PowerBook 520C: Good for flight sims?
Robert Westbrook
I'm thinking of getting a PB 520C, and I was wondering if any of you
had any experience with passive matrix screens like the 520C's running
smooth flight sims like Hornet and A-10. When I was fooling with one of
these machines at an Office Despot, I noticed the "ghosting" I have read
about in the passive screens when I moved the cursor around, and wondered
if that would make a flight sim (with its constantly moving picture)
unflyable. My home machine is a 660AV, and I was also curious about the
speed difference between the two; is the 520C a 33mhz LC040 or a 25 mhz?
Also, is this one of those PowerBooks that has hardly any ports on the
back, forcing me to buy one of those ridiculously expensive "docks?" What
I mean is that I would like it to have SCSI, ADB, and AppleTalk ports
without having to plunk down 400 bucks for some stupid adapter. (No, I
couldn't see the back of the unit at the Office Despot; they had it
encased in plexiglass or something...)
Thanks much for any advice y'all might have,
Robert
--
College Republicans
Shreveport Astronomical Society
Mars Underground
NRA
Cat Fanatic (Have you hugged your Cornish Rex today?)
Conservative, Gun Toting, Cat Loving Space Buff. (Or is it cat toting and gun loving?)
"Privatization of launch services will revolutionize space access."
Don't Tread On Me.
Chris Cooke
st3...@vm.cc.latech.edu (Robert Westbrook) wrote:
> Hiya.
>
> I'm thinking of getting a PB 520C, and I was wondering if any of you
> had any experience with passive matrix screens like the 520C's running
> smooth flight sims like Hornet and A-10. When I was fooling with one of
> these machines at an Office Despot, I noticed the "ghosting" I have read
> about in the passive screens when I moved the cursor around, and wondered
> if that would make a flight sim (with its constantly moving picture)
That is the nature of passive matrix screens. The colour one in the 520C
will be much better than the grey 520's screen. But the only 500-series
powerbook with colour active matrix is the 540C (the most expensive).
> unflyable. My home machine is a 660AV, and I was also curious about the
> speed difference between the two; is the 520C a 33mhz LC040 or a 25 mhz?
The 520/520C are both 25 MHz and the 540C is 33 MHz (none with the FPU).
> Also, is this one of those PowerBooks that has hardly any ports on the
> back, forcing me to buy one of those ridiculously expensive "docks?" What
> I mean is that I would like it to have SCSI, ADB, and AppleTalk ports
> without having to plunk down 400 bucks for some stupid adapter. (No, I
> couldn't see the back of the unit at the Office Despot; they had it
> encased in plexiglass or something...)
No - they have all the ports on back. Only the Duo's (200 series) use the
docking system. You gain a lightweight machine by giving up the
convinience of the built in ports.
Check upcoming Mac magazines for tales of the new Powerbooks scheduled for
August. Mostly PPC machines, but some revised 68k machines (and this will
knock prices down on the current models too).
Chris
Tsuni
HORRIBLE for any game that moves/scrolls around!
Darryl Lee
>That is the nature of passive matrix screens. The colour one in the 520C
>will be much better than the grey 520's screen. But the only 500-series
>powerbook with colour active matrix is the 540C (the most expensive).
Uhm...i beg to differ. Chris--have you actually compared the two
screens, or are you just assuming that color will be better because
it's color?
Maybe because it's trying to do more (color), the 520C screen to me
was COMPLETELY unacceptable. i've got pretty decent vision (even
after all these years of staring at monitors :}), but i kept losing
the damned cursor! WHILE i was using it. i mean, i would go to a
menu, and suddenly not be able to see the cursor. It's EVIL.
On the other hand, on my 520, i have some problems finding the cursor
if i haven't been using the trackpad. But if i'm actively moving
it around...i can always keep track of it.
Sure sure, i spend many more hours with my 520, and i guess i could
"get used" to a 520C if i had the chance. But from my _actual
experience_ i'd have to say the b&w screen is much better if you're
talking about usability.
--
Darryl Lee <zda...@mcl.ucsb.edu> | "Systems Guy" | Davidson Library
Daniel Yu
: Hiya.
: unflyable. My home machine is a 660AV, and I was also curious about the
If you have a 660 at home and plan to play with the flight simulators at
home. One thing that you can do is hookup the PB520c to your monitor for
the 660AV. The PB520C comes with a external monitor adaptor so you can
hookup the PB to any Mac compatable monitor.
-- D/Y
Daniel K. Yu
D...@bigdog.engr.arizona.edu
Thomas Preston
: Hiya.
Hey, Rob! Ironically, I have the same two machines that you've machines
that you've discussed. I play head to heat with someone on my 66AV with
two specific games: F-18 and CYAC, and I have a ball.
Here are my personal suggesting, and remember, it's what works for me:
1) Get NOW Utilities to control the extensions that need to be on; I
only have on the essentials, like joystick, quicktime, ram doubler, etc.
2) Get a 520C with 12 mgs of RAM and avoid Ramdoubler; it only slows the
reddraw and framerate down.
3) You "_MUST_" use a joystick! Key commands that require a keypad
don't work. I use a mousestick II and it's great!
4) I use the exact same settings on the laptop that I do on my 660av:
full screen, high resolution, etc.
to conclude, there is every now and then a little lag, but that is not
often, and appletalk my ahave something to do with that.
HOpe that helps ...
TPSci
: I'm thinking of getting a PB 520C, and I was wondering if any of you
: had any experience with passive matrix screens like the 520C's running
: smooth flight sims like Hornet and A-10. When I was fooling with one of
: these machines at an Office Despot, I noticed the "ghosting" I have read
: about in the passive screens when I moved the cursor around, and wondered
: if that would make a flight sim (with its constantly moving picture)
: unflyable. My home machine is a 660AV, and I was also curious about the
: speed difference between the two; is the 520C a 33mhz LC040 or a 25 mhz?
: Also, is this one of those PowerBooks that has hardly any ports on the
: back, forcing me to buy one of those ridiculously expensive "docks?" What
: I mean is that I would like it to have SCSI, ADB, and AppleTalk ports
: without having to plunk down 400 bucks for some stupid adapter. (No, I
: couldn't see the back of the unit at the Office Despot; they had it
: encased in plexiglass or something...)
: Thanks much for any advice y'all might have,
: Robert
: --
: College Republicans
: Shreveport Astronomical Society
: Mars Underground
: NRA
: Cat Fanatic (Have you hugged your Cornish Rex today?)
: Conservative, Gun Toting, Cat Loving Space Buff. (Or is it cat toting and gun loving?)
: "Privatization of launch services will revolutionize space access."
: Don't Tread On Me.
--
ゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥ
Thomas Preston Science Instructional Team Leader
Frick International Studies Academy Internet: pre...@pps.pgh.pa.us or
107 Thackeray Street America On-Line: TP...@aol.com
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA 412.622.5981 work 412.363.2750 fax
Please note: (ich kann Deutsch und Bernerdialekt rede)
ゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥゥ