Netbook for classic RPGs, at last I bought it. :)

If you want a good gaming almost-netbook, check out Alienware M11x. They claim it can run Crysis (with good details) at 30+ FPS. I'm getting one myself in a few months.

But, again, if it's not obvious how smaller and lighter can be an advantage, I don't think there's any kind of clarification that will help those not grasping that very basic concept.

Some people actually enjoy the idea that they can comfortably carry around their non-desktop computers, and they don't want them for their powerful gaming capabilities as much as the ability to game "light" and serve all their other needs in a way that's as hassle-free "on-the-go", as possible.

Personally, I want one that can serve all my mobile needs, as well as not be uncomfortable to travel with. I find 14"+ relatively heavy and bulky in those terms, so I've been waiting for a netbook with respectable specs. The M11x is as close as I'm likely to get for a long time.

Much like anything else you're carrying around or having to stay mobile with, the weight and the size can be pretty dominant factors.

It can hardly get any simpler than that, can it?

I've tried a lot of smartphones and none of them have come close to my needs in terms of power and practical usability. They're all too small and gimmicky for my tastes. I despise gadgets and gimmicks that don't serve my exact practical needs, so I leave that for the average consumer. To me, it seems some people actually buy these things just so they can discover what they need them for, where I like to do it the old-fashioned way, which is the other way around.

I have a baseline set of needs and the Alienware is the first netbook sized machine to meet AND exceed them. I just need to be able to game "most modern games", stream HD video, and all the usual stuff on top. No smartphone is ever going to accomplish that, and even if it could - it would be small and annoyingly fiddly. A true notebook is too bulky and has no real advantage that I can spot. I have my desktop for "true" gaming, so I don't need a much more expensive alternative that isn't REALLY comfortable to move around.
 
Sadly, I bought my smartphone for the internet; so I could annoy car salesmen. It works perfect for that. I love going to Toyota stealerships and running off half their customers with tales of doom, backed with the almighty power of the internet. :p

I do the same to pretty much any automaker though. I much prefer my Studebaker to anything new. ;)
 
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If you want a good gaming almost-netbook, check out Alienware M11x.

I will have one of those in a week or two as well ... as I mentioned in the 'recently bought' thread. It will be interesting to see how it works out. You can be sure I'll give a full reporting here.
 
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I am finally pretty happy with my Dell M6400 laptop, it's a bit of beast, both now and then. Had to replace the buggy Nvidia card with an ATI card, and now it doesn't overheat. Not to mention the docking adapter that would cause it to freeze when undocked, and the buggy software to detect hardware mice. It's apparently made in the the old Alienware factory, so I would stay away from them in the future.... It cold be an example of being on the bleeding edge of technology, but maybe not. I'm not about to make excuses for any shoddy product.

It can play the latest games on decent settings since it has an Intel quad core CPU (Intel Core 2 Extreme Q9300 @2.53GHz), 4GB RAM, 0.5 TB HD, and ATI FirePro M7740 1 GB GPU.

Nice 1920x1200 LED 17" color screen but heavy, and a MASSIVE power brick the size of Connecticut.
 
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Not to mention the battery life. That is the main reason why I consider getting one. My company laptop doesn't do more than three hours (and that only if I turn the monitor so dark I can hardly read it in daylight). And that is not even bad among todays laptops unless you are willing to spend quite a bit more. So for those long train or plane rides, a netbook would be quite useful as a second option.

This is it in a nutshell. Portability, weighs 2lbs, and battery life. :D

————

I have the ASUS 1005HA and it is a beast!

I throw it in my book bag on the way to class, can use it ALL DAY on a single battery charge. It gets anywhere from probably 6-8 hours of usage, full blast.(I don't pack the power cord) Takes less than 2 hours to fully charge. The only thing it doesn't handle is high-end gaming/apps. However, laptops really aren't great for this anyway. Performance is perfect, honestly, no complaints. It's not slow.

Best PC purchase I've ever made!

——-

Been using my netbook for the past 2 hours and it's at 75% listing just over 6 hours remaining. Been surfing the web, watching youtube videos(motorcycles yay!), and was doing some homework.

Laptops/Netbooks are all about portability. The more portable the more you'll like it. If you don't need portability, just get a good desktop. Just saying! I don't need to game on this thing, I just need it to surf, type, and run simple apps. It's perf for that.

———

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7TnAcZ5dY&feature=related

It'll run all the oldies np!
 
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Well, as for me, laptop is not the best option. I hope soon they will have real cool laptops or netbooks that would also be not very expensive. Hope this day comes.
 
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Well, as for me, laptop is not the best option. I hope soon they will have real cool laptops or netbooks that would also be not very expensive. Hope this day comes.

See - that makes sense to me! Portable devices have constraints that larger fixed-install ones do not in terms of power, space, heat, and so on. Therefore the same computing power is much more expensive on any portable device.

Personally I have been a laptop-first person for nearly 20 years now, and a laptop-only gamer for nearly 15 ... and it is a damn expensive choice that is more expensive in the moment and also requires a more frequent turn-over of systems.

I mean, think of the desktop system you could get for the $1k the m11x is costing me.
 
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Why are you guys so insistent on being able to play the latest games on your notebook/netbook? I just always felt that if I wanted a gaming machine I would get a good desktop. I rarely have the desire to take my desktop to someone else's house to game, to play video games on campus, during work breaks, etc. So doesn't this question more or less revolve around being able to surf the web, write papers, utilize simple programs, check email, forums, online communities, etc?

Out of curiosity, of those who buy laptops to play the latest games, how often do these laptops leave your house?

My netbook, for instance, goes with me every single day! If I wanted to game on it, I could still enjoy the oldies, as the OP mentions. So what's the point?
 
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Why are you guys so insistent on being able to play the latest games on your notebook/netbook? I just always felt that if I wanted a gaming machine I would get a good desktop. I rarely have the desire to take my desktop to someone else's house to game, to play video games on campus, during work breaks, etc. So doesn't this question more or less revolve around being able to surf the web, write papers, utilize simple programs, check email, forums, online communities, etc?

Out of curiosity, of those who buy laptops to play the latest games, how often do these laptops leave your house?

My netbook, for instance, goes with me every single day! If I wanted to game on it, I could still enjoy the oldies, as the OP mentions. So what's the point?

We don't get a netbook for that purpose alone. But we'd like the option available so we could enjoy the latest games when we're not near our desktop - if it's feasible and affordable.

In my opinion, the M11x represents that possibility.

It's incredibly simple.

To give you an example, I take a trip to a summerhouse at least twice a year - where a bunch of guys bring our computers for a LAN "vacation" lasting about a week or so. With a netbook like the M11x, I wouldn't have to worry about the hassle of transporting my desktop.

But, it's just ONE advantage.

The overall purpose is to have access to as many features as possible on-the-go, and without it being impractical and overly expensive.
 
It's called simplicity of life. Why would I want 5 jeejaws and 3 computing devices when 1 or 2 can suit my needs? I blame it on consumerism…

I really want the external video card concept to mature. I'd be ok cycling laptops every 2 years if they were under 1K but my current gaming capable machine ran me over 1500. External video cards would certainly negate that issue.
 
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It's called simplicity of life. Why would I want 5 jeejaws and 3 computing devices when 1 or 2 can suit my needs? I blame it on consumerism…

You don't need 1 if you follow that line of thinking.

It's not about needs, it's about alternatives to needs, since we've ruined our chances of having our real needs met.
 
No, I do need at least one. Of course you're fee to follow any thought to nonsensical extreme, but don't expect me to buy into it.

I don't expect much, in general.

But I'm pretty sure you could live a happy and full life without one. But if you don't think so, I blame it on consumerism ;)

Funny that you're the one thinking it's an extreme not to have a device.

Let me guess, US citizen? ;)
 
I have a 18.4" screen laptop. I'm very happy with it. I weighs more than 4 kg, but I have a rucksack to carry it with. I can use the area in front of the keyboard as a mousepad. Oh, I bring it with me everywhere.

My wife has a netbook. I don't like it (the keyboard - yeeeedch). But she's a very sensible person, so I guess it's not too bad. AND I DON*T WRITE THIS BECAUSE SHE CAN READ WHAT I WRITE. She doesn't know about the watch. I think.

But seriously I can see the benefit of them for older games. But probably not at above 50 - when small things are harder to see.
 
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I don't expect much, in general.

But I'm pretty sure you could live a happy and full life without one. But if you don't think so, I blame it on consumerism ;)

Funny that you're the one thinking it's an extreme not to have a device.

Let me guess, US citizen? ;)

No, I NEED one to do my job. All my other uses are incidental and aren't actually NEEDs. This thread has been about incidentals rather than true needs. Which is fine by me. I just don't like lots of stuff to keep track of...
 
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We don't get a netbook for that purpose alone. But we'd like the option available so we could enjoy the latest games when we're not near our desktop - if it's feasible and affordable.

I think that's the point of a netbook though, it's highly affordable. If you compare the alienware notebook that's been suggested, for instance, you're talking about an 800-1000 investment vs a 250-400 investment. Is the added 400+ dollars in cost justified for the possibility of playing games, when you know you won't play them much if at all?

It's almost paranoid to think in these terms. I mean, I have no problem with someone who is a hardcore gamer going for the alienware setup. That would be totally sensible. However, when you're needing a portable solution to satisfy other needs, and you aren't going to be gaming on it - at least not much, how then can you justify the added cost? Seems very wasteful in my mind.

I guess thats the difference though. It boils down to what you want it to do for you. Still, if all you're ever going to buy are devices that can do everything currently possible, even though you know you'll rarely if ever use such features, what's the point? My philosophy on the matter is that I will eventually upgrade the netbook in a few years, and technology will have come even farther, removing the reason to go top of the line for features I'm not currently interested in. I will simply reassess at that point and put my money where my desires are.

Then, if I want to game, I can play the oldie but goodies. So it's not like I cannot game at all. Of course, this is coming from a person who doesn't play modern games, has very little interest in the current industry, and of whom's tastes and desires are adapting to life in different ways, forever changing how I will perceive/care about such things. So, this puts some weight on my emphasis to be able to play the oldie but goodies because those were the games that my nostalgic memories prefer, and sense I can still play those games on a netbook, it adds increased value. Still, buying a beefed up system to play the newer stuff doesn't make sense in my mind. Especially considering how technology comes and goes. Again, I can always buy a new cheap netbook in the future, or opt for a high-end one if I find myself desiring the ability to play new games.

Not to mention, services like Onlive lend some credibility to this concept too, as netbook could play any game on the market utilizing such a service. That's an entirely different debate though, but one to consider. Just saying!
 
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6 hours is pretty appealing, I must admit…

I have two laptops, one xps that lasts maybe 45 mins if I dont actually play anything, and a Toshiba sattelite that lasts a good hour and a half idling if I'm lucky. My iphone doesnt even last 6 hours of continous usage fer crissake
 
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I think that's the point of a netbook though, it's highly affordable. If you compare the alienware notebook that's been suggested, for instance, you're talking about an 800-1000 investment vs a 250-400 investment. Is the added 400+ dollars in cost justified for the possibility of playing games, when you know you won't play them much if at all?

It's almost paranoid to think in these terms. I mean, I have no problem with someone who is a hardcore gamer going for the alienware setup. That would be totally sensible. However, when you're needing a portable solution to satisfy other needs, and you aren't going to be gaming on it - at least not much, how then can you justify the added cost? Seems very wasteful in my mind.

I guess thats the difference though. It boils down to what you want it to do for you. Still, if all you're ever going to buy are devices that can do everything currently possible, even though you know you'll rarely if ever use such features, what's the point? My philosophy on the matter is that I will eventually upgrade the netbook in a few years, and technology will have come even farther, removing the reason to go top of the line for features I'm not currently interested in. I will simply reassess at that point and put my money where my desires are.

Then, if I want to game, I can play the oldie but goodies. So it's not like I cannot game at all. Of course, this is coming from a person who doesn't play modern games, has very little interest in the current industry, and of whom's tastes and desires are adapting to life in different ways, forever changing how I will perceive/care about such things. So, this puts some weight on my emphasis to be able to play the oldie but goodies because those were the games that my nostalgic memories prefer, and sense I can still play those games on a netbook, it adds increased value. Still, buying a beefed up system to play the newer stuff doesn't make sense in my mind. Especially considering how technology comes and goes. Again, I can always buy a new cheap netbook in the future, or opt for a high-end one if I find myself desiring the ability to play new games.

Not to mention, services like Onlive lend some credibility to this concept too, as netbook could play any game on the market utilizing such a service. That's an entirely different debate though, but one to consider. Just saying!

Hehe, well..

It seems to me you're overthinking these things a lot - but to each his own.

I'm not really trying to do the "right" thing, I'm simply interested in filling this need I have - which includes the ability to game when I'm not at home, if I want to.

Now, I'm not too concerned with the price - as long as there's value for money. If I can afford something, that's the only thing that interests me. So, no, the "point" of a netbook isn't that it's affordable - not to me.

It's really quite simple - because I DO intend to use it for gaming, and there's a reason I haven't bought another one - because the 250-400 range netbooks haven't served my needs. But gaming is just one thing, I also want HD streaming for movies, and I want the ability to develop for my project, which includes photoshop and 3D studio. Such things work best with decent power, and XNA (which I'm using for my game) needs a little more horsepower than your average netbook.

But what I don't get, is why you concern yourself AT ALL with the reasoning other people utilise to make their decisions? I mean, you say "I have no problem with hardcore gamers…." - suggesting you might have a problem with someone who bought it for reasons you don't agree with?

I hope that's just a misunderstanding, because otherwise you're in for a long road with absolutely no gain at the end.

That's a personal choice, though, and maybe it's just because I don't see the fascination with establishing some kind of objective truth when buying things that are essentially luxuries.
 
That's a personal choice, though, and maybe it's just because I don't see the fascination with establishing some kind of objective truth when buying things that are essentially luxuries.

Exactly ... while it can be argued that having a computer is now a necessity for any professional person / student, portable computers have always been a luxury item, and specialized laptops such as gaming systems and netbooks are even worse values.

Since an average (non-netbook) laptop sells for ~$400 based on 2009 data, a netbook that sells for about the same price is a terrible value. But since they offer different functionality that appeals to many, it is a compromise choice. Sort of like the m11x. I could get a better desktop or a solid full-size laptop for the same money, but based on my usage I know I will recoup my investment quickly.

For folks who have been primarily desktop gamers, the use case for laptops seems a bit weird, but as I say I've been mostly laptop for more than 2 decades, and have relied on portable electronics like PDA's for even longer. So I tend to think in laptop terms, and habve really adapted my life to always having a portable system with me.
 
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