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Minniman
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Post by Minniman »

Demi wrote: Way to try and kill the buzz, buzzkill!
Yeah, because letting people fall into a snakepit is your idea of fun?

It was a simple question. One of the things I do on the side is playtest and betatest computer games. Vista is a scourge. Games that run full speed on XP can often run at 3/4 speed on Vista or worse.

Try running gimped games in an FPS, and you could be dead - especially if it a multiplayer game. Lag and choppy screens are not my idea of fun.

If one can do it, it is best to load XP and save Vista for later. Some people cannot do it, so it is moot, but heavy gamers certainly do it often with new machines.

Minniman
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Cliff
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Post by Cliff »

DeeEss57 wrote:
My first computer was a laptop which came with Windows 3.1. Bought it in 1993. Bought a new desktop several years later. It had Windows 95. I kept that one until 2003, when I got one with Windows ME. That's the computer which fried in February. Since then, I've been using a 400 mhz computer with 192 mb of RAM running XP Pro. It ran slow, but XP's not bad.

I'm finding there are things about Vista I don't like. It doesn't have 'My Computer' on the desktop for one. Even in Classic view. But, really, all I want is to be able to get 'File Manager' back!




Dawn
I won't load vista on any computer I own until the first service pack comes out. However, we do have one at work (We do tech support, so we've got the computer setup on remote desktop so we can walk users through various "vista" settings).

If you want "My Computer" on your desktop right click on some empty space on the desktop and go to "Personalize" at the bottom of that list.

On the next screen click "Change Desktop Icons" on the left hand side.

Check "computer" then click ok. (Vista just renamed "My Computer" to "Computer" but it's the same basic thing).
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Post by Cliff »

Minniman wrote: Yeah, because letting people fall into a snakepit is your idea of fun?

It was a simple question. One of the things I do on the side is playtest and betatest computer games. Vista is a scourge. Games that run full speed on XP can often run at 3/4 speed on Vista or worse.

Try running gimped games in an FPS, and you could be dead - especially if it a multiplayer game. Lag and choppy screens are not my idea of fun.

If one can do it, it is best to load XP and save Vista for later. Some people cannot do it, so it is moot, but heavy gamers certainly do it often with new machines.

Minniman
I'm not surprised. I was amazed at the "recommended minimum requirements" for Windows Vista.

However Minniman, as much as you like gaming, I suspect that you'll be switching to Vista before too much longer, as DirectX 10 will not be compatible with Windows XP.
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Post by Demi »

I'm not surprised. I was amazed at the "recommended minimum requirements" for Windows Vista.

However Minniman, as much as you like gaming, I suspect that you'll be switching to Vista before too much longer, as DirectX 10 will not be compatible with Windows XP.
And I doubt Dawn will be doing much first person gaming! Vista is fine for most average computer users. Just like XP was early on. By the time Directx 10 is released most issues should have workarounds if not fixed. Heck, I was using windows 98 until they quit releasing patches and drivers for it. I'll be sticking to XP for quite a while!
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Minniman
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Post by Minniman »

It didn't come with CDs. But I'm going to put my XP hard drive in it and see what happens. If it works, I'll slave the Vista drive. So far, I have to say I like XP. The jury is out on Vista. But I *have* changed everything to 'Windows Classic', so it feels more like a familiar computer.
In order to use XP, you would need XP or XP compatable drivers. Some new machines do not have them. Yes, it is a plot to force Vista on us. Developers can't even use .dll files that would allow games to work with Windows 98se.
However Minniman, as much as you like gaming, I suspect that you'll be switching to Vista before too much longer, as DirectX 10 will not be compatible with Windows XP.
Many computers sold with Vista won't work worth a darn with DirectX10 games anyway, but your point is valid.
And I doubt Dawn will be doing much first person gaming! Vista is fine for most average computer users.
Maybe Dawn would like to play Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Perhaps she wants to play WoW or Everquest II online. Maybe she wants to play as the Vikings in Madden NFL 08 or has been waiting to purchase Age of Empires III or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

One never knows.
We come from the land of the ice and snow .... :smilevike:
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DeeEss57
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Post by DeeEss57 »

[quote="DemiAnd I doubt Dawn will be doing much first person gaming! Vista is fine for most average computer users.[/quote]

You can't get them all right. I love FPS. Got MOHAA on the 'puter right now. Want to get AOE III and Commandos 3. I'll be loading Quake and Hexen, too, just to see if they'll work on the duo core processor. And I'll probably be getting COD sometime in the future.

Can't get Alpha Centauri Alien Crossfire to work on the new computer, though, and it's makin' me mad. I love that game! I'm just going to load everything I've got on it and hope most of them work.




Dawn
Duke Nukem rocks!
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Minniman
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Post by Minniman »

I love FPS. Got MOHAA on the 'puter right now.
There we are.

It's nice to read that you play many types of games.
Alpha Centauri Alien Crossfire
That is a Windows 98se game (1999 release), so the .dll files are likely not on the computer or changed enough to make the game incompatable.

It is a good idea to keep your old computer for older games.

What graphics are in the new machine? Some new machines are lacking in graphics firepower and on board installed memory.

Minniman
We come from the land of the ice and snow .... :smilevike:
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Post by BGM »

Minniman wrote: or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
I have not had any problems with Oblivion, except that I can't play it with all the visual candy on. But that is pretty secondary to me, anyway.

BGM
"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer." - Frank Zappa
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Post by VikingMachine »

Minniman wrote: In order to use XP, you would need XP or XP compatable drivers. Some new machines do not have them. Yes, it is a plot to force Vista on us. Developers can't even use .dll files that would allow games to work with Windows 98se.
Many computers sold with Vista won't work worth a darn with DirectX10 games anyway, but your point is valid.
Maybe Dawn would like to play Assassin's Creed or Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Perhaps she wants to play WoW or Everquest II online. Maybe she wants to play as the Vikings in Madden NFL 08 or has been waiting to purchase Age of Empires III or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

One never knows.
I play World of Warcraft some and played a ton of Call of Duty over the years. I am sure I will get the next Call of Duty, let me know if you get it and what server you play on for multiplayer....I'd love to frag your a$$! :D
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Minniman
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Post by Minniman »

Yeah, right.

I don't play many FPS games, although there are some nice looking games coming out soon. Even with that, they are all sort of the same, run, fire, change weapon, fire, reload, rinse, repeat.

I play more strategy games and wargames, and I generally beta test those.

I used to play Everquest when it was new. It was fun back then.

World of Warcraft looks sort of awful with all of the EGA colors. Purple, Green, and Orange are so 80's. I guess it plays all right, but I just cannot get into it.

I'd love to see a real online roleplaying game rather than a slashfest treadmill.
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Post by Cliff »

Minniman wrote:Yeah, right.

I don't play many FPS games, although there are some nice looking games coming out soon. Even with that, they are all sort of the same, run, fire, change weapon, fire, reload, rinse, repeat.

I play more strategy games and wargames, and I generally beta test those.

I used to play Everquest when it was new. It was fun back then.

World of Warcraft looks sort of awful with all of the EGA colors. Purple, Green, and Orange are so 80's. I guess it plays all right, but I just cannot get into it.

I'd love to see a real online roleplaying game rather than a slashfest treadmill.
With all the new games that come out on a regular basis the game I find myself playing more than any other is Chain of Command. It's a war/strategy real time multiplayer game that came out in the mid/late 90s lol

The graphics are horrible and it's a little glitchy, but it's a fun game.
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DeeEss57
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Post by DeeEss57 »

Minniman wrote:What graphics are in the new machine? Some new machines are lacking in graphics firepower and on board installed memory.

It came with NVidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics. But a had another GeForce card ready to go in if it didn't.

The problem with the old computer isn't it really wasn't my old computer. It was something I got from work just so I could have some kind of computer when mine went down. But I suppose I could put another hard drive in it and load SMAX on it so I can play it. But that's a bit of a pain in the butt. On the new computer I get a 'CPU Not supported' message.




Dawn
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