Any PC Gamers in ER-land?

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atla I do not do a lot of high end games but want a great notebook. What would be the next level down. Thanks.

Well, the next step down really opens up the field quite a bit.* *Even if you look at a single vendor, like Dell, you'll find several that might suit you:

1) The Dell Inspiron 9300, high-resolution 17-inch display + good graphics (nvidia 6800) + magnesium-alloy lid and base + great sound + lots of ports, etc

2) The Dell Precision M70, similar to the 9300, but with a 15.4" display (get the WSXGA+).* *Normally expensive, but there are some good prices in the outlet right now.

3) The Dell Latitude D810 is similar to the M70, but the X600 graphics card isn't quite as powerful.

4) The Dell Inspiron 6000 is an entry-level machine available with a dedicated graphics card (X300) that will handle some games.

Sony, Toshiba, and Fujitsu also have models in this range, but they usually won't give you the same bang/buck as Dell.

If I were you, I'd seriously check out the M70's in Dell's outlet.* *$1225 for a very nice machine with 3-year warranty.* *I'd get one myself if I didn't already have laptops on every flat surface in the house.

[treypar]

I probably want the 17 inch so I am looking at the Dell 9300. Thanks.

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atla I probably want the 17 inch so I am looking at the Dell 9300. Thanks.

Excellent choice. Get the WUXGA, go6800, 1-2GB RAM, and a fast disk, and you'll be very happy with the 9300.

[bosco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atla Wabmester I am looking for a new high end notebook. Can you give me some suggestions?

My suggestion would be to avoid Dell like the plague.

I bought one of their high-end notebooks last November (Inspiron...it's at home, can't remember the model number).

I paid for the extended warranty (first time in my life---never have done this before) because I would be in a northern village.

Just try to reach customer service by phone. Try to deal with them by email. Every call is at least a 90-minute saga of transfers and disconnects. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. You get people from Phillipines, India, etc. etc. They will not listen. I told them that I no longer lived in Juneau. They sent the fedex man to my office that I hadn't worked at for 6 months, 1500 miles away to pick up a cd drive. They refused to talk to me until I could remember my old work number, just because I happened to use that phone when I made the original order.

And the product has problems. Despite my "24-hour" warranty, I had to wait 3 weeks and ship the damn thing off for 2 days. Now, the same problem is back (CD/DVD drive just disappears from the OS).

I will never buy another Dell. It is just too discouraging even trying to reach someone, and the 800 number in the owner's manual connects you to desktops, not laptops, and the correct number is nowhere to be found.

YMMV, but I'm pretty disgusted.

[MooreBonds]

I'm a Diablo 2 man...nothing like a double-swing attack with a pair of maces in each hand, mowing your way through 20 enemies...

Ah, sounds like a good idea for some stress relief. Be back later.

If anyone ever wants to play, I'm BoSnerdley (yes, it is a Rush Limbaugh reference, as some on-line gamers have noted ).

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosco I will never buy another Dell.* It is just too discouraging even trying to reach someone, and the 800 number in the owner's manual connects you to desktops, not laptops, and the correct number is nowhere to be found.

I agree. Dell has braindead support. But they're one of the few vendors left who even bother answering the phone. Try getting support from Sony or Toshiba.

Thankfully, every time Dell has screwed something up (which is more than half the time), they give me a concession coupon or credit as greenmail. It really works wonders.

[Chris24]

Agree on what is being said about DEll notebooks. Mine is now stuffed under the desk unused. 2+ years old, bought as a gaming machine for the road. Heavy, hot, and disapointing. Problem with battery charging , sent to dell to get fixed, said my baterries were dead. Fix; buy new batts. Didn't belive it, took machine to local geeks, fixed it and other issues for 100 bucks. (Old batteries were fine). Screen blew a month later, called DHL to ship to Dell agian, fixed but got tired of lugging a 10 lb brick.

Was top of the line when I bought it, never performed, worked or live up to how it was advertised.

Alienware, Falcon, other vendors out there with customer in mind. The new Dell gets Kudos from reviews but would with, esp for laptops, to the best on customer service, and folks who deal with high end machines all the time.

[Chris24]

Anyone here play EQ ?

[wabmester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris24 Mine is now stuffed under the desk unused. 2+ years old, bought as a gaming machine for the road. Heavy, hot, and disapointing. Problem with battery charging , sent to dell to get fixed, said my baterries were dead. Fix; buy new batts. Didn't belive it, took machine to local geeks, fixed it and other issues for 100 bucks. (Old batteries were fine). Screen blew a month later, called DHL to ship to Dell agian, fixed but got tired of lugging a 10 lb brick.

Dell's laptops have improved quite a bit since they launched a new line based on the Pentium-M. Sounds like you bought a 9100 or the original XPS -- the last of their P4-based lappies. A lot of people loved them, but they are hot and heavy plastic bricks. If you have the 9800 GPU, you can still sell it for a nice chunk on eBay. People have figured out how to reconnect a laser-cut on the 9800 die to give them a bunch of additional pixel pipes.

[Chris24]

Sounds like you bought a 9100

You are correct sir.

Glad to hear things are getting better, but in the techno world, sure doesn't take long.

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris24 Anyone here play EQ ?

Nope. I couldn't stomach the idea of paying every month to play a game. I prefer buying a game once for $40 (possibly less if it came out last year) and playing as much as I want, when I want.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I had one of my friends start playing evercrack. Never saw him again. Not kidding. That was something like six years ago. Whenever I call him I get an answering machine and he doesnt call back for 2 days. Never wants to go out anywhere with anyone. He gained about 100lbs. I heard a couple of months ago that he left work on a 'medical disability'. Sounds like a game to be avoided for certain personality types.

[Jay_Gatsby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by () I had one of my friends start playing evercrack.* Never saw him again.* Not kidding.* That was something like six years ago.* Whenever I call him I get an answering machine and he doesnt call back for 2 days.* Never wants to go out anywhere with anyone.* He gained about 100lbs.* I heard a couple of months ago that he left work on a 'medical disability'.* Sounds like a game to be avoided for certain personality types.

I used to play MUDs back in the early-90s (college days), and found them extremely addictive. Pizzas and other deliveries were the foods of choice -- anything not requiring me to leave the keyboard. The games were all text-based (like Zork), requiring extremely fast reading comprehension and lightning-fast typing skills, as well as a vivid imagination.

Perhaps I benefited more than I thought?