastain]

Options 1 in your descriptions above lists 10/100 network so you can plug it into a standard ethernet network but it does not mention wireless. Option 2 mentions both 10/100 networking and "wireless" which means it should also include a built in wireless networking.

So, you can plug into a plugged network with either of them. Only #2 allows you to connect to a wireless network (such as in a coffee shop) "out of the box". I haven't seen Internet cafe's with plug-in ports for hard-wire networks, but I haven't looked so maybe they do exist. But whether or not they have them is a question for your local cafe. You could use #1 with a wireless network, but you would have to buy a separate PCMCIA Wifi card, which would cost an extra $40 or so.

Good Luck with your search.

[Viper6]

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah
It is a picture of a submarine control station, I believe the big wheel is for fwd/rvers engines and the box with the keys at the front has been photoshoped in

Quick edit for a wee link http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
CHeers

Jev

(sorry I put the wrong name in again) sigh Its old age.....)
Dive the Boat

lol, I actually saw that exhibit at the Smithsonian American History museum when I was in DC a number of years ago ... thought it looked familiar.

[oi_you_nutter]

if you plan to keep the laptop for a good few years, choose the spec with the future in mind

most current wargames may not need too much graphics memory and processing power but future ones will. even if you are not into mainstream rts or fps style games some of the new grog type wargames need a good spec of video card: examples are Take Command 2nd Manassas and Birth Of America.