As some of you may know, 32-bit Windows XP users only see 2GB of memory no matter how much memory they have installed.
Windows 7 users see 3GB of memory IF they're running a 32-bit version and 4GB if they're running 64-bit -- as far as Fallen Enchantress is concerned (native 64-bit programs can see effectively unlimited amounts of memory).
The #1 thing holding us back on having "more" stuff is memory. We've been optimizing memory a lot in the past month so that we can stuff more but it sure would be nice to have even another 500 megs to play with.
If you are using Windows XP, I would really recommend upgrading to Windows 7 soon. FE will probably be the last game we make that supports XP.
I guess I need to see where the technology is at in a few months. From previous experience, the new Win8 128bit OS will be out as soon as I get it. I made a theoretical PC at that website someone suggested for around 10K. It would be nice if there was a website somewhere that noted in simple terms exactly what is worth putting in a computer and what is useless at this point.
Processor: The CPU model is more important than the speed. Go for an i5 for the best cost/performance balance right now.
RAM: Least important decision if it's a pre-made computer, as it's the easiest and cheapest to upgrade on your own. 4GB is a good place to start.
HD: If you can afford it, get an SSD. Seriously. Even if you can't afford it, donate some blood or something so you can. You'll only need one large enough for your OS and a few games. An HDD for storage as a secondary is recommended.
Video card: This is the tricky one. Top of the line is a waste of money. Second of the line is pushing it, too. I usually look in the $100-200 range, and there's generally a gem in there.
Sound card: Unless you're recording your own music, don't bother. The on-board sound will suffice.
I'm running XP 32-bit as well. Can't be arsed to seriously move on to Windows 7, there's just no point. If there's a game supporting only win7 64-bit, then there is one reason and then I might switch.
This is the truth.
I just installed a Seagate Momentus XT 750 GB 2nd Generation Hybrid 2.5" drive in my laptop this week. I will say that it speeds up routine things a significant amount, especially load times while internet browsing. The Drive includes 8 GB of NAND Flash, and caches the stuff it evaluates as most used into this cache. For the price, I couldn't say no, and for those of us out there with only one functioning HDD bay in our laptops, it is definitely a nice compromise.
I'm pretty sure my laptop does not support 6GBit/sec transfer rates across the SATA bus, and my hypertransport rate is only 800 MB/sec (latest hypertransport version is 3.2 GB/sec). Nonetheless, this is definitely a bit faster than my previous 7200 RPM drive, and much faster at stuff I do routinely.
Seagate advertises a 5 year warranty with this drive, and I plan to transition this drive to my next laptop if/when I can finally afford one in the future. ATI HD2600 graphics are all fine and good, but are 2007 technology... As hybrid drives are still relatively new technology, I am of course keeping my old HDD in a safe place just in case.
Good info, thanks. I will take this into consideration.
Sounds interesting.
I am currently using Windows XP Pro x64 Edition. I'm kind of a die-hard XP user, and XP x64 gave me nice things like 64-bit address space, Storport storage driver model, and GPT data volume support for my large RAID-6 , so it's features which I all use, that's kind of the maximum I can get out of XP.
I even use it with quite modern hardware, i7 980X, 24GB RAM, an Intel 320 SSD with my system partition properly aligned to 1MiB (and TRIM on XP using the Intel SSD toolbox) and even two GTX 680, because I need a lot of rendering power for my 2560x1600 resolution.
It's really astounding what kind of hardware still runs perfectly fine with XP x64, like my Logitech G25 racing wheel, the X58 chipset, X-Fi, GTX 680, SSD, 3ware 11TB RAID-6 and so on.
Of course XP is dying, there's no denying that. But I'm going to use it as long as I possibly can, since I just love the OS (as much as I love Debian Squeeze).
By the way, does Rebellion run on XP?
I've a Dual-Boot-System with Win XP and Vista. Mostly I'm using Win XP. Vista is only for DircetX10- or Multicore- using games.
Ditto. I use XP and see 3.4gig of ram out of 4gig. I have had no problem with any program or game to date.
Vista was a joke and can't see myself updating to 7 anytime soon....and definately skipping 8.
Win 7-64 just doesn't give enough to make the swap worthwhile. To upgrade, gotta buy the OS, Office, and more RAM. There goes $600. For what? I can still do anything on my current machine. The worst part is that I send back any docx file I get and tell the person to save in the proper format...which it CAN do....it just doesn't default to doing it....but that's mostly a stubborn thing as googledocs fills in nicely.
On the other hand, I'd be losing my gaming collection from 1992 and forward. That's alot of games...a lot of classics...which also includes my personal top 10 games EVER made to date and still play often.
In conclusion: Is spending $600 worth losing all that? Nope.
Sure, MS is going to stop extended support of XP soon....they're cutting off 1/3 of their market. ...yeah....that's good business. It ain't happening...MS will still support XP and may even patch for XP-64 when they find out that most people just aren't interested in spending the extra doe.
Cheers.
I love meh xp!
With that said I have a couple different boxes and each has a different OS ( I have 32 and 64 win7).
I'm about to get a i7 win7 machine and plan on tons of RAM........................ This is all for planetside 2 which I've waited literal years for
Office 2002 still runs just fine on Win7... just how old of a version do you have now? And if you've already got 4GB, you have plenty enough memory to run Win7.
Windows 7 64bit user.
The thing about Win7: it offers me nothing I want intrinsically within the OS. It consumes more RAM than WinXP, and there are no games I can think of that require it. All the apps I use that I enjoy have WinXP versions. So WinXP remains on my main machine.
Yes, WinXP is old. Is that a negative? Only when app and game development ceases to include it, to the point where the user feels they're missing out on more than they would if they retained their current OS. Otherwise, age is neutral. Will I eventually move on to Win7 or its successor? Certainly. But not now. Probably not for a couple of years, at least.
Microsoft announced that an upgrade to Windows 8 will be made available for $39.99, which includes upgrading from XP. There may be little excuse to remain on XP if cost was a factor in switching to 7.
unfortunately window HATE involves such a huge and quantum change of user interface that is non-intuitive that it would be a lot easier to move BACK to command prompt dos than go to window HATE, and yes I DO remember the issues of pure command prompt ie EXACT spelling of commands AND their options/switches, and if a single error then totaly un-informative error messages.
harpo
I use the latest incarnation of open office. This is free, and functionally able to do anything that I would use MS Office for.
http://www.libreoffice.org/
I even have the option of getting the most current version of MS Office from my work for $10. But I still use this.
The main differences I have noticed in my usage are:
1. LibreOffice has a traditional GUI (NOT a ribbon toolbar). This is a major plus for me. . .
2. If you do a lot of macro writing, MS Office is more integrated with VB and a little easier to get into. LibreOffice is more flexible, but has a much steeper learning curve.
In a perfect world, all developers would switch to supporting Linux, and free us from the chains of MS's DX tyranny.
I5 8gb ram Nvidia gtx 460 1gb WIN 7 64 bit ultimate
phenom II 4gb ram Nvidia gtx 460 1gb WIN 7 64 bit ultimate
athlon 64 x2 2gb ram AMD 4770 512 mb WIN 7 64 bit home premium
2 HP laptops 4 gb ram WIN 7 64 bit ultimate
"It's a TRAP!"
Windows 8.... ....almost lost my lunch.
I'll be getting win 7 before win 8 and will ONLY be getting win 7 if I'm satisfied with the way I can change the settings in it. Will definately be skipping win 8. Don't like the 'tablet' OS AT ALL. If I wanted a tablet, I'd BUY a tablet. If tabelt OS is the way of the future, then I'm going CONSOLE. [e digicons]:'([/e] (there I said it...)
I'd buy tens of copies of Windows 8 at that price but I only need it on one computer! (maybe two)
My old game computer has xp on it; though I haven't turned it on in about 6 months; the new one runs windows 7 64. Bit perplexed by windows 8 but hopefully I'll be able to skip that - after all I'm using a computer not a tablet
Btw fallen enchantress looks really good.
People who keep saying how their winxp is running fine and everything else runs on it, should bear in mind that is because other game producers keep lobotomizing their games to run on 32 bit xp the same way a FE is probably going to be.
I'ts a vicious circle that needs to be stopped. People stay with xp32 so game manufacturers compromise their games down to that level, and then of course people can say xp is running everything fine and stick with it. Round and round we go.
64 bit windows and hardware have been out for far too long considering the amount of native 64 bit apps. Windows made 64 bit OS available way back in 2003.... 9 years ago. About time developers stopped cowtowing to people who want to run antiquated OS's.
It boggles the mind what were Miscrosoft thinking releasing 32 bit W7. Could they not simply have refused an upgrade path for people with 32 bit machines? Silly question for a corporation where making money is the only consideration I guess.
Let the 32 bit dionosaurs suck it up and play WOM or get a modern OS and stop holding the rest of us back 10 years.
And it's funny cause they're doing a 32-bit win 8 too.
It's awesome cause the people are actually having a voice this time around. Most often the mob is ignored.
Companies can put out 64-bit only apps....sure, but they cut out a large portion of their sales market to do so. Hense, they've been making it 32-bit compatable to make more money.
That's the cycle. Greed.
Not user restrictions.
Greed or survival. Even if going 64 bit only means cutting out only 10% of your customer base. Your production costs are the same and you get 10% less revenue. That'c coming straight out of your bottom line. Something that might have turned a 10% profit before (that's not bad) could now only break even (that's very bad) and thus would no longer be viable financially.
If I recall, at the time, the Atom processor and others like it were big, or getting big, and they weren't 64-bit. A lot of the older computers that they wanted people to upgrade from as well also weren't 64-bit.
I wouldnt say Vista sucks and I wouldnt say XP is great, but you should probably be a little ashamed of yourself if you're shaking your head at XP users. The graphics card Ive got in my tower has been in there for four years+. Why havent I ever upgraded it? Because it still works perfectly. I run Vista 64bit (pro or home premium or whatever), and my newer laptop runs Windows7 64bit.. and you know what? I can't tell the difference apart from the shiny desktop. And the menus are moved around. Maybe XP was just situated nicely between old old games and newer games, but I can't think of any game or program I own that it won't run. And it's cheap, because I already own it.
I'd like to see you guys do more, obviously, and upgrading is inevitable.. but I don't understand the mentality behind pressuring people to upgrade. Not just OS's, but all components you talk about someone tries to put pressure on you to swap it out for a newer one. I'd be pretty pissed if there was a new bioshock that almost arbitrarily required DX 11 to function and I had to replace my perfectly excellent graphics card to play it, because the card reached some imaginary milestone. It blew the doors off skyrim! I care how passe it is?
this isn't all directed at the devs ofc
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