The Age of Steam Begins Today!
in [UK Mac]
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From: T i m on 14 May 2010 08:19 On Fri, 14 May 2010 13:01:55 +0100, Ian McCall <ian(a)eruvia.org> wrote: >On 2010-05-14 12:41:49 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> said: > >> ..My point is if you buy a Ferarri you probably didn't do so to go >> shopping or off-roading. > >Absolutely - this machine's performance as a games machine wasn't the >slightest consideration when I bought it. Yup, that my thought. > Still isn't - I'm pleased I >have some games to play, but it wouldn't have affected my buying >decision. Ok. > > >>> I won't >>> dual-boot though, far too much faff >> >> Is it? I don't find it so, in fact I find it very easy (to both set up >> and use, even on this Mini). [1] > >It's easy, it's just a faff. All the apps I have running disappear, I >end up with files on one 'machine' and not the other...just don't want >it. I do my Windows use through VMware and am happy with it that way. Understood. Maybe it's because I don't look at it that way as my preferred OS also happens to be the best for games (performance and choice). So, the only time I reboot into OSX is to try / play with stuff and doing that way is far easier and cheaper than having an extra box (and I'm not sure you can run OSX in a VM on Windows or even Linux yet can you? I think the latest beta of VB suggests you run an OSX client but it didn't work for me). > > >> >>> plus I'd need an extra Windows >>> license. >> >> Just as I would have to buy a Mac and/ or OSX (for say a Hackintosh) >> if I wanted to play games on that platform (assuming I hadn't already >> got several etc). > >Yes, exactly. If you primarily wanted to run Mac apps, you're best off >buying a Mac. If you primarily want to run Windows-targeted apps >(including games), you're best off in a full Windows environment - that >may or may not be a dual-booted Mac, but I'm happy with the >horses-for-courses idea. Understood. > >It may or may not change in the future - personally I doubt the Mac >will ever become the premier gaming platform that all the graphic >vendors go wild for, but there's always the vaguest possibility I >suppose. You never know. ;-) > Situation now though - I agree with you completed: get a real >Mac if you're mostly interested in Mac apps, get a 'real' Windows box >if you're primarily interested in Windows games. The situation is >muddied a bit with virtualisation when it comes to apps where >performance doesn't matter, but if you're looking at performant Windows >apps with real graphic demands etc. then the proper thing to do is to >go to a Windows environment. Ah, ok (wasn't sure about he VM performance these days etc). OOI, XP in the latest VBbeta on the latest Ubuntu is much faster than on the previous versions of both (just no working USB support on the latest for me here). > >For me - the games are a nice sideline but nothing I'm basing getting a >platform on, so I'm happy they're now available in some form on the Mac >whether as perfectly optimised for Windows or not. I'm more interested >in the game than in the platform mostly - I have a Wii, PS3, DS, MAME >box, pinball machine, iPhone games, ;-) > Mac games...as you say, you're >absolutely best off in whatever environment the thing was originally >targeted for, other platforms may do well but they're unlikely to do >-quite- as well. I'd guess Mac gaming is in the second category right >now, and it's good enough for me. And if you don't get the complete range it doesn't matter as long as A) they work well and B) they suit your gaming interests. Personally, this experiment has reminded me why I never played more than a few levels of Portal when it first came out, just not my style of game. Cheers, T i m
From: Jon on 14 May 2010 08:26 On 13/05/2010 7:49pm, T i m wrote: > > Back on the Steam thing ... I installed it on this Mini last night > (10.5) and couldn't run Portal (and it warned me it might not). In > fact it's the first time I've had to power off the thing because it > had locked solid. > > The message box couldn't tell what version of Windows it was running > on. ;-) Yes it a shame they can't tell you what the hardware requirements are *BEFORE* you download a game! All it said was Intel Mac with 10.5.8 or higher. I downloded Portal for my GMA 950 mac mini... <sigh>
From: T i m on 14 May 2010 08:36 On Fri, 14 May 2010 13:26:05 +0100, Jon <jon(a)no-email.org> wrote: >On 13/05/2010 7:49pm, T i m wrote: > >> >> Back on the Steam thing ... I installed it on this Mini last night >> (10.5) and couldn't run Portal (and it warned me it might not). In >> fact it's the first time I've had to power off the thing because it >> had locked solid. >> >> The message box couldn't tell what version of Windows it was running >> on. ;-) > >Yes it a shame they can't tell you what the hardware requirements are >*BEFORE* you download a game! > >All it said was Intel Mac with 10.5.8 or higher. Oh, I didn't look TBH, I just assumed a simple game like that would run and it seems to under XP. I'll reboot back into OSX and try it again later (It might be ok now it's updated). I just had another look and for the PC it says: "Windows XP, Vista, or 7 512 MB RAM 1 Ghz or faster processor" <tick> As you say, for the Mac it says: "Intel Mac, OS X version Leopard 10.5.8, Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later. Two-button mouse strongly recommended" Also <tick> FWIW it didn't recognise the graphics on the Tosh / Vista laptop but Portal plays ok. Cheers, T i m
From: T i m on 14 May 2010 09:04 On Fri, 14 May 2010 12:40:02 +0100, Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie(a)sometimes.sessile.org> wrote: > I understand that the ability to keep a desktop going >for months on end is alien to Windows users... Or maybe the 'Windows users' you know aren't as unlucky as you and don't need to have their machines ready 24/7 to run their artificial lung or whatever life supporting thing you must need. I'm pleased to say that even my server turns itself off when it's not required, just as I do with my PVR and most other electrical gadgets in the house. IMHO all this 'my up time is 2 years 4 months 6 days' is all a bit geeky and irrelevant to me. ;-) Cheers, T i m
From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 14 May 2010 09:05
On Fri, 14 May 2010 12:41:49 +0100, T i m <news(a)spaced.me.uk> wrote: >On Fri, 14 May 2010 12:33:44 +0100, Ian McCall <ian(a)eruvia.org> wrote: > >> I won't >>dual-boot though, far too much faff > >Is it? I don't find it so, in fact I find it very easy (to both set up >and use, even on this Mini). [1] See my other post. I know you don't multitask, and you're *very* used to Windows, so restarting probably isn't an interruption for you. It is for me. >>plus I'd need an extra Windows >>license. > >Just as I would have to buy a Mac and/ or OSX (for say a Hackintosh) >if I wanted to play games on that platform (assuming I hadn't already >got several etc). Well, yes - but you might have noticed that this is a Mac group! Cheers - Jaimie -- "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted" -- Bertrand Russell |