laptop question

[dcninj4]

This is the laptop on it's way to me... it has dedicated (not integrated!) hd 3000 radeon graphics...
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4148869&CatId=1900

I'm wondering what sort of PC games I could run on it... think combat arms would work ok without being all laggy? I've always used desktops and I'm wondering the capabilities of the video card. Keep in mind it's a laptop so if there's an hd 3000 video card for a desktop, it's gonna be different. THANKS!

also it says it comes with vista home - does that support x64 or do I need to get vista 64? I'm gonna upgrade to XP eventually - but I wanna mess around with the vista thing first...

[AtomSmasher]

I'm gonna upgrade to XP eventually

Why?  Vista's main problem was horrible drivers, but that problem, along with most of it's other initial problems, has been resolved.  Unless some of the software you use has issues with Vista, there's no longer a reason to switch back to XP.

Oh, and it's most likely the 32 bit version of windows.

[Grasshopper]

I'm gonna upgrade to XP eventually

Unless some of the software you use has issues with Vista, there's no longer a reason to switch back to XP.

I disagree. If Microsoft didn't have a monopoly Vista would be dead and buried by now. The OS suffers ridiculously from bloat, unnecessary eye candy, and the interface is just not as nice as XP's.

Even XP's interface is not as nice as Windows 2000 but at least you can run XP in 'classic' mode.

[AtomSmasher]

I'm gonna upgrade to XP eventually

Unless some of the software you use has issues with Vista, there's no longer a reason to switch back to XP.

I disagree. If Microsoft didn't have a monopoly Vista would be dead and buried by now. The OS suffers ridiculously from bloat, unnecessary eye candy, and the interface is just not as nice as XP's.

Even XP's interface is not as nice as Windows 2000 but at least you can run XP in 'classic' mode.

Well even with the "bloat" and "eye candy" it still runs just as fast as XP, and if you have a DX10 capable card, then it makes games look at lot better.  And the interface is just a matter of preference.  I actually use XP in classic mode because it's what I'm used to, but after I got used to Vistas interface I found it to be just as good.

I agree theres not much of a reason for a person to upgrade to Vista if they're currently running XP since the next Windows will be out in about a year, but if your new computer comes with Vista, then theres no reason not to use it.

[ark_ader]

I'm gonna upgrade to XP eventually

Unless some of the software you use has issues with Vista, there's no longer a reason to switch back to XP.

I disagree. If Microsoft didn't have a monopoly Vista would be dead and buried by now. The OS suffers ridiculously from bloat, unnecessary eye candy, and the interface is just not as nice as XP's.

Even XP's interface is not as nice as Windows 2000 but at least you can run XP in 'classic' mode.

Well even with the "bloat" and "eye candy" it still runs just as fast as XP, and if you have a DX10 capable card, then it makes games look at lot better.  And the interface is just a matter of preference.  I actually use XP in classic mode because it's what I'm used to, but after I got used to Vistas interface I found it to be just as good.

I agree theres not much of a reason for a person to upgrade to Vista if they're currently running XP since the next Windows will be out in about a year, but if your new computer comes with Vista, then theres no reason not to use it.

I don't know what you are smoking Atom when you made that post, but it will kill your brain cells if you continue.

Vista is pure pants.  I have Home Premium on my Asus F3sc and it ran like a dog.  Igot real tired of waitng 20 minues to copy a 5 gb file, low framerates on CSS and crashes running Photoshop.  I won't go into the memory management mess and the constant admin prompts when I install software. 

I installed XP from my spare licensed copy and it flies like the wind.  Vista is a failure.

Avoid Vista at all costs and ask for an upgrade to XP from the supplier.  DX10 is not enough to sacrifice your dreadfully slow PC experience with Vista.  Heck I know guys who work for M$ that agree with me.   

[AtomSmasher]

I don't know what you are smoking Atom when you made that post, but it will kill your brain cells if you continue.

Vista is pure pants.  I have Home Premium on my Asus F3sc and it ran like a dog.  Igot real tired of waitng 20 minues to copy a 5 gb file, low framerates on CSS and crashes running Photoshop.  I won't go into the memory management mess and the constant admin prompts when I install software. 

Let me take a wild guess and say that you were running vista well before service pack 1 came out, or perhaps your computer has less then a gig of ram.  I've seen a few speed tests comparing various things with XP and Vista (with SP1 and recent drivers) on decent computers and they all show both OS's now run about equal (XP runs a little bit faster in some tests, Vista runs a little bit faster in others, but overall about the same).  Even recent tests of video game FPS show that games in Vista run at the same FPS as games in XP.

Vista gained a whole lot of hatred toward itself in it's first year (with good reason), but it's not longer the blight it once was.

And yes, the first thing anyone should do is disable those constant admin prompts.  Those bugged me like crazy as well, but were easy enough to disable.

[Paul Olson]

I am using 64 bit, so I think Vista is becoming a better choice. I have found it to be harder to find drivers for xp64. Getting rid of all the crap that is preinstalled on new laptops increases performance way more than the operating system. My laptop was painfully slow until I reformatted it.

When looking at laptops right now, it is easy to tell if the os is 32bit or 64 bit. 32 bit can't handle more than 3 gb of ram, so the manufacturers are only offering 3. If it comes with 4gb, it is most likely 64 bit.

[ark_ader]

I don't know what you are smoking Atom when you made that post, but it will kill your brain cells if you continue.

Vista is pure pants.  I have Home Premium on my Asus F3sc and it ran like a dog.  Igot real tired of waitng 20 minues to copy a 5 gb file, low framerates on CSS and crashes running Photoshop.  I won't go into the memory management mess and the constant admin prompts when I install software. 

Let me take a wild guess and say that you were running vista well before service pack 1 came out, or perhaps your computer has less then a gig of ram.  I've seen a few speed tests comparing various things with XP and Vista (with SP1 and recent drivers) on decent computers and they all show both OS's now run about equal (XP runs a little bit faster in some tests, Vista runs a little bit faster in others, but overall about the same).  Even recent tests of video game FPS show that games in Vista run at the same FPS as games in XP.

Vista gained a whole lot of hatred toward itself in it's first year (with good reason), but it's not longer the blight it once was.

And yes, the first thing anyone should do is disable those constant admin prompts.  Those bugged me like crazy as well, but were easy enough to disable.

No I had SP1 and 4gb of RAM - it still sucked.

XP Doesn't really see the 4gb but I don't really care.

If you tell yourself it isn't a blight enough times - you will come to believe it. 

[AtomSmasher]

No I had SP1 and 4gb of RAM - it still sucked.

XP Doesn't really see the 4gb but I don't really care.

If you tell yourself it isn't a blight enough times - you will come to believe it. 

I actually currently use XP and only used Vista for a few months shortly after it came out, and it seemed just as fast to me, but all of the speed comparisons were saying it was slower.  The reason I think it's now essentially equal is because every single recent comparison I've seen between Vista and XP say thats it's the same, and they were coming from the same places that used to say its slower.  But then maybe Microsoft paid them all off 

If you keep telling yourself it still sucks then you will come to believe it 

And for the record, I'd like now to upgrade to Vista, but the version I had was pirated and turned off by Microsoft, and I have no problem waiting a year for the next OS (which is essentially Vista 1.5)

[daywane]

My father in law bought vista basic
he tried i for 1 week and gave it to me.
I just gave it away last night.

He should have no problems with installing it.
I built all 3 PC's and all 3 are the same.