Windows Gaming

Microsoft promises to integrate the whole windows/gaming experience with windows vista and dx10. Here's the site: www.windowsgaming.com

With the new game recognition options and windows graphics, it looks like they're coming along pretty good. Apparently DX10 is going to have certain standards in graphics, allowing developeres to push the gfx engines all the way visually and performance-wise like on consoles. Also they have new hardware like the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming reciever which is actually a USB device for windows that allows you to use your wireless 360 accessories on your computer.

Whaddya think, did Microsoft hit the bullseye on this or do you think they're going to fall short of their hype?

Personally, I think consoles are better. You don't have to shell out money every six months to upgrade.

Generally, console games have far better performance. I can play Halo on my xbox better than it does on my pc. Same goes for doom 3.

WASD and mouse works good on pc, but when you just gotta sit in front of a big teevee, the gamepad works great.

I disagree. I think PC gaming looks FAR better than any console, and MAYBE at the launch of a new generation does graphic ability come close to the PC. Unlike a PC, their hardware cant really upgrade once the system is released.

However, the experience of console gaming is so much better than PC. You don't have to install anything, it works every time, your not worrying about drivers or DirectX versions or system requirements or any of that technical stuff. You can just pick up a game and play it, drag it to a friends house and play it there, when PC gaming might not be so fluid.

I haven't actually used DX10, so I cant give my opinion on how good the new experience is. But since all these consoles now seem to be repackaged computers, why not?

-Cool-

On a console though, the developers work harder, to push the limits of the hardware. On a pc, the developers can be lazy, and just bump up the specs.

Look at Halo 2. Runs on a 733mhz xbox with 64mb of ram. You need at least 512mb of ram on Vista, and a mighty graphics card to get some hardware acceleration.

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Originally Posted by chedabob

On a console though, the developers work harder, to push the limits of the hardware. On a pc, the developers can be lazy, and just bump up the specs.

Look at Halo 2. Runs on a 733mhz xbox with 64mb of ram. You need at least 512mb of ram on Vista, and a mighty graphics card to get some hardware acceleration.

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Xboxs don't have other tasks running in the background. Right now, I have 52 processes in the background, and all I'm doing is typing this and making a slide in OpenOffice. Computers do much more than consoles, so it's expected they need more RAM.

Also, they graphics on PC will be much better than the Xbox, I guarantee that.

Also, I wouldn't say they work harder, the exact opposite actually. They need to work less hard to get a game on a console. The system specs are already stated, they are the same everywhere, and they don't need to worry about someones experience being better than anyone elses. If you have an Xbox, you don't need to worry about sales for the games. You can always buy an Xbox game if you have an Xbox. They do however need to worry about sales in the PC gaming market. They need to work harder to get good effects on lower end computers, because not everyone has a Core 2 Extreme running 2 8800GTXs. If they only cater to that market, they will have very poor sales. So they need to work harder making good games on lower end tech in order to keep the money coming.

Just my $0.02.

i think PC games and console games are graphically different. On consoles i think the games are more stunning whereas on PC you have to shell out atleast a grand to upgrade before you can get close to the same experience. For mainstream buyers, consoles look like the way to go. For enthusiasts, PC is better coz they have the stuff to run those games on High Graphics.

Also the entire experience is different. On PC you play on a 20" LCD (usually 19 but lets give people the benefit of the doubt) whereas on an Xbox you an play on a 50" Plasma with surround sound. This gives you a better experience and doesn't leave you squinting to find that little scroll that fell on the floor from the ant you had to kill to get it.

Another thing to remember is that Xboxes (very much so the 360) are basically computers. The amazing thing about them is that they can pump out Gears Of War graphics on a 50" Plasma and not flinch. If you want to play Halo on PC on a 50" screen, your graphics card would crack!

What they have done with Xboxes is make them less cluttered like you said. Less processes running leaves them free to focus their power on the game and not OpenOffice.

Comparing a PC to an Xbox is like comparing a PC to a PC. A mainstream PC of course wouldn't stand a chance to a beefed up custom graphcis card made PC.

Now, all consoles really are, are just beefed up PC's running a custom OS.

and that's my $0.02

can you permanently stop a ton of processes because I have like 65 running and
I don't need of them but I don't wanna stop anything inportant but i do want my pc to run better.

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Originally Posted by Ronyx

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About the experience. If someone has enough money for a 50" plasma screen and surround sound, why not spend that much on a computer? That's what, $5500? (That's just a wild guess, I have no idea how much it actually is.) If you can do that, why not spend that on a computer too? You could KILL any console and TV combo with a computer costing that much (granted you buy the right stuff and don't piss it away on dumb **** you don't need).

Also, about TV sizes. You have to remember, you play a console ~10ft. away from the TV. You are like ~1ft. away from a computer screen. Thinking like that, the sizes aren't all that different. If you tried using a computer with a 50" monitor, you would need a serious neck massage afterwards from all the tilting and spinning and straining that would put on you, just because the screen is so big.

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Originally Posted by Durrthock

can you permanently stop a ton of processes because I have like 65 running and
I don't need of them but I don't wanna stop anything important but i do want my pc to run better.

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helpful post by jdbnsn http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/f...1617#post61617

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Originally Posted by Durrthock

can you permanently stop a ton of processes because I have like 65 running and I don't need of them but I don't wanna stop anything inportant but i do want my pc to run better.

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here are a couple easy things to do to reduce the number of TSR's (terminate and stay resident)

1 - check your startup group.
For WinXP check:
C:\documents and settings\[your log in]\start menu\programs\startup.
also check:
C:\documents and settings\All users\start menu\programs\startup.
easy thing to do is just pull any shortcuts out of those 2 folders and place them on your desktop. Reboot. if you discover you you're missing something you can't live without, just move the shortcut back.

2 - Check your registry.
Warning: back up your registry before fooling around with it.
Click start, then run... type regedit. in the registry check:
My computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\win dows\CurrentVersion\run
you can then choose file, export... and save this branch to your destop.
remove what you like, close out and reboot.
if you want to undo anything all you have to do is double clcik on the reg file you saved and it will put everything back into the registry.

its also a good idea to set a system restore point before doing this stuff.
i have a shortcut under: start-all programs-accessories-system tools. but that may not be the default location (I rearrange stuff a lot in my machine)

There's a lot more you can do but thats what google is for.
'N Joy :)

Next-gen consoles are far less powerful than hi-spec PCs, thus the PC is better at gaming than the console.

You'd have to agree that everything you can do on a console, you can do on a PC, but there are no (almost none) games that mimic console gameplay on the PC (I.E. Platform games), which is sad, because the same game WOULD look a ton better on a computer.

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Originally Posted by ESX

Next-gen consoles are far less powerful than hi-spec PCs, thus the PC is better at gaming than the console.

You'd have to agree that everything you can do on a console, you can do on a PC, but there are no (almost none) games that mimic console gameplay on the PC (I.E. Platform games), which is sad, because the same game WOULD look a ton better on a computer.

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Psychonauts.

Well, thats one. Havent played it yet though.