Interesting trend noted with Civ4 (artificial obsolete computer syndrome)

[Mace]

Originally posted by dearmad
I'm genuinely surprised you you all would think upgrading once every 2 years or so was a huge deal.

Back in the 1990's, the PACE of change with CPU's, memory, etc. was very high. A 2 year old computer would be obsolete. So upgrading every 2 years was more common.

Today, the pace of change is much slower--so the upgrading every 2 yrs is not as common.

I too have built all of my machines going back to 1992 or so. And these are my observations and experience from being in "the scene" for that long.

[dearmad]

Originally posted by H Tower


Nope, you're still bragging. Most of us, hell, 90% of us don't have the time, inclination or expertise to build our own computers. Not everybody online is a computer nerd who knows what the latest terminology is or what the benefits of a dual core processor are.

A friend of mine, is a computer nerd, he works in IT 9 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week, and he doesn't have the time to build his own computer, he doesn't want to spend the time doing research, he wants to play with his kids.

And this isn't somehow a rip? wow... Ok, your low-intensity flame noted, but sounds more like there are two things going on in your post:

defense of ignorance.

defense of laziness.

I'll have neither, thank you, no matter how "well stated."

[dearmad]

Originally posted by Mace


Back in the 1990's, the PACE of change with CPU's, memory, etc. was very high. A 2 year old computer would be obsolete. So upgrading every 2 years was more common.

Today, the pace of change is much slower--so the upgrading every 2 yrs is not as common.

I too have built all of my machines going back to 1992 or so. And these are my observations and experience from being in "the scene" for that long.

yeah, I guess you're right. I guess the data I have was lacking my analysis of it, so to speak... the pace is slower. Might drop back to every 3 years or so and build some monster on those years. Usually the rig I put together when I "upgrade" isn't even cutting edge by the time I turn it on... and nowadays that matters less and less, hardware-wise.

Damned M$ OS is the core problem, as I see it.

[Blake]

DVD, that is annoying. I have a DVD drive but it doesn't read DVD's.
My laptop has a DVD drive so I can install over network and by the time Civ4 is available here someone will have created the unmentionable to allow it to be played without the disk in the drive.

Or I could stop being lazy and get a working DVD drive for my PC...

[H Tower]

one tells me I stated my arguement well, another tells me I'm flaming. *sigh*

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by dearmad
Damned M$ OS is the core problem, as I see it.

Then go complain to Microsoft. Windows 2000 becoming "obsolete" has nothing to do with Firaxis or Civ4. Plus, as I said before: Windows 2000 is supported.

Edit: I liked your post, HT.

[Capt Dizle]

I've been putting off building a new box for a long time and I'm not going to do it just yet. I'll have to wait to see what everyone thinks of Civ4.

I have a 35 year old house to renovate in my off hours first. If I built the new box and bought Civ4 first, and liked it as well as I did SMAC, well, I would end up having a 40 year old house to fix up.

So, the better you guys think the game is, the quicker the house gets done.

As for building the box, I can and have. As for knowing what to put in it, research is easy, you just find someone like dearmad who likes to BRAGG and they'll tell you what you need.

It's really easy if you create a screen name like shydaisyblonde. You can get a list by email in two shakes. Or, if I got my girlfriend on the phone with the appropriate geek, heck, I could get a box built and delivered at or below cost.

[dearmad]

Originally posted by H Tower
one tells me I stated my arguement well, another tells me I'm flaming. *sigh*

oh, poor you...

hey you told me I was bragging when I put aside $20 a month to spend every two years.

And don't bait me like that capt. dizle... I have a big box of condoms (with a rapidly depleting supply of its contents) with daisy's name on 'em...

[dearmad]

Add on: Honestly, you guy's want good hardware advice, and friendly instruction, go to anandtech.com or something.

it's not magic.

"Bragging..." what a joke. If I wanted to brag it wouldn't be about the 50 IQ it takes to slap a computer together.

[Aro]

Originally posted by Capt Dizle
........................

Or, if I got my girlfriend on the phone with the appropriate geek, heck, I could get a box built and delivered at or below cost.

Don't do it - some girls actually LIKE geeks.

[Niptium]

Ok sorry but Windows 2000 does suck ass... I would never come back to it after XP - the last one is infinitely more stable...

[Ninot]

I don't like the tone of this dearmad guy.

He needs to eat more bananas.

[Capt Dizle]

Originally posted by Aro


Don't do it - some girls actually LIKE geeks.

Yeah but, once I start playing Civ4, if its good, I'd probably lose the girl later anyway.

Face the facts, the last few years, its been a lot easier to find a good girl than a good strategy game.

[dearmad]

Swerving well clear of bananas... lol

[Disk Killer]

Re: Interesting trend noted with Civ4 (artificial obsolete computer syndrome)

Originally posted by dearmad
It used to be that *hardware* drove the requirements of computers, but now I see it is the totally artificial "performance" difference that the OS provides that is at the heart of it.

I keep about three computers. When I 'upgrade" I end up building a new one and keeping the old.

For about 3 years now my *old* computer has been quite capable of running software that's coming out. With details turned up.

And I only upgrade about once every 2 years!

But, the OS I'm running (win2000) is rapidly closing in on "obsolete" due to totally artifical reasons...

Civ 4 has some pretty darn *low* requirements. The video card required is pitiful (slower then my worst computer's gfx card), the memory use is very low (1/4 what I have in each machine), and the processor speed is about 1/3rd as fast as my best machine, half that of my secondary machine, and right at the level of my most wimpy machine.

I would LOVE a game that actually took advantage of more memory, and cpu time to + the AI's analysis for sp play. I had HOPED civ iv would do this, but I see it isn't going to.

I don't know- seems to me there's something rotten in the state of Denmark.

But then a lot of people on this board make me laugh when they whine about not having a dvd rom drive! Wha-!? I mean they cost $20 now and are the simplest thing to install inside the box.

You laugh at people who are reluctant to upgrade to a DVD-ROM drive, yet you cling to an OS that, as of 2006, will be two generations behind the current.

Complain loudly about Microsoft all you want - the thing is, if they want to properly support their current OSes they need to retire the support for the older OSes. It's not as if they're releasing one a year - XP came out at the end of 2001 (and was a true home/business hybrid, unlike Windows 2000); Vista will come out five years later.

As I said, it's strange to on the one hand laugh at people who are reluctant to upgrade and on the other hand resist other types of upgrades.

I truly have no idea what your point is.