Gaming What's a Good laptop for me?

[Rydian]

If you want to buy an overpriced piece of hardware

The specs for the price are a lot better than most people assume they are. They are more expensive yes, but people often blow the difference way out of proportion. Don't fall for that.

that has limited capabilities

Total bullshit. Scanners, printers, gamepads, bluetooth, usb, firewire, esata, tablets, blah blah blah...

and limited access to software

It's not nearly the issue it was years ago. For every major software there's either a port or a fully-functional alternative.

both commercial and homebrewed

As far as commercial you'll often find alternative products to do the same thing if there's no port. You might be surprised what there's OSX versions of... even deepfreeze has an OSX version (and as I mentioned, steam and a ton of games available through it).

"Homebrew" actually has better chances of working on OSX due to the sources often being available, OSX shares much in common with Linux.

that will go obselete by the time I finish typing this sentence

Exaggeration to the extreme.

I'm not telling the OP to get a macbook. I'm telling you to stop spewing bullshit.

Your information is outdated. It may have been true YEARS ago, but it's not nearly the way you're putting it anymore.

If you want to discuss OS Vs. OS, make a thread for it, my point here is to let you know your info is bullshit and you need to stop posting it here because a lot of it is not true at all, or not true to the extent you believe it is (and thus is not proper advice).

 

[Foxi4]

Fine, @[member='Rydian'], fine - I am overexagerating a bit, but am I far from the truth? Not really. You admit that the Macbooks are pricier then their equivalents with Windows or Linux on-board, you admit that more software is released for Windows then for the Mac's, by limited capabilities I actually meant "limited due to smaller access to software" as there are lots and lots of applications that are simply Windows-only while not-so-much that are Mac-specific. As for homebrew - dude, since Visual Studio Express Edition was released, making Windows apps is easy as pie and .Net makes it even easier. Did I mention .Net Framework yet? I should - it's a Microsoft thing, and lots of "smaller" apps use it. As for the "quickly becoming obselete" syndrome... c'mon, Apple releases new revisions of their hardware how often? Twice a year? Yearly? I'd find it hard to keep up with.

 

[nando]

no, you are really misinformed.

 

[Rydian]

Did I mention .Net Framework yet? I should - it's a Microsoft thing, and lots of "smaller" apps use it.

http://www.terrariaonline.com/threads/terraria-mac-wrapper.15236/
Hey look, Mono (meaning .NET programs) in actual use for a windows game on OSX!

As for the "quickly becoming obselete" syndrome... c'mon, Apple releases new revisions of their hardware how often? Twice a year? Yearly? I'd find it hard to keep up with.

What the hell are you talking about? Minor updates once a year if that, and those are minor updates that do not obsolete the older hardware. Like going from first-generation i7 to second. The first-generation i7 processors are cerainly not "obsolete". As for the major upgrades, apple updates their computers every few years to account for major changes (say, Core 2 series to Core i series)... you know, seeing as apple uses the same core hardware as PCs they have the same type of update schedule!

I don't know where you're getting your info from, 'cause it's bullshit. Just stop posting.

EDIT: Clarified on the hardware bit, since you really have no clue what you're talking about.

 

[Foxi4]

Did I mention .Net Framework yet? I should - it's a Microsoft thing, and lots of "smaller" apps use it.

http://www.terrariao...-wrapper.15236/
Hey look, Mono (meaning .NET programs) in actual use for a windows game on OSX!

Via a wrapper. Lovely. This basically means that every Mono app will require a separate wrapper for it, you fully realize that, right?

This conversation is getting increasingly tiring - this is my opinion on MacBooks. You don't have to agree with it. I find a Windows envioriment more versatile and useful and there isn't much you could possibly do to convince me otherwise, and that's that.

 

[Originality]

I find a Windows envioriment more versatile and useful and there isn't much you could possibly do to convince me otherwise, and that's that.

I feel the urge to jump in: What does your preference in OS have to do with helping the OP find a laptop suitable for him?

EDIT: Again, doesn't deserve a new post: rhetorical questions aren't supposed to be answered. Society is full of verbal traps like this one where, by answering, you fail.

 

[Foxi4]

I find a Windows envioriment more versatile and useful and there isn't much you could possibly do to convince me otherwise, and that's that.

I feel the urge to jump in: What does your preference in OS have to do with helping the OP find a laptop suitable for him?

My preference has nothing to do with it - this was a conversation which was completely unrelated to the main subject. Rydian asked me why I said that a MacBook would not be a good choice, I told him why I don't like MacBooks, we exchanged a few points, the conversation was brought to a stand-still and ended.

The OP explicitly stated that he doesn't want a Mac - the entire conversation was rhetorical to begin with.

 

[Rydian]

this is my opinion on MacBooks.

You don't know the difference between fact an opinion, do you?

You have NOT been stating opinions!

"Costs more" is NOT an opinion.
"Outdated in a week" is NOT an option.
"No games" is NOT an opinion.

You have been posting BULLSHIT, and that's the problem.

 

[Foxi4]

this is my opinion on MacBooks.

You don't know the difference between fact an opinion, do you?

You have NOT been stating opinions!

"Costs more" is NOT an opinion.

 

[Rydian]

Go back and read your first few posts here, you invited it.

 

[Creqaw]

this is my opinion on MacBooks.

You don't know the difference between fact an opinion, do you?

You have NOT been stating opinions!

"Costs more" is NOT an opinion.
"Outdated in a week" is NOT an option.
"No games" is NOT an opinion.

You have been posting BULLSHIT, and that's the problem.

I don't really care about this discussion but all those points can be an opinion depending on how you look at it.
Opinion:
A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

In his point of view, it costs more, it gets outdated fast and there are no games. Depending on what he compares it with and what he considers to be games, these can be opinions.
It's also your opinion that it's bullshit.

Now about some other points that were mentioned in this topic.
I know a fair amount of people with an Acer and none of them would buy one again. I wouldn't recommend a MacBook for various reasons 1 being that they're too expensive for the OP's budget. You might not like Dell but they tend to get discounts on everything which makes it price efficient. The general consensus from people that I know is that Asus tends to make decent notebooks.

 

[Foxi4]

*Jettisons from the thread, humming*

"Cause the only winning move is not to plaaaaay...!"

 

[finkmac]

Anyway, back on topic, I have heard good things about Acer.

 

[alphamule]

Normally, I'd say only go with HP or Dell or the like for laptops and never an OEM for desktops or towers, but Dell ticked me off with the SOPA thing... LOL, it's pretty hard to find a company that didn't support it! But if you plan on renting, the Dells seem nice to me. I got most of my cheap spare parts for my later-2003 Latitude C400 from returned rentals on eBay. Interpret that either way... *Big grin*

If you get an HP 'desktop replacement', they'll get very hot so if you don't want the system for 3D gaming, get one with a cooler-running CPU. For the same model, there's a slight advantage to battery life with a slower CPU with the same-sized core. The only Dell I've used extensively is an ultralight that is roughly equivalent to higher-end (12" display) netbooks. Dell has very good repair manuals, by the way. Some of the others do as well so see if you can download the manual from the support page before buying from a manufacturer if this is important to you.

Do NOT buy the deskops/towers that they sell. Especially ones like the S.F.F. (Small-Form Factor) desktops. Every one that I've had to fix had overheated. It has a tiny(non-Fluorinert/coolant) fan, barely any room for air, and it's not a laptop... So you wouldn't notice it overheating until it shut itself off. Guess why it burned up - They kept resetting it when it shut itself down - D'oh! The full-sized systems like the towers are OK but useless if you need to upgrade. They also use boards with odd connectors so you have to not only buy a Dell replacement board, but one with the same exact connectors. It's either that or hack apart the cables they included with the original board and rewire it. Having no clean way to upgrade/replace boards is a deal breaker for the kind of people who tend to visit this forum. We're all a bunch of modders at heart.

 

[YayMii]

Why is there so much BS in this thread?

Let me reply to everything in this thread starting from the top:
new Intel graphics being completely shitty=Not true. Sure, it isn't the best for games, but that's the drivers' fault. It still runs quite a few games pretty well.
"why not a laptop with an OS that has software developed for it"=There's plenty of apps made for OSX. If that's not enough, you could just install Windows on it.
"Avoid Acer like the plague": I don't see any reason to, they're as good as any other manufacturer.
"99% of what you see in any gamestore [work on Mac]"=False. There's Steam for Mac, and due to increasing popularity (for Apple products in general), games compatible with Mac are becoming more and more common. I do agree that there are more Windows games than there are Mac games, but that's mainly because Windows is more suited for gaming (i.e. DirectX), while Apple isn't that focused on the PC gaming market. Also, you could always just install Windows on a Mac.
"Apple Tax"=doesn't really exist. Sure, they may be slightly more expensive-but for how much, like $50-100 more than comparable Windows PCs? I know for a fact that my MacBook Air is barely more than the Asus Ultrabook. Sure, they're not for people on a budget, but come on.
"...has limited capabilities and limited access to software, both commercial and homebrewed"= Firstly, support for Macs is growing and growing, and it supports plenty of peripherals and software, including stuff like games in the Humble Indie Bundle. And again, you can install Windows if OSX support doesn't satisfy you.
"Will go obsolete [really fast]"= False and greatly exaggerated. Macs are computers too, and go outdated just as fast as other PCs. Besides, if your complaint is that updates are too frequent, keep in mind that the 2nd update in a given year is usually something small, such as a 100MHz CPU bump.
Windows exclusive software, such as .NET= Efforts have been made to make stuff like this cross-platform, such as the aforementioned Mono. And since Mac is based on UNIX, many efforts go both to Linux and OSX.
"Windows [is] more versatile and useful"=I know this is opinion (and I agree with it somewhat), but it still doesn't really affect people who buy Macs since you can install Windows on them.
And FYI, I'm not trying to be a fanboy (even though I do have a Mac).

Anyways, back on topic: As long as it's a recent PC with at least a mid-ranged dedicated GPU (ie the GeForce 540M or the Radeon 64xxM), it should be able to handle Fraps. Look for a 7200RPM hard drive if you want faster load times, don't bother with a hybrid drive because those are horrible. And preferably you want RAM in a dual channel setup (4GB, or if that's not enough, go for 8GB).

 

[Originality]

The "Apple Tax" does exist, but Apple are getting better at hiding it. Just for an easy example, look at HDD capacity and cost for HDD/SSD upgrades (from the Apple store). It should not cost £160 to go from 16GB to 64GB, when you can get a 128GB OCZ Vertex 3 for £150. Other examples exist throughout the Apple store. MacBooks may seem like they're much more better value than they used to be (I remember when it would be expected to pay over £2000 for one), but that's only when viewed in comparison to their past models and current market peers (like ultrabooks). And don't forget that retailers tend to vary their prices depending where you go, how desperate they are, and how good you are (at hunting bargains).

That doesn't mean Macs are stupidly priced. It just means that they're comparatively more expensive than alternatives.

 

[YayMii]

^But that overpricing doesn't apply to the computers themselves, only the upgrades. You can upgrade the HDD and RAM by yourself anyway (with the exception of the MacBook Air, which has its RAM soldered in and uses an unconventional Ultrabook SSD).

 

[alphamule]

I thought that all laptops tend to become almost useless after 3 years because of battery life, BTW. Yeah, if you're not wanting a Dell, look at HP or even go somewhere like Amazon to comparison shop.

Apple's tax is no longer on the base systems granted (well

 

[alphamule]

oops... please delete?

 

[nando]

the "apple tax" isn't so bad considering you can resell your mac at a high price. i sold my 2009 17" i5 macbook pro for 1500 dollars right before xmas and got me a new 17" 2.4 quad for 1900 this month. that's a pretty good upgrade for 400 bucks. and in 3 years i'll do it again like i've done before. in the long run, its pretty cheap