11/22/07

If you do not count Diablo and Diablo2, I started my online gaming with NWN at Nordock, then followed the gang that founded Nordock and that would eventually become the Galdor Gaming Group to SWG.  Then I off to EQ2 but they went to WoW and I stayed.  Later I tried VO with Richterm.  At one time I had been addicted but I seem to have lost the bug.  I am hoping to get back into the gaming with NWN2.

For the most part it is the hanging out with my friends that I like.  The game is important also but not as much.

My current project right now is building a NWN2 module with the guys/gals from my Gaming Club.  I am working on the Dwarven city and crafting.  My system is still not working.  I am bummed because I thought Alienware had the highest quality stuff but so far my system has not worked since day 1.  I have spent more hours that I care for trying to troubleshoot it with their tech support.  I am in the process of sending it back to them so I can get a new one.  In the process of doing research on how to fix the machine I have run across tons of other dissatisfied customers that got stuck with lemons.  So far out of 38 days of having the machine I have been waiting for various repair parts for 34 of those days.  Not to mention they charged me for some of the repairs parts by mistake and I have been fighting with them to give me a refund. >_<

As a replacement for the Alienware box I looked at the Dell XPS M1710, Voodoo u909, Falcon Northwest Fragbook, and the Rock Extreme.  The Dell XPS was reputed to be a solid gaming notebook but their prices were high for not being the top of the line components.  The Voodoo notebooks had top of the line components but you paid for their quality and their paint job (although there had been some bad reviews and their ratings had slipped considerable at ResellerRatings.com).  I am not sure if the acquisition by HP had affected their quality like Dell's acquisition of Alienware.  The Falcon Northwest notebook was a very good priced gaming notebook with some nice custom paint jobs and components on par with Voodoo.

I decided to get the WidowPC SLI Laptop.  It basically came out to the same amount as the Alienware dekstop with the same components but mobile.  Most of all was their their customer service reputation, system reviews, and warranties.  These components were superior to the other gaming laptops but at the same or cheaper prices.  They do not give any custom paint jobs, but I can live without that.  I should get it around the 1st week of December.  Until then I will work on the concepts and framework for the quests and lore.  I was very impress with this company. The day I ordered it I submitted feedback and they called me not only to verify the order but to discuss my comments.  I will also be getting a free upgrade from Windows XP Pro (32-bit) to Windows Vista Business Edition (64-bit).  I do not want to jinx myself but so far this company has far exceeded Alienware's customer service.

Update (12/29/2006):

he WidowPC Sting919 laptop finally arrived.  I called the company to get the status and they said they would call me back to give me a tracking number.  Then a couple hours later the UPS guy shows up and gives me a package.  What service! hehehe

My first impression is "Holy Cow this is a big laptop!!!"  One the website it says it is a 19" screen with the following dimensions - 15.6"(W) x 11.5"(D) x 1.8"(H) and 8.3 lbs.  The computer is actually a 20" screen that is 18.75"(W) x 13.625"(D) x 2.25"(H) and 15.2 lbs.  It is a good thing they gave me a laptop backpack because we could not find any bags big enough for it at the stores.  I currently have it on my desk since I have not found a laptop platform for my lap that would fit this monster.

Although it is not as fast as my Alienware Area 51 M7500 desktop but it is more stable.  I have been installing software and running some applications for the last 3 days and it has not skipped a beat yet.  I have not had time to play NWN2 other than to watch the intro movie.

My only complaint is that the palm rest area gets a bit warm, but that is not a major show stopper for me.  I also liked it did not have any bloatware loaded.  Only the OS and the drivers.  They left off the ZoneAlarm Basic since I told them I would load my own ZoneAlarm Pro.

I loaded this laptop up with everything except the TV turner to save $125 and to reduce the resources that would bog down the OS.  I would have gotten the AMD TL-60 Dual Core 64-bit CPU (2 GHz) but they were back ordered until next month so I opted for the TL-56 (1.8 GHz) downgrade for $100 less plus a $150 credit for the ordering problem ($250 total).

I am not sure I want to upgrade to Windows Vista.  I imagine there will be a bunch of problems with it.  However, I submitted my order for the upgrade just in case I change my mind.

The chassis is very study.  It does not feel cheap or flexible.  Something this big I was worried that it would flex and something would pop out of its socket.  The screen is very bright and crisp.  There is a little light bleed when you have a black screen from the edges but nothing major.

So far I am very happy with this computer.  I think it will suit me with my nomadic lifestyle (many business trips, moves, etc).   If any of you are planning on buying a computer I highly recommend WidowPC for your gaming needs.  They are a little more expensive but competitive for their parts and their service.

Update (1/6/2007):

I think the laptop bag that WidowPC gave me was for their old model.  This new version of their Sting919 barely fits in the backpack.  I also did not like that this bag only has about 4 pockets making accessory organization impossible, thus started my quest for a more suitable laptop bag.  I did talk to Jerry at WidowPC about it and gave him some ideas about making a new bag for their Top of the Line laptop.  Whether or not they will do this I do not know.

In my quest for a laptop bag that would fit this monster I found the ultimate laptop backpack, Outdoor Products Power Pack.  Unfortunately, my laptop does not fit it.  However, being a neat freak I still got it for its organizational capabilities. It has 18 pockets (3100 cu in) that are labeled and fastened with velcro for all your laptop accessories, CDs,  and cables.  With that much space and pockets you can easily lose stuff in this bag. O_o One pet peeve I have with bags are that they are heavy when empty.  I carry enough stuff without adding extra weight of the bag.  This bag is made of a lightweight rip-stop 330 Denier Nylon Fabric.  This backpack also has external pockets for power packs so that you can recharge the laptop at an airport without having to remove it from the backpack.

I still needed a bag to transport my laptop and protect it from the elements (should I go out in the rain).  The only bags I found that can fit something this big are the bike messenger bags that professional messengers use.  I had a choice between the Chrome Metropolis Messenger Bag and the Timbuk2 Pro Series Messenger Bag.  I ended up selecting the Chrome olive green bag with a red stripe.  The Timbuk2 only came in two colors.  The Chrome gave me many choices along with extra features like specially designed to fit on the left shoulder, quick adjust buckle, and a cross chest stabilization strap.

I ordered the free WindowsVista Business 64-bit DVD but I doubt I will load it.  Best have it and not need it than to have it and need it.  After talking to many people there are still some driver issues.  Also, this OS will require more resources than XP Pro so I will not see any improvements in performance since many of my programs are not designed for 64-bit processing.

Update (1/31/2007)

I noticed a buzzing in my headphones when I plugged into the headphone jack a couple days after I got my computer.  I ended up sending it back to WidowPC and they determined that the buzzing could not be fixed so they paid for my shipping and handling and half of my Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS PCMCIA sound card which I am happy to say is a big improvement over the integrated AC'97 sound card.  I am able to plug in my 4.1 Altec Lansing speakers not to mention no buzzing in the headphones.  Too bad it cannot be built into the computer over the AC'97.