Looking for New CoH/CoV gaming computer

This rants need to STOP now. There off topic. And are filling up a thread which has important info in it with stuff that is going on several pages now off topic. T_Immortalus you have been doing 2 things against forum rules 1 posting several posts in a row, 2 your off topic, 3 your attacking other people. Please stop and that is for everyone and get back to the original topic.

On a side note that kind of pertains to the issue. Get a good router and a good ISP. Your computer can be crazy good but if you ISP sucks you ain't going to be playing much. The reason I bring up routers cause if you make a home set up like a lot of us do a low end router can hold you back or even worse crap out in a few months.

Oh how well does CoH run on Linux? And is anyone able to run on Mac anymore since the got rid of the support for it.

sigh

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus 2) I wasn't the one who even started the argument, other than posting my opinion that Windows 8 supporting a touch interface is a good thing in my opinion and then defending that opinion. Somebody else had to attack it, and then they attacked the facts I posted(which may not be true yet due to technological limits but will eb true int he future).

If they aren't true then they aren't facts. And they didn't attack it, they stated their first hand experience with it or reiterating that fact it's the most negatively talked about Microsoft OS in the tech press since Vista. It looks nifty. So does the BMW radio and navigation system until you find out that changing radio stations is a 4 step process that takes your eyes off the road to do so. But it's nifty.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus 3) Google "Dragon". That is a "voice to text" program that has WAY too long an ad on TV. There are a lot of people working on similar.

I've been using it since 1998, back when I had a Pentium 3 and 256MB of memory was a lot.

It's great for general dictation, lousy for desktop/app control unless it's being used with certain Microsoft apps that I don't use. It also requires training for individual users. And training isn't just the initial reading of a known example of text, correcting when it chooses the wrong word soon after it happens is a must to tune the model, which does break up the free flow of speech. Technical jargon is a problem as well as acronyms, well remembering that I have to say "spell I B M" every time I want to reference IBM. Even the current version is maybe 99.5% accurate which sounds great until you say 1 in every 200 words is wrong.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus 4) Google "Siri", which is Apple's voice interface.

It's a phone, no real useable keyboard. Even in landscape mode the keyboard isn't all that friendly with someone with "fat fingers". As for Siri's other functionality, it's a crutch for those people who don't know how to do use features like the calendar but it's not like they made the standard way more difficult to use.

Note that Apple didn't include Siri on the new iPad, which has slightly faster hardware than the iPhone 4s but it can display a much larger keyboard for the fat fingered among us. It's voice input capability seems reasonably good for the 10 seconds I tried it in a noisy Best Buy but that function isn't universal across apps.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus 5) Does your smartphone not have "voice texting"?

I don't text. I don't IM. I don't Twitter. If you have something important to tell me, call me. It's a phone. That's it's purpose. If you think it'll be inconvenient for me to take a phone call, like while I'm at work, than wait until lunchtime or after normal work hours. SMS is quite possibly the single most distracting piece of technology in the last 50 years. But lets not swerve this thread off onto yet another tangent.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus Those things in #3/4/5 are just the latest iteration of voice recognition and conversion to text. They're getting better, and they will eventually be perfect. You know how I know that? We, as humans, can convert our words to visible writing because of a set of rules we have in our brains about phonetics and things such as "i before e except after c" rules for spelling.

Actually, my somewhat common first name (well common when I was born) violates the "i before e" rule. It annoys me when I see it misspelled because of slavish devotion to rules that aren't 100% correct. Exceptions are the bane for computer programmers.

It's because of this voice input to text will never be perfect, especially for a language like English which, as someone once put it, "... follows other languages into dark alleys, beats them up for their words and goes through their pockets for loose grammar." They may be able to push out the 9s a bit as computing power continues to accelerate but it'll never be 100% accurate.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus Computers have the capability to convert text into sound. They have had it for a long time, as my childhood spelling computer toy proved. They just have to work on interpreting human accents and anticipating which letters you mean in situations like "Cathryn/Kathryn/Catherine....etc"(which humans definitely still have trouble with as my last name prove. My last name is common and simple, but they always ask me how to spell it. LOL) or allowing you to choose as they currently can.

Tell me about it. I use read back software so I can audibly proof my drafts in the office because I've found that if I'm typing versus dictating, I can leave out fragments of sentences that I wouldn't catch if I simply read it back to myself (I would end up unconsciously add back the parts of the sentence I left out).

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus Believe me, if you don't see voice interfaces becoming much better very quickly and even likely holding a conversation(pretty good version of this showed on Nextworld(?) a few years back) with you then you definitely don't have any idea what technology next year will hold let alone farther and don't know what people want or are making happen.

My favorite class senior year in college was computer speech and image recognition. I think I still have the book in my closet. But back then, mid 80s, it required at least a minicomputer class machine to crunch the data and then with specialized front end audio hardware to massage the audio stream. I do keep tabs on what's current but there really hasn't been many revolutionary breakthroughs, its mainly just cheaper, more powerful hardware allowing it to become more mainstream.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus Arthur C. Clarke said it best. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws And here I am, not a distinguished or elderly scientist, only commenting on small advancements in current evident technology, and you are saying it is unlikely and even impossible? The truth is stranger than fiction.

Believe it or not, that was my yearbook quote in high school. Always liked the first law but everyone remembers the third and almost nobody remembers the second.

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Originally Posted by T_Immortalus Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E...uter_interface Brain interfaces have already been done, but they are very primitive so far. They're coming. In fact, there is a "gaming controller" hat which reads brain waves and came out in 2005(?). Edit: Brain gaming.... http://www.emotiv.com/store/hardware...-neuroheadset/ As you can see, I keep up with new and interesting technology, at least barely and I still have seen some pretty crazy things.

"The Warrior's bland acronym, MMI, obscures the true horror of this monstrosity. Its inventors promise a new era of genius, but meanwhile unscrupulous power brokers use its forcible installation to violate the sanctity of unwilling human minds. They are creating their own private army of demons."

All kidding aside, it's still very rudimentary. Like voice recognition, cheaper more powerful computer hardware makes it more available. And if you ever read any of the reviews of the Epoc Headset, most were not all that impressed at least with it as a gaming device. Cyberbrains ala Ghost in the Shell is still far away into the future.

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As interesting as this may be, it has nothing to do with this thread. You took this off the rails because of a passing comment that the tablet oriented UI of Windows 8 isn't right for a PC. And I'm someone who believes that 90% of home users could get by with just a tablet level device, and maybe a wireless keyboard if you are going to be writing a term paper or the next great novel.

There are people here that have been doing this since probably before you were born and we know what's coming next because it's been tried and failed before. This Christmas HP will release a whole series of All-in-one touch screen PCs running Windows 8, people will by them and within two weeks there will be a class action suit from a group whose are getting painful arm cramps using the new touch oriented features on their PCs.

Which goes back to my TV/Movie point, while Minority Report looks good waving your hands at a virtual screen in front of you, it's tiresome, it would have been more practical to have a touch table top.

Today's voice command systems work with a simple set of command/response interactions. Siri and the various car oriented voice interfaces are an example of this. But it still relies on the user to adapt to the syntax of the interface and not the other way around, just as Palm made handwriting input work by training the user to write in a certain way than develop a clever way to read everyone's handwriting, ala Newton.

For those still following this thread for its intended purpose, the computer I purchased (see above a few pages back) did arrive and the motherboard was cracked. LONG story short, I contacted iBuyPower through Costco's rep and after discussing the issue with them, I was completely dissatisfied and will never buy from that company again. I took the computer into costco and returned it and got the money put back on my credit card. (LOVE costco). I purchased an Alienware (which is the kind I have now and have never had a problem) through Costco for a GREAT price...$999 for those interested and it's better spec-wise than the iBuyPower one was, so I'm actually glad this happened.

Yes I realize there are cheaper options out there (building yourself etc) but when that's not possible for a person who is technologically illiterate, you have to put up more money to get it done for you.

I can't wait til it arrives!! The whole time I was waiting on the iBuyPower to arrive, I don't know quite why, I was nervous and worried. The anticipation for the Alienware is much different...just pure excitement. Guess because I know what I'm getting.

Happy gaming!

1) Yes, I am defensive, but only because the forums are filled with people who believe "I don't have a problem so your problem must not be real, thus I think you're insane".

2) I avoid the forums. I come here either when I am looking for possible work-arounds or to help others or when I have been seriously BLEEPED off by a particular "bug"(more like a "feature" at this point all too often) or the sheer volume of bugs they have let stay in this game or created almost intentionally.

So, if you expect "no ranting" then you're obviously in the wrong place. A rarely used forum will most likely only be used when a customer has reason to "shout to the heavens a curse against the gods".

3) I don't care what excuse you or the developers give for the problems in the game, or how many times you try to blame my computer that works perfectly for everything other than City of Heroes.
This game is going to be offline permanently by this time next year if they do not fix most of the issues, because you all KNOW they will be adding more stuff that will break the game even more(because that is the only constant with patches).

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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike Oh, and Immy doesn't seem to realize Alienware = Dell.

"wholly owned subsidiary"

Dell "owns" Alienware, but they do not run it. They have different employees and Alienware is left to mostly run as they always did because "Dell wanted what Alienware does".
They did not buy it to steal the Alienware name and gut the company, otherwise every Dell computer would now be "Alienware".

So next time you want to sound "more informed", you should actually be more informed.





Edit:
@Memphis Bill
The truth hurts.

Most people are "angry about Windows 8" only because "where did my precious desktop go?".

I just defended my opinion about how I would like to use computers against comments that TRULY looked like "I just hate the way it looks, I want the old way I'm used to".
So clearly, the people who attacked my opinion, and I replied to, were "stuck in their ways" like the old man who doesn't want to use a simple cellphone because "I'm fine with my wired phone in my house instead of some newfangled doohickey that works exactly the same but I'm too stubborn to see the truth".

People find it hard to change, even when they think themselves flexible. Perceptions are always colored by preference.
You all, as with most people(including myself) have had a preference for the plain old standard desktop for years. Something new comes along and you fight it, whether it is worse or actually better or no change. I'm just defending my opinion about it because I want to see something other than the standard desktop. I'm sick of the desktop after years of use because of a few reasons.
1) I'm sick and tired of a desktop at a desk that is never the proper height or design for my uses.
2) I'm sick of the "computer chair" that supposedly "helps posture" but only makes you want to slouch(especially when paired with a desk made with a different goal in mind) or throw the chair out.
3) I'm sick of the hot lap of laptops and the fact that they still require a mouse when you have no comfortable place to put it.
4) I'm sick and tired of losing my mouse on the screen in City of Heroes, where all the effects in a big battle make me have to find where my mouse pointer is before I can click a specific enemy or something(yes, tab targeting still is slower).
I just want to put my finger on whatever it is I want to click, saving time and frustration.
(Edit: You can clean your hands and the screen periodically as well. It's not like a normal monitor doesn't get dirty very fast just from DUST that it attracts through static and the fact that dust is inevitable. So, cleaning is not a big problem.)

Everybody can keep the option for a mouse and keyboard, no matter what the screen looks like those will always work. I just want more options because I am tired of the problems with the mouse and keyboard that nobody bothers to fix.


You know one thing that bothers me?
Why the hell has somebody not made a "gaming trackball mouse" yet?

I know, from experience, that a trackball mouse(laser of course) is superior to any other mouse, especially for gaming, but nobody ever makes them with enough extra buttons and certainly not well placed. It baffles me how this has not been made yet, despite the wide adoption of trackball mice in business and gaming, where carpal tunnel is common, areas that have a use for the quickly accessible buttons.


So yes, I want something a lot easier to use and more intuitive. If a 4 year old can use it then it's about right.

FYI, touchscreen control is not "less ergonomic" than a keyboard and mouse, especially considering your argument of a "2 foot screen" is not what a touchscreen is intended for.
That's like saying "touchscreens are bad for 6ft TVs" when the real problem is "who the hell NEEDs a 6ft TV let alone wants to put a computer screen on it?", especially considering the big screen will be placed farther away such that it looks the same size as a much smaller screen that is much closer.
People are stupid about "big big big". They don't realize that proportion is what matters.

It's the same issue I find with "well endowed" women. They're not attractive when they get "too big", but stupid people still advocate "disproportionate" augmentations.
The most attractive people have bodily features that are proportionally balanced on them. That's why fit people look better. They don't have "disproportionate areas" like a "bulging"(not proportional to the areas adjacent) stomach.






Anyway, I'll defend my opinions and you can just suck it up and take the rant because that is one of very few reasons I even look at the forums.
FYI, I post a hell of a lot less than any of you in a lot less threads than you think. I also tend to post nicer posts a lot more often, even if they do contain a "casual remark" about the evident state of the game.
You just "assign an attitude" to my words because this is text where body language and tone is not present.

But yes, this started out calmer then turned into a real rant. So go ahead and mock me as I just shake my head at how dumb those who mock me are because they ignore the truth about human nature and their own reasoning for mocking me, especially considering mocking someone who isn't calm will only make them more angry all too often(not me this specific time).
Now, I'm calmer now because I got the rant out instead of suppressing my urge to "tell you all off". It's cathartic to not "put up with jerks" every time.

Since when is player questions a "rarely used forum"?

Wow. Horrible experience there.

Still, you have a system you're happy with (it sounds like) in the end. So... why are you not in game? Get to it!

See my Guides and Tutorials

LOL MB. I've still been playing on my current Alienware....new one should be arriving in 2 days. Finally can get my side-by-side setup going!

It all worked out in the end...even if it wasn't a pleasant experience. Live and learn.

As much as you didn't like the options, that's standard. If you buy a Sony Blu-ray player and it doesn't work your choice is returning it to the store or sending it to Sony for repair and wait.

You could have returned your system to Costco and try another one. Last year my folks finally bought a new computer from Staples. Got it home, it booted fine but the DVD drive wouldn't open. I drove down and my dad and I went to Staples and got it swapped, no problem. Still, lousy phone support.

FWIW, I have been overall pretty happy with an ASUS G53 gaming laptop for Running Games. Play CoH and Rift on it, works fine, and really CoH is a MUCH more impressive game when you can turn a bunch of stuff up and still get a good frame rate.

Seriously if you haven't bought one yet, I would say to wait until May or June. Intel is set to release the Ivy Bridge line of processors.

My honest opinion is to build it yourself, and go PC unless you really like the Mac OS. I think Apple is great, but I would never pay their prices. After building a Hackintosh the reality of how much of a surcharge they put on their components really hit home. But no matter if you buy a pre-made or build one there is an easy rule of thumb to follow. What you buy determines the lifespan of the computer. If you spend $600 you are going to have a mediocre computer with a limited lifespan and limited upgrades. I actually consider pre-built computers to be the most limited option, whereas if you build it yourself you can choose the motherboard which is a huge factor in how well you can upgrade your computer. Which goes back to my original statement about ivy bridge, if you a relatively short time you can build your computer at the front of current motherboard/CPU commercial tech, adding lifetime to the computer you build.

As far as Nvidia/ATI: Both are great, Nvidia is known to be better with drivers on the whole.
I used Nvidia exclusively until I bought my Sager which has an ATI 6970M and it works extremely well. I have no issues, but I don't upgrade my drivers every time they release a new driver.


Oh one thing I would definitely recommend is an SSD for your operating system and putting COH on there.

Exactly Rajani.

I had already waited a week to get it here. ...now you want me to PAY for shipping? Oh I can't even PRINT the label for another three to four days?? Um...I could have it returned and be playing on a different new computer just in the time I'd have to wait to print the label. That doesn't even take into consideration the few days for it to ship there, the week(?) for them to fix it, and the few days for them to ship it back.

Based on their lackadaisical attitudes on the phone, they weren't coming across as eager to keep me as a customer. "Oh, well just go get your money back".

Um, OK....I will.

I see what you're saying though. Ultimately, sending it to them to fix OR just returning it may be their only options.

But, I'd like to see the option where the customer isn't punished for something that isn't his fault. Where's the "Wow we are VERY sorry to hear that it arrived in that condition, Mr. Greenough! We REALLY value you as a customer and want to make this right. We'll get another one out to you right away. Send back the damaged computer at our cost, ok?"? That may have made me more inclined to stick with this company and give them my business. It doesn't even have to be that extreme....just don't make me feel like I'm having to fight for something that should be handed out generously by any retail company: customer service.

Sorry, sending you one before getting it back just isn't done. And yes you will be paying for shipping it back and you will have to wait unless you paid an extreme premium for a product.

PC boutique companies like iBUYPOWER run on very thin margins. And since this was a PC built for a retailer I imagine the margins are even thinner. It's also likely that iBP doesn't have replacements laying around to swap with you. They usually have a 14 day wait between order and shipping. They aren't Dell, HP or even Gateway. They simply don't have a warehouse full of ready to ship product.

Maybe we should have been clearer about iBP's rep with you before you ran out to buy it. The rep being that they are a small custom PC manufacturer that caters to gamers and can't afford a top end customer service experience for what they charge. You want great CS, buy Puget Systems but expect to pay a lot more. Or as what you did, buy Alienware which has the financial backing of Dell.

Anyways, what does the Alienware you ordered has as a CPU and video card?

I hear your point, XMas, but as I stated above, had they shown even the slightest bit of concern for my lack of satisfaction and frustration with the situation, I may have been more apt to ride it out (even though it would have meant MUCH more wait time instead of just returning theirs and ordering a new one) and let them fix the problem. Maybe I just unluckily ended up with the worst possible employees on the other end of the phone. Maybe my experience would have been different had I gotten connected with someone else. I'm not sure, but if what the poster above said is true, then I was probably speaking with their ONE tech guy taking calls that day and then maybe their ONE customer service rep on duty that day. Either way, for ME (I can only speak for myself), I'm not comfortable doing business with a company that treats their customers like that. I hope other people have had/will have better experiences with them, but they won't be getting any future purchases or recommendations from me.