Sweet LAN-party rig!

I feel guilty reporting good news here - everybody on r.a.s. seems bitterly embroiled on one side or the other of the RASCAR Wars, but.... I just got one of those little Falcon NW "Fragbox" LAN-party 'putas: $995 for a foot-square cube containing a 2.66-GHz P4 w 533 FSB, an eVGA GeForce FX5600 Ultra, 80-Gb 7200-rpm, 8-Mb cache HD, 512 RAM, XP Home, built-in 5.1 sound w. digital I/O, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, etc. It runs N2003 @ 1280x1024 with everything on at a decent frame rate (ca. 60 fps everywhere). Revu here: http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/desktops/falconnw/fragbox/001.htm Company info here: http://www.falcon-nw.com/fragbox.asp Also, a Dell 1800FP, the best-reviewed 18-in. flat-panel (no ghosting, no dead pixels). Forum discussion (of the larger, less-well-regarded 1900FP) here: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=894189 Company info here: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=22&sku=320-0469 (The $529 price is for suckers; if you can wheel n' deal, it can be had for a hundred bucks less.) Plus a vintage ROC-built Logitech Wingman Formula Force (aka "Ol' Red") with the ball-bearing kit installed by Alison Hine (SWEET!) with the piece of resistance (as we say in French), a pair of ECCI E3000 pedals: http://www.ecci.net/consumer01a.htm The pedals are incredible. Sure, they look like they came off a combine or an 18-wheeler (and built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse), but they are delicate enuf to "threshold" the brakes just shy of lockup. Yields an incredible feeling of control. What can I say? RASCAR aside, life is good. --Steve

Congrats on that nice new rig, and thanks for sharing the info! Now will we see you shooting us out of the skies in IL2 anytime soon? ;-) Achim "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:4ce2b.10937$[email hidden]... ... > I just got one of those little Falcon NW "Fragbox" LAN-party 'putas: $995 > for a foot-square cube containing a 2.66-GHz P4 w 533 FSB, an eVGA GeForce > FX5600 Ultra, 80-Gb 7200-rpm, 8-Mb cache HD, 512 RAM, XP Home, built-in5.1 > sound w. digital I/O, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, etc. It runs > N2003 @ 1280x1024 with everything on at a decent frame rate (ca. 60 fps > everywhere)....

"Steve Smith" said: > Plus a vintage ROC-built Logitech Wingman Formula Force (aka "Ol' Red")with > the ball-bearing kit installed by Alison Hine (SWEET!) with the piece of > resistance (as we say in French), a pair of ECCI E3000 pedals: > > http://www.ecci.net/consumer01a.htm How do you heel 'n toe with those? ;o) -- ed_

"Steve Smith" said: How do you heel 'n toe with those? ;o) -- ed_

For Cup car racing, it's not exactly realistic. Think modern F1s, the Chaparral 2, even the old two-pedal Sadler Special (if yer mem goes back that far). Point of order: I've never driven a '67 F1 car nor a latterday NASCAR, but am I the only one that's noticed you can shift 2-3 times faster in N2003 than in GPL? I *have* driven rock-crushers like Mark Donohue's Trans-Am Camaro, and I would think that the huge rotational inertia of a 6-liter Roush V-8, big fat clutch, and beefy 4-speed would make for *much* slower shifting than a '67 F1 car with its short-throw crank, spindly con-rods, flyweight pistons, skeleton flywheel, tiny clutch, and itty-bitty Hewland gears, but nooooooooooooo................... "Ed Solheim" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3f4a38ba$[email hidden]...

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> "Steve Smith" said: > > > Plus a vintage ROC-built Logitech Wingman Formula Force (aka "Ol' Red") > with > > the ball-bearing kit installed by Alison Hine (SWEET!) with the piece of > > resistance (as we say in French), a pair of ECCI E3000 pedals: > > > > http://www.ecci.net/consumer01a.htm > > How do you heel 'n toe with those? ;o) > > -- > ed_ > >

Rat-a-tat-tat. Check yer Six! Comin' atcha outta the sun.... "Joachim Trensz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bicfat$7n6u7$[email hidden]... > Congrats on that nice new rig, and thanks for sharing the info! Now willwe

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> see you shooting us out of the skies in IL2 anytime soon? ;-) > > Achim > > > "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:4ce2b.10937$[email hidden]... > ... > > I just got one of those little Falcon NW "Fragbox" LAN-party 'putas:

$995 > > for a foot-square cube containing a 2.66-GHz P4 w 533 FSB, an eVGAGeForce

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> > FX5600 Ultra, 80-Gb 7200-rpm, 8-Mb cache HD, 512 RAM, XP Home, built-in > 5.1 > > sound w. digital I/O, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, etc. It runs > > N2003 @ 1280x1024 with everything on at a decent frame rate (ca. 60 fps > > everywhere). > ... > >

That's cause NASCAR drivers (other than Kurt Busch) are beefier than those puny F1 guys. I mean come on, who would win in a fight, Jimmy Spencer or Jackie Stewart? ;o) "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:gxu2b.16369$[email hidden]...

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> > Point of order: I've never driven a '67 F1 car nor a latterday NASCAR, but > am I the only one that's noticed you can shift 2-3 times faster in N2003 > than in GPL? I *have* driven rock-crushers like Mark Donohue's Trans-Am > Camaro, and I would think that the huge rotational inertia of a 6-liter > Roush V-8, big fat clutch, and beefy 4-speed would make for *much* slower > shifting than a '67 F1 car with its short-throw crank, spindly con-rods, > flyweight pistons, skeleton flywheel, tiny clutch, and itty-bitty Hewland > gears, but nooooooooooooo................... >

I heard Jeff Gordon is swishy. "Haqsau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> That's cause NASCAR drivers (other than Kurt Busch) are beefier than those > puny F1 guys. I mean come on, who would win in a fight, Jimmy Spencer or > Jackie Stewart? > > ;o) > > > "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:gxu2b.16369$[email hidden]... > > > > Point of order: I've never driven a '67 F1 car nor a latterday NASCAR,

but > > am I the only one that's noticed you can shift 2-3 times faster in N2003 > > than in GPL? I *have* driven rock-crushers like Mark Donohue's Trans-Am > > Camaro, and I would think that the huge rotational inertia of a 6-liter > > Roush V-8, big fat clutch, and beefy 4-speed would make for *much*slower > > shifting than a '67 F1 car with its short-throw crank, spindly con-rods, > > flyweight pistons, skeleton flywheel, tiny clutch, and itty-bittyHewland > > gears, but nooooooooooooo................... > > > >

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 02:08:00 GMT, "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote:

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>I feel guilty reporting good news here - everybody on r.a.s. seems bitterly >embroiled on one side or the other of the RASCAR Wars, but.... > >I just got one of those little Falcon NW "Fragbox" LAN-party 'putas: $995 >for a foot-square cube containing a 2.66-GHz P4 w 533 FSB, an eVGA GeForce >FX5600 Ultra, 80-Gb 7200-rpm, 8-Mb cache HD, 512 RAM, XP Home, built-in 5.1 >sound w. digital I/O, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, etc. It runs >N2003 @ 1280x1024 with everything on at a decent frame rate (ca. 60 fps >everywhere).

I also got one of those, xcept Shuttle board. NForce2, 1Gb 400Mhz memory, XP3200+ (well oc'ed to 3200+!), 9800 Pro, 200Gb HDD. It's really nice. My previous PC is the "bloke's toolbox" approach - the biggest box you can imagine, with loads of space, bits hanging out, modified case, enough fans to levitate if they were pointing the same way. The new one is much better. Now, if I can install one in the boot of the car with small TFT screen and loads of MP3s.... John

Hi John, I'm going to reassign the Fragbox, actually. My ancient and honorable 50" Panasonic projection TV is approaching the end of its useful service life. Like an ageing Trabant, bits & pieces are beginning to crumble, and it ain't worth the cost of repairs to keep it going. So...I've decided to replace it with a 50" Samsung projection TV, the main difference--other than a scarifying price-tag--being that it uses DLP (digital light processing) technology, so has only one gun instead of 3; its electron stream is aimed by turning on & off some 917,000 eensy-weensy mirors...for a rez. of 1024 x 768 (if I've done my math right). Indeed, the Sammy has a VGA (or XVGA) input, plus HDTV capabilities, 16:9 screen, optical audio I/O, iLink (aka FireWire) output, Faroudja de-interlacer (nee line doubler), etc., etc., so I thought Why the Shtup Not? I'll replace the AV receiver I've been using for the Pana with the Fragbox, using the midget 'puta as a TVR (TV recorder), like a TiVo...only w/o the monthly cost, and as a killer game platform to put stuff like "Call of Duty" up on the big screen. Problem is: controllers. A steering wheel is out of the question. The Little Woman (take my wife...no, please!) wouldn't stand for a wheel & pedals in the center of the living room (which means no GPL, N2003, or F1C), and although I might try a joystick (for IL-2 and LOMAC), I really need a means of controlling a FPS like CoD or MoH. There are wireless keyboards, of course, and wireless mice, but there's no way, ergonomically, to operate the latter from the couch. Solution 1: a wireless keyboard w. a built-in trackball. Nice in theory, but every review said the trackball response was painfully slow, so that's a non-starter. Solution 2: I've ordered a corded keyboard w. a built-in touchpad, but I have a feeling its rez is going to be insufficient to put any wad-cutters on target (much less FMJ rounds), so I'm not hopeful. Solution 3: I saw an $80 "air mouse" (for want of a better term) at CompUSA today. Forgot to note the mfr., but the idea sounds promising: you wave the thing around in mid-air like a Theramin wand to move the cursor. OTOH, this same approach was tried w. the hopelessly flawed Essential Reality P5, a "cyberglove" that allowed you to wave your hand and wiggle your fingers, like the fictitious "gesture" controller employed by Tom Cruise in the movie "Minority Report." Anybody have any experience w. devices like this? Convergence, here I come...ready or not. --Steve "John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 02:08:00 GMT, "Steve Smith" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >I feel guilty reporting good news here - everybody on r.a.s. seemsbitterly > >embroiled on one side or the other of the RASCAR Wars, but.... > > > >I just got one of those little Falcon NW "Fragbox" LAN-party 'putas: $995 > >for a foot-square cube containing a 2.66-GHz P4 w 533 FSB, an eVGAGeForce > >FX5600 Ultra, 80-Gb 7200-rpm, 8-Mb cache HD, 512 RAM, XP Home, built-in5.1

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> >sound w. digital I/O, 10/100 Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, etc. It runs > >N2003 @ 1280x1024 with everything on at a decent frame rate (ca. 60 fps > >everywhere). > > I also got one of those, xcept Shuttle board. NForce2, 1Gb 400Mhz > memory, XP3200+ (well oc'ed to 3200+!), 9800 Pro, 200Gb HDD. > > It's really nice. My previous PC is the "bloke's toolbox" approach - > the biggest box you can imagine, with loads of space, bits hanging > out, modified case, enough fans to levitate if they were pointing the > same way. The new one is much better. Now, if I can install one in the > boot of the car with small TFT screen and loads of MP3s.... > > John

"Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:f5y5b.47396$[email hidden]... > I'm going to reassign the Fragbox, actually. My ancient and honorable 50" > Panasonic projection TV is approaching the end of its useful service life. > Like an ageing Trabant, bits & pieces are beginning to crumble, and itain't > worth the cost of repairs to keep it going. So...I've decided to replaceit > with a 50" Samsung projection TV With recent house-price madness here in the UK, none of us can afford the real estate necessary for such a monster TV (hence the mini-fragbox fetish - we're going Japanese) so I can't comment on the Samsung. However from my personal experience (read : predjudice!) I've never really liked projection TVs. I've always found the picture lacking compared to CRT, or even LCD/plasma. Are they good? The reason being that I just bought some projectors for my dept., and having seen some movies on them, well, wow! The projector is a Toshiba (TDP-P5 I think), very dinky, plugs straight into DVD, Tivo, PC or whatever and turns an entire wall into the picture. Home cinema indeed, and ideal for us "real-estate challenged" Brits. I wondered if it might be an alternative for you, since they weren't all that expensive. > Problem is: controllers. I have a Microsoft wireless mouse/keyboard which I use with my laptop. It works even when I sometimes choose to work in bed, moving the mouse on the bedcovers, so a couch should present no problem? I'm not sure it would be quiiiiiite reliable enough to accurately track/snipe a noob from 1000m out, but does give a "traditional" configuration. > Solution 3: I saw an $80 "air mouse" (for want of a better term) atCompUSA > today. Shades of Douglas Adams coming in here :-) Would you not have to sit very still while playing? It sounds almost like doing yoga or pilates while playing - maybe good for you! If nothing else it should give your wife a laugh :-) Incidentally you may want to test out the fragbox beforehand. I tried my friend's one (GF MX graphics) using the TV-out, and it wasn't remotely what I would call usable. It was fine when a DVD was playing and the motion averaged out the lack of res/definition. but trying to use it as, say, an MP3 player was nigh impossible since the definition was insufficient to read text at any kind of useful resolution. It might be worth taking the box and trying it in the shop before buying the Samsung. John ----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups ---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

Hi John, The Samsung DLP is quite unlike ye olde rear-screen projectors. It's not as good as a 50" tube would be...but there ain't no such thing. It's a much brighter, more saturated image than a typical 3-gun rear-screen (altho the blacks aren't true *deep* black). It's not as vivid as a front-screen projector, but the bulb lasts 8,000 hours, not 500, and costs $300, not $500+. It's not as awe-inspring as a 50" plasma screen, but it costs a third as much and lasts a lot longer. Best of all, it only weighs 75 lbs., vs. abt. 175 for the old Panasonic rear-projector, so I can bring the Sammy in for service as neccessary (house calls for the Pana run $60/hour for travel time...and the service tech is an hour away). And the DLP is only 17 inches deep, so it's just right for the space-challenged apartment dweller. The FragBox itself has an eVGA.com nVidia FX 5600 Ultra card (the on-board video is disabled), which has yer typical nVidia NTSC I/O connectors (analog S-video), but that's not how I'm going to connect it (I've never seen a decent TV-out on any video card, either). I'm going to use the card's normal VGA monitor (D-sub 15-pin, as I remember) output to the Samsung's PC (VGA) input. The HLN507W can display 1280x768 (widescreen), probably at the XP default 60-Hz refresh, but maybe I can goose it to 75. The FragBox is a stone bargain at $995...Falcon NW is selling hundreds of 'em...but the form factor is nothing you couldn't duplicate w. a Shuttle box (altho the FragBox uses an ICE box) for a few hundred less. I've already upgraded the DVD player to a Pioneer AO5 burner, and may upgrade the 80-Gb Maxtor to a 160-Gb HD if I'm going to do a lot of video recording. Does Microsoft still make the wireless keyboard/mouse? --Steve "John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3f576633$[email hidden]... > "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:f5y5b.47396$[email hidden]... > > > I'm going to reassign the Fragbox, actually. My ancient and honorable50" > > Panasonic projection TV is approaching the end of its useful servicelife. > > Like an ageing Trabant, bits & pieces are beginning to crumble, and it > ain't > > worth the cost of repairs to keep it going. So...I've decided toreplace > it > > with a 50" Samsung projection TV > > With recent house-price madness here in the UK, none of us can afford the > real estate necessary for such a monster TV (hence the mini-fragboxfetish - > we're going Japanese) so I can't comment on the Samsung. However from my > personal experience (read : predjudice!) I've never really likedprojection > TVs. I've always found the picture lacking compared to CRT, or even > LCD/plasma. Are they good? > > The reason being that I just bought some projectors for my dept., andhaving > seen some movies on them, well, wow! The projector is a Toshiba (TDP-P5 I > think), very dinky, plugs straight into DVD, Tivo, PC or whatever andturns > an entire wall into the picture. Home cinema indeed, and ideal for us > "real-estate challenged" Brits. I wondered if it might be an alternativefor

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> you, since they weren't all that expensive. > > > Problem is: controllers. > > I have a Microsoft wireless mouse/keyboard which I use with my laptop. It > works even when I sometimes choose to work in bed, moving the mouse on the > bedcovers, so a couch should present no problem? I'm not sure it would be > quiiiiiite reliable enough to accurately track/snipe a noob from 1000m

out,

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> but does give a "traditional" configuration. > > > Solution 3: I saw an $80 "air mouse" (for want of a better term) at > CompUSA > > today. > > Shades of Douglas Adams coming in here :-) Would you not have to sit very > still while playing? It sounds almost like doing yoga or pilates while > playing - maybe good for you! If nothing else it should give your wife a > laugh :-) > > Incidentally you may want to test out the fragbox beforehand. I tried my > friend's one (GF MX graphics) using the TV-out, and it wasn't remotely

what > I would call usable. It was fine when a DVD was playing and the motion > averaged out the lack of res/definition. but trying to use it as, say, an > MP3 player was nigh impossible since the definition was insufficient toread > text at any kind of useful resolution. It might be worth taking the boxand

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> trying it in the shop before buying the Samsung. > > John > > > > > ----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet

News==---- > http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000Newsgroups > ---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption=---

"John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3f576633$[email hidden]... > > The reason being that I just bought some projectors for my dept., andhaving > seen some movies on them, well, wow! The projector is a Toshiba (TDP-P5 I > think), very dinky, plugs straight into DVD, Tivo, PC or whatever andturns > an entire wall into the picture. Home cinema indeed, and ideal for us > "real-estate challenged" Brits. I wondered if it might be an alternativefor > you, since they weren't all that expensive. > But everyone forgets the high price of the bulb in current LCD projectors (about half the total cost) and relatively short life (something like 1000 hours). You should consider this in your decision to purchase. Stephen

On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 02:38:04 GMT, "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote: >The Samsung DLP is quite unlike ye olde rear-screen projectors. It's not as >good as a 50" tube would be...but there ain't no such thing. Reading your reply makesme remember the point I wanted to make :-) During a meeting with some T.I. guys a few months back it was suggested not to look at DLP as a "new improved" DLP was on the way. The main saving seemed to be space, so reading your later comment about the Samsung's footprint maybe it already uses that. Given that my wife is Japanese, Korean products are pretty much a no-no for me (!!) but Samsung products do tend to be good. >The FragBox is a stone bargain at $995...Falcon NW is selling hundreds of >'em...but the form factor is nothing you couldn't duplicate w. a Shuttle box >(altho the FragBox uses an ICE box) for a few hundred less. My Shuttle is actually an ICE box, which I mainly wanted for the peace and quiet. My previous one sounded like an Apache in full-on attack mode, with seven fans blasting away, so the ICE is sheer bliss. >Does Microsoft still make the wireless keyboard/mouse? They do indeed, I just bought a set recently. I've always liked the ergonomics of Microsoft mice, and with the wireless and optical it's really excellent. Certainly sounds ideal for what you intend, and will happily work on couch, trouser leg, carpet - indeed I'm testing all of these while typing this :-) John

On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 08:39:04 +0200, "Stephen F." <[email hidden]> wrote: >But everyone forgets the high price of the bulb in current LCD projectors >(about half the total cost) and relatively short life (something like 1000 >hours). You should consider this in your decision to purchase. It is an issue, and probably depends whether you want that size of screen for movie use alone or for general viewing. If for general viewing and watching a lot of TV (6hrs/day?) then 2,000 / 6 - 333days, which with a bulb coming in at $360 or so is $1/day for the viewing (lamp life is 2,000 hours). For me I just want to watch movies, the odd big football match (Champion's League, World Cup) and F1, so the lamp would last ages. Of course the best solution is when it's not yours :-) John

Hi John, Oopsies! I forgot that yer wife is Japanese. Apologies. --Steve "John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 02:38:04 GMT, "Steve Smith" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >The Samsung DLP is quite unlike ye olde rear-screen projectors. It's notas

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> >good as a 50" tube would be...but there ain't no such thing. > > Reading your reply makesme remember the point I wanted to make :-) > > During a meeting with some T.I. guys a few months back it was > suggested not to look at DLP as a "new improved" DLP was on the way. > The main saving seemed to be space, so reading your later comment > about the Samsung's footprint maybe it already uses that. > > Given that my wife is Japanese, Korean products are pretty much a > no-no for me (!!) but Samsung products do tend to be good. > > >The FragBox is a stone bargain at $995...Falcon NW is selling hundreds of > >'em...but the form factor is nothing you couldn't duplicate w. a Shuttle

box

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> >(altho the FragBox uses an ICE box) for a few hundred less. > > My Shuttle is actually an ICE box, which I mainly wanted for the peace > and quiet. My previous one sounded like an Apache in full-on attack > mode, with seven fans blasting away, so the ICE is sheer bliss. > > >Does Microsoft still make the wireless keyboard/mouse? > > They do indeed, I just bought a set recently. I've always liked the > ergonomics of Microsoft mice, and with the wireless and optical it's > really excellent. Certainly sounds ideal for what you intend, and will > happily work on couch, trouser leg, carpet - indeed I'm testing all of > these while typing this :-) > > John

"John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 08:39:04 +0200, "Stephen F." > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >But everyone forgets the high price of the bulb in current LCD projectors > >(about half the total cost) and relatively short life (something like1000

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> >hours). You should consider this in your decision to purchase. > > It is an issue, and probably depends whether you want that size of > screen for movie use alone or for general viewing. > > If for general viewing and watching a lot of TV (6hrs/day?) then 2,000 > / 6 - 333days, which with a bulb coming in at $360 or so is $1/day for > the viewing (lamp life is 2,000 hours). > > For me I just want to watch movies, the odd big football match > (Champion's League, World Cup) and F1, so the lamp would last ages. > > Of course the best solution is when it's not yours :-)

Also important to remember that the 2000 hours includes gradual dimming of the bulb. Performance in the second half of the bulb's life is not as crisp as in the first. And I agree with the last line; I borrow a projector from the office from time to time. Stephen

Hi John, Haven't been able to find the MS cordless keyboard n' mouse, but found the name & info of the "air mouse": http://www.gyration.com/default_uk.asp Anybody know anything abt. this product? --Steve "John Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 02:38:04 GMT, "Steve Smith" > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > >The Samsung DLP is quite unlike ye olde rear-screen projectors. It's notas

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> >good as a 50" tube would be...but there ain't no such thing. > > Reading your reply makesme remember the point I wanted to make :-) > > During a meeting with some T.I. guys a few months back it was > suggested not to look at DLP as a "new improved" DLP was on the way. > The main saving seemed to be space, so reading your later comment > about the Samsung's footprint maybe it already uses that. > > Given that my wife is Japanese, Korean products are pretty much a > no-no for me (!!) but Samsung products do tend to be good. > > >The FragBox is a stone bargain at $995...Falcon NW is selling hundreds of > >'em...but the form factor is nothing you couldn't duplicate w. a Shuttle

box

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> >(altho the FragBox uses an ICE box) for a few hundred less. > > My Shuttle is actually an ICE box, which I mainly wanted for the peace > and quiet. My previous one sounded like an Apache in full-on attack > mode, with seven fans blasting away, so the ICE is sheer bliss. > > >Does Microsoft still make the wireless keyboard/mouse? > > They do indeed, I just bought a set recently. I've always liked the > ergonomics of Microsoft mice, and with the wireless and optical it's > really excellent. Certainly sounds ideal for what you intend, and will > happily work on couch, trouser leg, carpet - indeed I'm testing all of > these while typing this :-) > > John

"Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<f5y5b.47396$[email hidden]>...

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> Hi John, > So...I've decided to replace it > with a 50" Samsung projection TV, the main difference--other than a > scarifying price-tag--being that it uses DLP (digital light processing) > technology, so has only one gun instead of 3; its electron stream is aimed > by turning on & off some 917,000 eensy-weensy mirors...for a rez. of 1024 x > 768 (if I've done my math right). > > Indeed, the Sammy has a VGA (or XVGA) input, plus HDTV capabilities, 16:9 > screen, optical audio I/O, iLink (aka FireWire) output, Faroudja > de-interlacer (nee line doubler), etc., etc., so I thought Why the Shtup > Not? I'll replace the AV receiver I've been using for the Pana with the > Fragbox, using the midget 'puta as a TVR (TV recorder), like a TiVo...only > w/o the monthly cost, and as a killer game platform to put stuff like "Call > of Duty" up on the big screen.

If you haven't been there already, check out <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=26> and be prepared to spend a lot of time reading. They have lots of other interesting and useful forums at this site, aside from the one dedicated to home theater PCs.

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> Problem is: controllers. A steering wheel is out of the question. The > Little Woman (take my wife...no, please!) wouldn't stand for a wheel & > pedals in the center of the living room (which means no GPL, N2003, or F1C), > and although I might try a joystick (for IL-2 and LOMAC), I really need a > means of controlling a FPS like CoD or MoH. There are wireless keyboards, > of course, and wireless mice, but there's no way, ergonomically, to operate > the latter from the couch.

I built a small cockpit style frame and mounted my wheel to it. I can move it far enough out of the way that my wife doesn't mind. Maybe you can do similar. Racing is a blast on the big screen. I play UT2003 and similar from my couch, no probs. You get used to the unconventional position rather quickly. I use an optical mouse which seems to track very well. I am not a frag master, but I dont suck too bad, either. Well, for a 35 yo, anyway. > Convergence, here I come...ready or not. "You'll love it! It's a way of life!"

Thanks, Gerald. I've spent a lot of time on the avs forum - that's where I got most of what I know about the Sammy DLP big-screen! As mentioned elsewhere, I've ordered a Gyration "air mouse." We'll see if it has the right stuff for RS:RS, MoH, CoD, CS:CZ, etc. "Gerald Moore" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in messagenews:<f5y5b.47396$[email hidden]>... > > Hi John, > > > So...I've decided to replace it > > with a 50" Samsung projection TV, the main difference--other than a > > scarifying price-tag--being that it uses DLP (digital light processing) > > technology, so has only one gun instead of 3; its electron stream isaimed > > by turning on & off some 917,000 eensy-weensy mirors...for a rez. of1024 x > > 768 (if I've done my math right). > > > > Indeed, the Sammy has a VGA (or XVGA) input, plus HDTV capabilities,16:9 > > screen, optical audio I/O, iLink (aka FireWire) output, Faroudja > > de-interlacer (nee line doubler), etc., etc., so I thought Why the Shtup > > Not? I'll replace the AV receiver I've been using for the Pana with the > > Fragbox, using the midget 'puta as a TVR (TV recorder), like aTiVo...only > > w/o the monthly cost, and as a killer game platform to put stuff like"Call

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> > of Duty" up on the big screen. > > If you haven't been there already, check out > <http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=26> and be > prepared to spend a lot of time reading. They have lots of other > interesting and useful forums at this site, aside from the one > dedicated to home theater PCs. > > > Problem is: controllers. A steering wheel is out of the question. The > > Little Woman (take my wife...no, please!) wouldn't stand for a wheel & > > pedals in the center of the living room (which means no GPL, N2003, or

F1C), > > and although I might try a joystick (for IL-2 and LOMAC), I really needa > > means of controlling a FPS like CoD or MoH. There are wirelesskeyboards, > > of course, and wireless mice, but there's no way, ergonomically, tooperate

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> > the latter from the couch. > > I built a small cockpit style frame and mounted my wheel to it. I can > move it far enough out of the way that my wife doesn't mind. Maybe > you can do similar. Racing is a blast on the big screen. > > I play UT2003 and similar from my couch, no probs. You get used to > the unconventional position rather quickly. I use an optical mouse > which seems to track very well. I am not a frag master, but I dont > suck too bad, either. Well, for a 35 yo, anyway. > > > Convergence, here I come...ready or not. > > "You'll love it! It's a way of life!"

"Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<1gs7b.46481$[email hidden]>... > > As mentioned elsewhere, I've ordered a Gyration "air mouse." We'll see if > it has the right stuff for RS:RS, MoH, CoD, CS:CZ, etc. > Jeez, maybe I should revise what I said about me not sucking... I don't even recognize half of those games! But I saw the DooM 3 movie from E3 and all I can say is GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!

Tried the Gyration. Meso-meso. I suppose one might get used to it. It has gyros within, so the motion is all in the wrist. I'd prefer something like head-tracking (IR) technology, so you could make big, sweeping gestures, like Tom Cruise in "Minority Report." The Gyration stuff is well designed, made, packaged, and docu'd. Reasonably priced, too: you can get the air mouse and a wireless keyboard (both have a longer-than-normal RF range: 25 ft., primarily for presentation in big conf. rooms) for $99. "Gerald Moore" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > "Steve Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in messagenews:<1gs7b.46481$[email hidden]>... > > > > As mentioned elsewhere, I've ordered a Gyration "air mouse." We'll seeif > > it has the right stuff for RS:RS, MoH, CoD, CS:CZ, etc. > > > > Jeez, maybe I should revise what I said about me not sucking... I > don't even recognize half of those games! But I saw the DooM 3 movie > from E3 and all I can say is GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!