Future of Aces High with regard to operating systems

[Ack-Ack]

What can the AH community do to prepare itself for the sunset of the Windows gaming PC?

People for the last decade or so have been claiming PC gaming is dead and it's still the best gaming platform.  Mobile devices and tablets aren't going to replace PC gaming, just like consoles didn't replace PC gaming.

ack-ack

[Bizman]

I'm 50 and been in AH for over a decade. I remember when there was a huge debate about win98's superiority against XP... I had my first steps in computing with an Apple terminal with floppies, during which they got two pc's in our school. "Please familiarise yourselves with this, these would most probably become common when you get a job". Then there was this course with 8086's which had a dive bomb/submarine game made of ASCII symbols. The first "TV games" on a console were a graphic masterpiece, like Pong! The first PC games in colour were Captain Comic and Prince of Persia on my then girlfriend's 80386SX. The rig also included Windows 3.0, but it was so clumsy that it was only used for installing programs, the main interface being something created by Peter Norton. I'm overwhelmed how much the graphics have evolved during these years, yet at their heyday they looked amazingly life-like. Who can tell what we'd see in the future? And I'm sure there'd still be those who'd depreciate the looks of AH compared to some other game.

[Ripley]

I'm 44 and slightly more tech savy than your average bear.
So, if HTC chooses to support AH on an alternate OS, I want to be prepared.

I kinda hope they do, because I don't like bondage to MS and their business objectives, especially in regard to security.
I don't hate MS... I've been using their products all my life.  I just don't like where they're going.
It's been fairly easy to stick with windows through XP, but I don't know if I can follow on with 7 and beyond.

7 is worth the upgrade. Where Vista fell short, 7 fixed and stepped up beyond that. I wouldn't go back to XP now. Of course I'm also a computer administrator at my job and enjoy many of the added perks in a business environment.

8, however, i would skip on at least for now (unless you are looking for a business tablet, in which case I would highly recommend giving the new windows tablet a shot). I have been using the Consumer Preview for the last month and a half and from what I've experienced I am in no hurry to rush that onto my home tower.

[Ripley]

People for the last decade or so have been claiming PC gaming is dead and it's still the best gaming platform.  Mobile devices and tablets aren't going to replace PC gaming, just like consoles didn't replace PC gaming.

ack-ack

I know I'm going to make myself look like a know-it-all here, but in my opinion this statement is correct but it's not at the same time. 10 years ago there was no doubt that PC gaming was superior to consoles, and the major reason for this was that consoles at the time did not have internet capabilities, and if they did (xBox) they were JUST starting to scratch the surface of online gaming.

Today, all the consoles have the option of online gaming, and put out decent enough graphics to compete with PC performance. The xbox360 I would say is the most popular gaming platform mainly because of its affordability and it's longevity in the market. While I would disagree that PC gaming is dead, because it definitely is not, it is not the powerhouse that it was at the turn of the millennium. Very few major titles are made specifically for the PC nowadays (ie Battlefield 3) and sadly its because theres more money to be made on console development. But i would agree that it is still the best gaming platform, at least in my opinion. Two things mean a lot to me when it comes to games, and those two things are cutting edge graphics and in depth functions/controls. PC still does these two things the best.

[titanic3]

Two types of games I don't see ever happening on consoles, hardcore sims and strategy games. Unless they somehow figure out how to map 100+ commands to a controller.

I really wish that in the future, we can have integrated gaming, ie. PC interacting with Xbox and Playstation and vice versa. It can be done and already has been done (look up Dust 514/Eve Online), Microsoft just refuse to do it for any other game because of money. I sometimes wish I could play with my friends on Xbox, but PC game/graphics > paying a monthly fee to play online as well as crappier graphics.

[Skuzzy]

My online experience with consoles is the worst online experience I have ever had.  In every case I tried, I  found nothing but punks who wanted to do everything they could to circumvent the intent of the game in order to win.  Rude, crude, and socially unacceptable behavior seem to be the rule.  I detest online gaming with a console.  There is nothing fun about it.

Whereas on the PC I have found servers dominated by those who really enjoyed the game and when a punk would wander into the room, they were quickly dispatched by the local admin running the server, or by the community attending the server.  Those servers are fun to play on.

I no longer play games as I do not have the time, but I cannot do what I do with anything other than a desktop PC.  Anyone try slamming together a two hour video comprised of, up to 14, HD video tracks and Dolby 5.1 sound using anything other than a PC?  I spend a lot of time doing that.

First of all;  Storage.  So they try and solve that by renting you 'cloud' space and time.  Yeah, try moving hundreds of gigabytes of data back and forth over the Internet.  Have fun with that.
Secondly, workspace.  Uh, I barely do what I do using a 27" monitor. And they would have you cram that into a 10" tablet.  LOL!
Thirdly, processing power.  Need that really be explained?  Desktops kick the poop out of a tablet.

I will not go into the flexibility of the desktop to be upgraded.  I am on my fifth computer in the same case, third generation using the same power supply, updated the graphics card twice, and am getting ready to replace the motherboard, CPU, and RAM.

The total cost to keep my desktop up to date is far less than the amount I would have to spend in tablets.

I guess one of the perks of a tablet is it allows a man to be justified in carrying a purse, if you are into that type of fashion statement.

[doc1kelley]

My online experience with consoles is the worst online experience I have ever had.  In every case I tried, I  found nothing but punks who wanted to do everything they could to circumvent the intent of the game in order to win.  Rude, crude, and socially unacceptable behavior seem to be the rule.  I detest online gaming with a console.  There is nothing fun about it.

Whereas on the PC I have found servers dominated by those who really enjoyed the game and when a punk would wander into the room, they were quickly dispatched by the local admin running the server, or by the community attending the server.  Those servers are fun to play on.

I know longer play games as I do not have the time, but I cannot do what I do with anything other than a desktop PC.  Anyone try slamming together a two hour video comprised of, up to 14, HD video tracks and Dolby 5.1 sound using anything other than a PC?  I spend a lot of time doing that.

First of all;  Storage.  So they try and solve that by renting you 'cloud' space and time.  Yeah, try moving hundreds of gigabytes of data back and forth over the Internet.  Have fun with that.
Secondly, workspace.  Uh, I barely do what I do using a 27" monitor. And they would have you cram that into a 10" tablet.  LOL!
Thirdly, processing power.  Need that really be explained?  Desktops kick the poop out of a tablet.

I will not go into the flexibility of the desktop to be upgraded.  I am on my fifth computer in the same case, third generation using the same power supply, updated the graphics card twice, and am getting ready to replace the motherboard, CPU, and RAM.

The total cost to keep my desktop up to date is far less than the amount I would have to spend in tablets.

I guess one of the perks of a tablet is it allows a man to be justified in carrying a purse, if you are into that type of fashion statement.

As always... SKUZZY Gets it!

..nuff said

<S> Skuzzy- The great and powerful OZ

All the Best...

     Jay

[zack1234]

I like man bags

[Meatwad]

Man bags hurt if kicked there

[Stalwart]

if ah decides to support an alternate os dont you think they will tell us at least 6 months in advance?  will that be enough time for you?

semp

Good question.

I'm at a crossroads now, which is why I was asking.

[guncrasher]

Good question.

I'm at a crossroads now, which is why I was asking.

buy the damn xbox.  no need to post.


semp

[Stalwart]

Screw you and your attitude semp. 

My kid has an xbox.  I'm interested in the trend for computers and operating systems.

[guncrasher]

Screw you and your attitude semp. 

My kid has an xbox.  I'm interested in the trend for computers and operating systems.

well what answer do you want?  every possible answer has been given here.  so you are asking a question that we can all speculate on and that's it.  as for you having your system being ready well that is also speculations.  i'ts like being asked to build a house but your customer wont tell you what they want.  there's nothing you can do but wait and see.

windows as crappy as it is it seems to be the most stable os.  you want to buy a mac, you need windows.  you want to use linux, guess what I cant even install in on my computer, cant figure out why.  then it becomes a hassle for what I hear here on the boards to make it work.

so you can go in and buy the most advanced system you can afford and it will be outdated by the time ah is ready for the next level.  true 3d gaming.

semp



semp

[Skuzzy]

The fact you cannot get Linux to install pretty much disqualifies your opinion of its stability.

Interoperability, yes, but stability, no.

I am fascinated you have found a combination of hardware products which will not run Linux.  That is a tough trick as Linux uses the same fallback drivers as Windows does.  Those drivers have worked for a very, very long time.  Care to post a DXDIAG of that computer?  I want to know what to avoid, in the future.

Been running Linux on computers since the 90Mhz Pentium was out.  Never had a computer which would not reliably install and run Linux.

[zack1234]

I put Linux on my PC and it works

And as a member of Joe public its just another OP system which is apparently stable

I might put it on my old laptop, but I need to buy some cheap memory for £20 for it.

By the way I am a complete tool when it comes to software and installing Linux was no more harder than installing windows 7.