Computers and consoles- thoughts?

[Gilvan Blight]

I agree with the suggestion to get a mid range PC and a console. I also suggest the 360 (gamertag: Gilvan Blight).

There are a host or reasons for perfering the 360 to PC gaming. Xbox live being the biggets. Built in matchmaking, server set up, quickply, set playermatch, for every single online game, with no additional cost over the $8 (CDN) a month for Xbox live Gold. Add to that downloadable HD movies, TV, Arcade Games, Demos, Trailers, etc. The next is the fact you can play on your couch, I personally love sitting on my Lay-z-boy kicking some CG butt. Next would be the fact that there no compatability, driver, hardware, etc. issues. Put the disc in and play. Game selection is actually getting better on consoles then PC anymore, plus many games are designed for Console so the PC ports just aren\'t as good. Bioshock is a perfect example. Wireless controllers are another bonus, though I guess now a days you can get wireless keyboards and mice.

I would still pick up a PC though, as pretty much all MMOs are PC only, as are a lot of free to play games that are actually a ton of fun (Dungeon Runners comes to mind). Plus so far you don\'t get the strategy games like Civ on the consoles, though I have a feeling that will be changing.

I would write more but I need to get to a morning meeting... so in short, cheapish PC and Xbox 360.

 

[Multifracture]

yeah i agree with that i recommend a Mac over a PC but for a budget get a cheapish PC and make sure you don\'t burn it out with random downloads etc

future ref my gamertag is SH0WB04T

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by Spacemunkie
\"...and of course Macs just work...\"

Except when they don\'t. Which is a fair bit in my experience.

Your experience would be atypical.

The failure rate for Macs is known to be lower than PCs and my personal experience backs that up in spades (I\'ve used them continuously since 1988 and seen few failures in all that time). But given Macs are made by Apple and a PC could be made by dozens of different vendors - using components that may or may not work properly together - it\'s not really a fair comparison.

As far as OS problems and software issues go Macs tend to be much more reliable. But again this isn\'t comparing oranges to oranges since there are thousands of pieces of software of all sorts for the PC and the quality varies all over the map; stuff for the Mac is so much more limited, although generally of quality.

Einion

 

[Amazon warrior]

Wow! S\'a lot of replies! Thanks!

Ok, to clarify a little further, the kind of computer games I enjoy in particular are FPSs and RPGs, and any combination thereof, although I\'ll try other things if they grab my attention (back in the day I was very fond of Civ, for example). The Xbox option is appealing, but I don\'t have my own TV, just the one that came with my apartment, and I sincerely doubt that it\'s HD. If that\'s going to make a big difference to my enjoyment of a console, then perhaps I\'m better off with the PC, because I really wouldn\'t have the cash to buy a spanking new TV as well (and I have nowhere to put it if I did!). I do use my computer for things other than gaming- I muck about with rendering a bit (mainly POV raytracer) and I enjoy playing about with Photoshop when I get the chance. One thing I\'d really like is one of those graphics tablets, eventually.* So perhaps the decent PC option is best? I know that Macs are better on the graphics front, but I really struggle to get on with them. This may mean I\'m stupid! But I also prefer PCs because they\'re easy to upgrade by pulling out an old part and sticking in the new, which is something I enjoy. As far as I know, Macs don\'t have that at the moment but I\'m happy to be proved wrong. At the moment, I\'m quite tempted by this one from Arlt. What do you think? Hopefully, by the time I\'ve saved up for it, it\'ll be a bit cheaper! And then I can always get an XBox in the future (or ask for one for Christmas, not that that\'ll ever happen!).

Thanks once again for replying!

*Oh, yeah, there is also work occasionally too!

 

[james sequeira]

Im in a limbo over a 360 or a ps3, im in no rush though, once they bring out a more compact ps3 the current model will drop about £100 win win.

 

[Mosch]

Yeah, I\'d say go for a good PC. However the Xbox 360 is quite cheap now and the TV should be the least of your worry - I assume you have a computer monitor? Just use this one for the XBox. However, do not use the XBox with a regular TV... you will be pretty unable to read any text at all.

If you want some more information I\'d be happy to talk to you via PM. Write in German if you want. I can also refer you to some cheap game and accessory sources.

 

[Legacy Account]

Originally posted by Einion

Your experience would be atypical.

The failure rate for Macs is known to be lower than PCs...

Maybe (maybe I\'ve just used more of them than most users...), and I\'d agree. My first \'PC\' was a Mac back in 1992. I didn\'t buy a PC until around 1996 and have used both ever since both at home and at work. I\'ve seen quite a few component failures - especially in imac/emac and particularly screens for some reason. Also had HD failures and OS problems. They certainly aren\'t allergic to problems or above criticism.

My issue isn\'t with the machines themselves anyway, it\'s with the bullshit advertising and hype....

 

[Elly3438]

I agree there spacemunkie, apple just rubs me the wrong way, the advertising is made for monkeys... I\'ve also never really liked macs for the fact that I could never upgrade em, and the software and game selection was just waaaay too limitied... (though a big thumbs up for the Marathon series hehe thankfully one of em is Xbox Live Arcade!)
Macs are only good if you are using them for things like surfin the web, or Photoshop... but I have to say, my copy of CS3 on the PC runs great!! I definitely don\'t miss working on a Mac~
Build a PC, more flexibilty, and it\'s just plain fun!!!! (though like Einion says, make sure you get components that will work well together, do your research~)

and get a 360 (gamertag: Kuaizi) Gilvan, we need to rrrrrrrock out sometime! hehe

 

[MPJ]

Originally posted by Einion

Originally posted by Spacemunkie
\"...and of course Macs just work...\"

Except when they don\'t. Which is a fair bit in my experience.

Your experience would be atypical.

The failure rate for Macs is known to be lower than PCs and my personal experience backs that up in spades (I\'ve used them continuously since 1988 and seen few failures in all that time). But given Macs are made by Apple and a PC could be made by dozens of different vendors - using components that may or may not work properly together - it\'s not really a fair comparison.

As far as OS problems and software issues go Macs tend to be much more reliable. But again this isn\'t comparing oranges to oranges since there are thousands of pieces of software of all sorts for the PC and the quality varies all over the map; stuff for the Mac is so much more limited, although generally of quality.

Einion

I used to buy into the \'not really a fair comparison\' argument myself that PC users would throw out and there was little way to dispute it. BUT, with the advent of the XBox (especially the 360 which I own) I must say that a box completely built/specced by Microsoft and using consistent parts is still a really crappy machine. Mine has died twice since I had it and the fan is so loud I have to turn up the TV 3 rooms away so as not to be disturbed... And that is when the XBox is powered off! (charging the batteries in the controller). My iMac is running now (obviously I suppose) and I\'m sitting 16\" in front of it but can\'t hear a thing other than the click-click of the keyboard (actually I don\'t think the fan is running at the moment because I can hear it from time to time).

I\'ve owned a Mac since 1982 and for the first time in all those years I had to call tech support a couple months ago due to a glitch in the install of the newest OS. Within 3 minutes of the call I was talking to an actual person who could actually help me... Within 10 minutes my issue was fixed.

I did have an almost 10yr old Mac \'blow up\' once back in the late \'80s, early \'90s (technically it overheated and burned out) but that was the only hardware issue I\'ve encountered and it was an old machine many years ago.

If you want to upgrade a Mac then buy a Power Mac (big $ mind you). I hear the upgradeability argument quite often, if your computer needs upgrading so often then perhaps it wasn\'t built right to begin with? I like a reasonably powerful machine (ego thing I suppose) so I end up buying a new Mac every 3 to 4 years... In the same time frame most people who keep their PC\'s \'up to date\' have changed out most of their machine anyway and might as well just bought a new one.

As for compatability... I currently play Age of Conan on my iMac from a Windows partition on my HD... If the Mac can play the newest power hungriest game out there just fine then there really isn\'t any PC stuff it can\'t do.

Starting iMacs (which are actually more powerful than mine) ring in at only $1199 which gets you a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo iMac with 20\" screen 250gb HD, 128meg ATI video... Not super impressive but nothing it really won\'t run. The top iMac runs $2199 for which you get 3.06 Core 2 Duo, 24\" screen, 500gb HD, Nvidia 8800 GS video card, 2GB RAM. Both of course include the 8X DVD burner drive thingie plus all the standard stuff (mouse, keyboard, etc..)

I priced up a similar system to the high end Mac on Dell.ca and it actually came out $400 more expensive (yes, every now and then I get PC weakness moments, usually when some fancy new game comes out that I really want to play like Age of Conan and my system isn\'t quite up to spec).

As y\'all can probably see from the length of my ramble I\'m a bit passionate about Apple Macs. I used to work in the PC wholesale industry as a salesman and still I used a Mac, love a Mac. Now that Macs run Windows every bit as good as a PC does (some might argue better) I cant\' see how PCs still sell.

By the way... I\'ve always hated referring to PCs as \'PCs\'. I used to use \'WinTel\' Machine to make it distinct as \'PC\' of course just stands for \'Personal Computer\' and therefore a Mac is a \'PC\' too. I can\'t even use \'WinTel\' anymore as once you put Windows on a Mac then technically it\'s a \'WinTel\' machine too. Need a name for \'Non Macs\'.

As for the consul... Really I don\'t mind my 360 but if I had no machine I\'d go buy a PS3 at the moment if only because it\'s the cheapest option for a BluRay DVD player at the moment.

OK, I could keep going but this is getting darn long. :drunk:

 

[Jericho]

If you don\'t have a good TV, then make sure that the computer monitor you get has HDMI inputs. Then you can play PS3 or 360 on your computer screen at least! You should be able to get a 22\" or 24\" screen with HDMI for under $500 with very little trouble.

Or if you want to do it the other way around, some TV\'s have DVI inputs for hooking up to your computer. Either way you should be able to get a computer and consoles running off the same sreen.

On the subject of the Mac/PC debate? I\'ll be buying several Macs in the next few years I would imagine. I\'m finishing my Psych/Comp Lit degree this fall, and I\'ll be going into a graphic design program or Psych grad school shortly thereafter. I\'ll get a Macbook Air for grad school, or a Mac desktop for the design program. Either way I\'ll be happier than a pig in mud once I ditch this PC, which has given me nothing but trouble since I bought it.

 

[Mosch]

Orginal gepostet von Jericho
If you don\'t have a good TV, then make sure that the computer monitor you get has HDMI inputs. Then you can play PS3 or 360 on your computer screen at least! You should be able to get a 22\" or 24\" screen with HDMI for under $500 with very little trouble.

If you\'re going for the Xbox 36, just grab a normal monitor. VGA cables for the Xbox 360 are cheap and easily available.

 

[Cleezy]

Sorry to jack the thread a tad, but Jericho are you seriously considering getting a macbook air?if you have that sort of money then get a macbook pro for the fact it is better in all ways bar one and that is that it cannot fit in the envelope.

It is overpriced and underspec\'d though a damn good looking computer.

Ps sorry I still think you should go for a mid range pc and a console (ps3 preferably )

 

[Legacy Account]

Originally posted by MPJ

Now that Macs run Windows every bit as good as a PC does (some might argue better) I cant\' see how PCs still sell....

Because they\'re very cheap (if you don\'t want to play the latest games) and functional. The same reason everyone doesn\'t buy a BMW. That and the fact they\'re often driven by arseholes!

 

[MPJ]

Originally posted by Spacemunkie

Originally posted by MPJ

Now that Macs run Windows every bit as good as a PC does (some might argue better) I cant\' see how PCs still sell....

Because they\'re very cheap (if you don\'t want to play the latest games) and functional. The same reason everyone doesn\'t buy a BMW. That and the fact they\'re often driven by arseholes!

Ahh yes, but part of what I was trying to point out is that when you look at the cost of constant upgrades and trips to the local computer shop to get the nastiness removed from your HD then in the end they really are no cheaper. Or to spec out a PC the same as a Mac you really aren\'t any cheaper. Not to mention if you want to keep a Mac and go cheap there are less expensive options than even the iMac which gets you right down there into PC pricing (The Mac Mini starts at only $599), the $799 (top end MM) Mac Mini could run Age of Conan.