Laptop Gamer? = Mediocre Experience
Oct 15 '00
As laptops drop significantly in price, these portable computers of the mostly wealthy and eccentric have become very affordable as well as having a significant amount of processing power! Is it worth it to buy a laptop/notebook over a desktop... well, it depends on what your use for it is. This will be one of several epinion articles about laptop replacement for desktop computers. Each epinion will be dedicated to a type of user.
Today's user is
The Power Gamer and Die-Hard Gamer
How will a laptop appeal to this type of user? There are a few key features for notebooks.
1) Well, if you are that into games, you now can place your games in something you can bring with you. You can use your laptop in a plane, bus, car, hotel room, at a friend's house, etc... Portability is freedom... The ability to go anywhere you want and still enjoy your computer entertainment is a major plus!
2) Many laptop accessories are now available and for relatively low cost than in any point in the past. You can buy a joystick for a notebook computer. Memory chips are only a few dollars more expensive than desktop computer memory at the same MB. External drives are available that can connect via SCSI connection or USB. You can deck out your notebook with similar gear to a desktop computer. You can add a network PC card or get a notebook with one built in!
3) Remember that portability and network/modem card combinations mean networking. A laptop can be easily added into a network through various means. You can add it to a LAN (Local Area Network). You can dial into your internet service provider. It's all good!
4) Sound quality and speakers are adequate to good.
5) Screen resolutions have progressed on the current active matrix screens (flat panel) to have 32 bit color and 1280x1024 resolution (look at the Dell Inspirion 5000e models). Graphics cards can have memory up to 16MB. ATI makes many of these notebook graphics cards. ATI chips also provide for excellent DVD playback as well.
6) Hard drive space is close to desktop range. You can get a 30 Gigabyte hard drive in your notebook. They exist and they are only getting bigger in size every few months.
7) A notebook takes up so little space. Your screen, computer, keyboard, mouse, and speakers fit into that same small notebook. You can then bring the notebook with you. How much space does your desktop take up... at least 50+ times more space... You have to consider your tower case, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speaker system, and joystick.
8) Notebooks consume much less power than their desktop compatriots.
These are only a few reasons why notebooks are appealing to power gamers and also many other consumers.
There is a flip side however. There exists many disadvantages to getting a notebook over a desktop
1) The price! A Pentium III 600 MHz notebook will cost at least $1400 for a base system. A Pentium III desktop at the same speed will cost less than $600 with a monitor. This is a price difference of at least two factors. Higher end notebooks are much more expensive than their similar desktop counterparts. A Pentium III 800 MHz notebook with 16MB video card, DVD drive, and 256Megs of memory with an Ultra XGA screen is in the $3000 and higher range. Most are in the $4000 price range.
2) Limited expandibility. You can't change some features of the notebook. You are stuck with the same video card in your notebook until you buy a new notebook. In the desktop, you can replace just the video card to the newest and faster card on the block for the day. You can't update your CPU to a higher speed. You can add a higher resolution monitor from outside but you lose the portability of the system.
3) Notebook bus speed in still less than the speed of many laptops.
4) If any part of the notebook breaks, you lose the whole thing for repairs. At least you can buy the replacement part in the majority of cases in a desktop computer.
5) The experience and immersion factor... it just isn't the same at this point. The best graphics cards and sound cards are for desktops only. The ability to enjoy a movie or a game on a screen as big as a person's chest and a speaker system that can immerse you in surround dolby digital and still be heard for miles around is more the area of a desktop computer. If you added this to your laptop, you have killed the portability of the laptop. You would be constantly connecting and disconnecting equipment to make your laptop portable. As I stated several times already, the best in notebook graphic card technology and sound technology doesn't even come close to the best in a desktop! The price you would pay for a notebook would get you a top of the line desktop computer with all the ultimate gaming trimmings at the time you buy.
These are a few of the powerful reasons why power gamers and die hard gamers shun the notebook as a platform for computer entertainment.
Overall Verdict
The Die Hard and Power user should not get a notebook computer. If you want to run the latest and best graphics, the graphics chips are made only for desktop computers (GeForce 2 GTS, GeForce 2 Ultra, VooDoo 5000 and greater. Expensive speaker system with Dolby digital and surround sound are more suited to desktops (unless you move your entire speaker system with you and your notebook). If screen size is important, the 15 inch screen is also extremely important as it also helps the immersion effect. The cost to buy similarly configured desktop instead of a notebook is very significant. That savings in staying with a desktop will give you extra cash to buy computer upgrades and games. The more casual gamer with only uses for the computer may find that the portability and space efficiency of a laptop is enough reason for the price difference. A notebook may be a good choice for the casual gamer and general public. If you like adding and using all the latest and greatest hardware, then go for the desktop. As always, know what you want to get out of the computer before you decide to buy... plus if you know what you want then it makes it a lot easier to determine what to buy!
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yusakugo
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Member: Rich Go
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Losing Sleep and Lacking Time... sigh...
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