New Laptop

[G1c]

I am thinking of buying a laptop and i want to make sure it can handle bzflag
this is the one im thinking of buying: http://www.gateway.com/programs/mdserie ... _computers
and also if you have a laptop that handles it relatively well, what are they.
Thanks

[joevano]

MacBook Pro 17", unibody

[G1c]

Maybe A Leetle bit out of my pricerange

[blast]

Well, you haven't asked about a specific model in that gateway series, so I'd recommend getting a Core 2 Duo for the CPU, and something non-Intel for the graphics (get nVidia or ATI). Though the newer intel graphics would probably be enough to play BZFlag for now, it's not gonna buy you much room for the new possibilities in the 3.0.0 version (for example...this kills my gaming system). At a quick glance, it looks like the only one in that series with a C2D and a non-Intel graphics chipset is this one:
http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668243.php

[JeffM]

Those are relatively low end laptops with pretty anemic graphics chipsets. They are not intended for gaming. They arn't as slow as say a netbook, but they arn't much more.

I used to own a similar machine.

Now BZFlag is not really a graphic intensive game, so the basic game will run, but those systems won't be any kind of powerhouse.

If you want to get a real gaming laptop then you should look for one with discreet nvidia or ati graphic chipsts, not the "integrated" or "express" chipsets.

I highly recommend the intel chipsets for laptops over AMD turion chips, they just don't have the power to do much. Also I recommend 4 gigs of ram if you go with vista, it just gives you more breathing room.

[G1c]

Ok, thanks all, helps with decision

[z[h]ero]

As you seem to be fancy just with the MD-Models, I would recommand:
Gateway® MD7826u.
In contrast to the other MD-notebooks it has a much more powerful GPU, namely an "Ati 3650". (However be aware of the disadvantages of such powerful grafic solutions)

Btw, keep in mind that Vista isn't compatible to all XP-Applications! And Gateway doesn't seem to support XP for the MD-Models! (So I would personally choose another vendor who cares about XP. Notebooks of such vendors with sufficient bzflag-Power can be bought easily for about 700$)

[blast]

Vista if fine for the majority of software.

[ts]

MacBook Pro 17", unibody

I wouldn't recommend those because there are a lot of reports of green lines and other artefacts in the late 2008 model when using the faster graphics solution of the 2 built-in ones. Once the graphics "power" is actually used, the problems will show up. I saw reports of other notebooks with 9600M GT having the same problem and thus I would bet Nvidia is involved in the problem. Interestingly the 15" model does not seem to have these problems despite they have the same graphic solution.

BZFlag currently does not need good graphic cards but it may change in the future. However I don't see a 3.0 release in the foreseeable future.