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Laptop users ! What specs should I be looking at for my new laptop?


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Hello folks!

I'm off to Nicaragua on a 9 month field trip. For this I will buy a laptop (officially for writing and filing field notes. Problem is that I really love CM and I would like to be able to play it when I'm away. What specs should I be considering? I would also like to know what you guys are using and what kind of performance you are getting?

I know the the GeForce2 Go from nVidia will be released sometime the first half of 2001, but that really is of no use to me since I'll be leaving in mid febuary. Besides those "puters" will probably cost an arm and a leg.

Regards

Bernhard

PS: Please bear in mind that I'm a poor student when posting your suggestions!

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First make sure that your prospective laptop's graphics chipset supports DirectX - or is in a Mac! Apart from that, any new laptop should have a processor and memory capable of handling CM's demands, so go for lots of video memory (8MB or better) and a big screen (1024x768 or better).

I used to have a Dell Latitude LS - great little machine, but it had a NeoMagic graphics chipset with only 2.5MB of video RAM (no DirectX, so CM was slowwwww) and an 800x600 screen. I swapped it for a Dell Latitude C600, which has an ATI graphics chipset with 8MB of video RAM and a 1024x768 screen. CM doesn't do transparency effects on the ATI chipset (so no fog or translucent buildings), but apart from that it runs the demo fine, and will be my main CM machine just as soon as my copy arrives!

A search through this forum for "laptop" will bring up lots of threads about which machines do and don't work with CM. My guess is that any modern machine that isn't an ultra-integrated subnotebook will work. If I were in your position I'd be tempted to burn the CM demo onto a CDROM, take it into a laptop showroom, ask to try it out on each of your prospective purchases - and then go away and buy the winner online for less :)

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Try using an Apple "ibook". I've got one of the originals, 300 MHz G3 4Mb graphics card and 800 by 600 12.1" display. It works fine though things are a little small!

I've tried Combat Mission on the latest ibook configuration as well, this one has a 366 MHz G3 and 8Mb ATI graphics card, it looks good, and plays very quickly and smoothly, though the monitor's the same size.

The added advantage of the ibook is that it is incredibly robust being made of polycarbonate and rubber! And it's cheap!

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