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makare doesn't know jack about technology

#1



makare

As some might have seen, I am either going to get a kindle or a ps3 as a gift. I am going to go with the ps3 (I can buy myself the cheaper kindle later >.<)

The problem is I do not know anything about ps3. I have figured out that it will work on my sd tv. What I need to know is which version will actually play my ps2 games and which bundle, if any, makes the most sense to buy.Or is the ps3 worth buying at all?

Any help on this would be appreciated. I seriously do not know what I am doing here.


#2

Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

You're going to be basically out of luck for your PS2 games. Backward compatibility for the PS3 has all but disappeared. You'd have to find an old version, like the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle version.


#3

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

They don't make PS2-compatible PS3s anymore. Those stopped years ago and you'd have to do some scouring to find one. For the most part if you want PS2 games on there, they have some on the PSN online store for download (meaning you want a PS3 with a sizable HD) and others have been re-released as PS3 games in HD, if you're okay with double-dipping.

As for whether the PS3 is worth getting, largely that depends on what kind of games you play and whether you want a console that doubles as a Blu-Ray player. I have both a PS3 and an Xbox 360, and I use the PS3 more. Because it uses Blu-Ray, larger games don't need to be divided between multiple discs, and if you played PS1 or PS2, you're already very familiar with the controller. There's lots of good games for download from PSN, you can do Netflix...

Really, to me, it comes down to games. If there are games you want to play, get it. If not, it's a waste of money. So maybe let people know what kinds of games you're into and they can tell you whether to bother with it.


#4



makare

The game thing has had me worried. I play mostly rpgs and I hate shooting games. If one of the major goals throughout the game is finding "ammo" I am not going to like it. hehe.


#5

Hylian

Hylian

I sadly have fallen out of the gaming loop over the past year or so but I can still offer some helpful info. Now the PS3 does offer more JRPG's than the 360 but western RPG's are more diversified between the systems. Now despite the PS3 newer PS3's not being able to play PS2 games they can all play PS1 games. So if you like classic RPG's the PS3 gets an instant bonus for that. Now both the 360 and the PS3 have a nice variety of games available for download (some are new and original and some are just re-releases). Now the PS3 has a lot of their PS1/PS2 games for download which gives a slight edge to the PS3 once again for the RPG's. Now if you plan on watching Netflix instant watch I would give the nod to the PS3 as well. Now the 360 does allow watching Netflix but it makes you have to have a Gold Membership to do so where the PS3 lets you stream Netflix for free.


#6

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

makare said:
The game thing has had me worried. I play mostly rpgs and I hate shooting games. If one of the major goals throughout the game is finding "ammo" I am not going to like it. hehe.
Click to expand...
Before settling on the PS3 you should have a couple games you know you're going to want. If you can't find any, it might not be worth getting.

Also, as Hylian sort of pointed out--you got a preference for western RPGs (Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age) or JRPGs (Final Fantasy, Persona)?


#7

figmentPez

figmentPez

Quotemander Prime said:
Before settling on the PS3 you should have a couple games you know you're going to want. If you can't find any, it might not be worth getting.
Click to expand...
Also, check to make sure those games can be played on an SDTV. Some games have text that's too small to read if you don't have an HDTV.


#8

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

figmentPez said:
Also, check to make sure those games can be played on an SDTV. Some games have text that's too small to read if you don't have an HDTV.
Click to expand...
In that case, don't get Final Fantasy XIII. We had a SDTV when we played that. Most of the menu was guesswork.


#9



makare

I thought about that FF 13. Is it turn based or did they stick with gambits? After the gambits I don't think I have the patience for turn based any more.

I am starting to think it just might not be the right time for a ps3.. sigh.


#10

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

makare said:
I thought about that FF 13. Is it turn based or did they stick with gambits? After the gambits I don't think I have the patience for turn based any more.

I am starting to think it just might not be the right time for a ps3.. sigh.
Click to expand...
It's Gambits 2.0, where you don't really direct actions anymore, you just kinda direct the theme of combat.

I hated it.


#11

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

makare said:
I thought about that FF 13. Is it turn based or did they stick with gambits? After the gambits I don't think I have the patience for turn based any more.

I am starting to think it just might not be the right time for a ps3.. sigh.
Click to expand...
It's worse than the gambits.


#12



makare

yeah i just read a few things about it. doesn't look to fun. I loved the gambit system.


#13

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Squenix doesn't believe that something like a pesky game should get in the way of their movie.


#14

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

Maybe you should get a Kindle?

PS3 JRPGs of note:

Valkyria Chronicles (real-time tactical RPG, so almost a shooter)
Disgaea 3 (turn-based tactical RPG, a la Ogre Battle, Final Fantasy Tactics, but different)
Eternal Sonata (turn-based RPG)

Those are the ones I know. On the Wii recently came out The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles. I know PSP/Vita has the Persona games and the DS has other Atlus titles like Devil Survivor.

Unlike during the PS1 days, the genre is kind of scattered.


#15

Covar

Covar

Quotemander Prime said:
Maybe you should get a Kindle?

PS3 JRPGs of note:

Valkyria Chronicles (real-time tactical RPG, so almost a shooter)
Disgaea 3 (turn-based tactical RPG, a la Ogre Battle, Final Fantasy Tactics, but different)
Eternal Sonata (turn-based RPG)

Those are the ones I know. On the Wii recently came out The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles. I know PSP/Vita has the Persona games and the DS has other Atlus titles like Devil Survivor.

Unlike during the PS1 days, the genre is kind of scattered.
Click to expand...
Disgaea 4 came out last fall, they finally updated the sprites for HD.

makare If you don't have an HDTV and you're main area of interest is RPGs you might not want a PS3. Developers design their text for HD resolution and the results tend to be unreadable on a SDTV. In addition the PS3 is great as a blu-ray player (and dvd player, which it upscales great) which provide no benefit to you


#16



makare

I play mostly rpgs because I find out about games from my friends who play mostly rpgs. I am open to other games. I just don't like fps or well, any shooting games.

I like zelda I don't even know what kind of game that would be. Is zelda rpg? With games it is more of that whole I don't know games but I know what I like type thing.


#17

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

List some games then :p. Sheesh, we gotta do all the work.

Like Zelda: Okami and Darksiders, the former being on PS2 and Wii, the latter being on PS3.


#18

Bowielee

Bowielee

Quotemander Prime said:
Valkyria Chronicles (real-time tactical RPG, so almost a shooter)
Click to expand...
Valkyria Chronicles is turn based, not real time. It's absolutely nothing like a shooter. If anything it's more like Shining Force.


#19



makare

I was listing some games and then i realized they are all nintendo games :( like zelda, paper mario, donkey kong, mario games.. etc

For ps2 i mostly play ff10, ff12, and my sister played gta which i suck at.


#20

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

The HDTV is a huge, huge thing. A lot developers simply don't bother making SD-friendly games anymore for HD systems. I'd be very hesitant about getting a PS3 without knowing exactly which games I wanted and knew for certain that they were also playable in SD.

Disgaea 3 & 4 are supposedly pretty good in SD. Valkyria Chronicles *might* be (lots of big text in battle, though the lore screens will probably be too small to read).


#21

Bowielee

Bowielee

I'll agree with everyone that without an HDTV, a PS3 wouldn't really be a wise investment. You lose a great deal of the functionality of the system on a SDTV.


#22

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Do you already have a wii? Because that sounds like what you need. I regret greeting rid of my sdtv, as I can't play Wii without it looking like crap now.


#23

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

Bowielee said:
Valkyria Chronicles is turn based, not real time. It's absolutely nothing like a shooter. If anything it's more like Shining Force.
Click to expand...
I guess I have my terms crossed. But there is aiming! I know, 'cause I beat the game without realizing you could be leveling up your squad, so I had to aim well.

You know, while the enemy waited... Although they do shoot at you while you're moving if you're in sight.


#24

Bowielee

Bowielee

The aiming is static, not like a shooter. yes, you do have to line up the shots, but the action freezes so you can line up the shots. The damage isn't aim dependent, but skill dependent.

Now I want to break the game out again.


#25

Bowielee

Bowielee

Ravenpoe said:
Do you already have a wii? Because that sounds like what you need. I regret greeting rid of my sdtv, as I can't play Wii without it looking like crap now.
Click to expand...
It depends on the game. Skyward Sword looked great in HD, but most of the earlier releases looked like complete ass when in HD.


#26



makare

I didn't even think about my wii and the hd thing. I just can't win in this generation of games. I hate HD stuff because it hurts my eyes but if I dont move to HD i miss out on a lot of games.

waaaah first world problems. also i might have ebola.


#27

Bowielee

Bowielee

How does HD hurt your eyes?

That makes zero sense to me.


#28



makare

When I watch HD stuff it makes my eyes and head hurt. I don't know why. It doesn't have to make sense to you.


#29

Bowielee

Bowielee

I'm still wondering how it's possible.... I'm not saying you're lying, it just literally doesn't compute with me.


#30



makare

Consider yourself lucky I guess.


#31

Bowielee

Bowielee

Have you mentioned it to your doctor? That level of extreme sensitivity could be indicative of a deeper problem.


#32

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

Do you mean watching HD on an SD screen? Because that would make sense then.


#33



makare

No I mean watching HD on an HD tv.


#34

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

makare said:
When I watch HD stuff it makes my eyes and head hurt. I don't know why. It doesn't have to make sense to you.
Click to expand...
Do you have the motion control turned on? Manufacturers give it different names for marketing purposes, but it all works out the same way... making a 30 year old feature film look like a cheap telenovela live broadcast. Just looks unnatural.


#35



makare

No matter where I have been watching hd it has been the same.


#36

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Most HDTV sets that have motion control will have it turned on by default. It doesn't give me the feelings you're having, but it definitely causes a disconnect when a film like Rocky, made in 1976, looks like it was shot using a cheap camcorder about 10 minutes ago.


#37

figmentPez

figmentPez

makare said:
No matter where I have been watching hd it has been the same.
Click to expand...
Does that include other high resolution displays like movie theaters? Or is this just home television sets?

Edit: I think it's entirely plausible that something about HD gives you a headache, there are a lot of possible causes though, and I'm curious if I can narrow it down to a certain technology or flaw.


#38



makare

Both movie theaters and tv sets.


#39

PatrThom

PatrThom

Odd. At first I thought this was going to be about plasma TVs (they bother me, too). Now I'm wondering if it isn't just a bright-thing-surrounded-by-darkness problem.

--Patrick


#40

Bowielee

Bowielee

It kind of sucks, because as time wears on, it's going to get harder to find non-HDTVs or movie theaters.


#41



makare

Yeah I have thought about that for a long time. It bums me out.


#42

Bowielee

Bowielee

Just throwing suggestions, but do sunglasses help? I know some of the women I've worked with got headaches from the florescent lighting and wearing even lightly tinted sunglasses helped them.

Not sure if it's the same issue as yours.


#43

Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

Makare... do you get headaches from both plasma and LCD based HDTV's or just one type?

Do you get headaches from your computer monitor?


#44



makare

I have my laptop at a lower resolution but when it is the way it is supposed to be then yeah headache city.

Also, how do I reformat an old computer when I can't even get into safemode?


#45

Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

I can't help but wonder if you're actually sensitive to the fluorescent backlighting from typical LCD screens (or possibly the small text from high resolutions). Do you get headaches from LCD backlit screens?

Also, to reformat and old computer you'll need to boot from your operating system disk and then there should be a way for you to format it from there.


#46

Bowielee

Bowielee

It depends on how old the computer is. If it is old enough that DVD access isn't supported by the motherboard, you need a 3.5 floppy disk to load up the drivers.

Anything newer than, say 8 years old and you should be able to just pop in the OS disk. Of course, that depends on what type of OS you're installing as well. If it's any of the newer versions of windows, you can just throw the disk in and boot from the CD rom.


#47

strawman

strawman

When is the last time you had your eyes checked? The lower resolution fixing the problem suggests eye strain, which might be correctable using lenses. If you describe your problem to your optometrist, they might have a different prescription to use for movies and such.

Just seems like classic eye strain symptoms...


#48



makare

It's not sending any message to the screen so I can't see what is going on. I am pretty sure this all has something to do with my graphics card I just can't do anything about it.

I've watched stuff on lcd with no problem.


#49

strawman

strawman

makare said:
It's not sending any message to the screen so I can't see what is going on. I am pretty sure this all has something to do with my graphics card I just can't do anything about it.

I've watched stuff on lcd with no problem.
Click to expand...
If nothing is showing up on the display at all, then the graphics adaptor is suspect. So is the processor, memory, power supply, and motherboard, though. Time to start swapping parts until it boots.

The nature of eye strain has to do with distance and resolution. Watch something on an LCD two to ten feet away is very different than watching something on a movie screen thirty feet away. When you have a high resolution display, such as a movie screen, far away, and your eyes can't easily focus on it then you strain your eyes trying to resolve as much detail as you can.

You've alleviated the problem by reducing your computers resolution. There is no more detail to resolve, so your eyes don't go crazy trying to focus on it. Further, it's closer, so it might be in your natural focal range anyway.

The LCD tvs you might be used to might also be in the right range. Is suspect they are in the correct range, and your computer LCD and movie screens are outside it. You've compensated for the computer screen by reducing the resolution, but you can't do that at the theater.

You can live with it, or you can spend $59 and have an optometrist help you figure out if it's something that can be easily fixed with glasses, or altering your current prescription if you alady have glasses or contacts.

Also, as you get older your eyes will naturally change, and it's worthwhile getting checked occasionally, especially if you have any family history of cataracts, glaucoma, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Even if you don't need corrective lenses, you do need to monitor your eye health.


#50

Covar

Covar

stienman said:
When is the last time you had your eyes checked? The lower resolution fixing the problem suggests eye strain, which might be correctable using lenses. If you describe your problem to your optometrist, they might have a different prescription to use for movies and such.

Just seems like classic eye strain symptoms...
Click to expand...
Fashionable, and supposedly effective


#51



makare

Well I went to the eye doctor last year and my eyes are fine. I didn't really talk about the HD issue because it didn't really seem pertinent. Even if HD did not hurt my eyes I simply do not like the look of it especially for images of people. I like my people to look like people not bizarre hyper realistic versions of themselves.

I guess I'll be paying a few hundred to get my desktop fixed :( sadness.


#52

Bowielee

Bowielee

Covar said:
Fashionable, and supposedly effective
Click to expand...
Useless if you already wear glasses :(


#53

strawman

strawman

See, if you lived near one of use computer geeks you'd be all set.

I've enjoyed HD since watching the summer 2004 Olympics with it. I can watch a DVD and enjoy it, but I much prefer HD.

I know many people who don't care, and several who like you, prefer the lower resolution. It's interesting that it's such a matter of taste. Pretty soon, though, everything will be in hd...


#54

Covar

Covar

Bowielee said:
Useless if you already wear glasses :(
Click to expand...
That's what your Optometrist is for. Computer glasses are extremely similar to reading glasses, and do come in prescription flavors.


#55



makare

Yeah, it really sucks as far as I am concerned.

My computer geek is in Minneapolis with his dying mother so I am going to accept that my problems are really not problems at all.


#56

PatrThom

PatrThom

There are also those pinhole glasses to help with eyestrain. Reviews are mixed.

--Patrick


#57

Bowielee

Bowielee

good, god, I could never get used to that.


#58



makare

ok so i upgraded to win 7 and inadvertently deleted my music folder. It's empty but it is still showing up as used space on the hard drive. any ideas how I can find it?


#59

PatrThom

PatrThom

Look in the Recycle Bin? Or try CHKDSK.

--Patrick


#60

Bowielee

Bowielee

Yeah, if you just deleted it, it should still be in the recycling bin. I don't think CHKDSK will let you retrieve lost files, but you could always access the hard drive outside the OS and navigate to the missing file. I guess the main question would be WHEN you deleted it. Before or after you did the upgrade.

Also, for the record, you generally shouldn't install an upgrade over an existing OS. It's usually preferable to do a clean install. (which you may or may not have done, it's hard to interpret upgrade as "upgraded over the old OS" or "bought an upgrade disk and did a clean install of it")


#61

PatrThom

PatrThom

CHKDSK is for times when the computer doesn't know exactly where the files are, but still has the bitmap marked off as "occupied."

--Patrick


#62



makare

I liked being able to just click a button and get to my desktop screen. Is there a way to add that to my win 7 taskbar at the bottom?


#63

Bowielee

Bowielee

In the lower right hand corner of the screen there's a clear bar next to the time and date. If you mouse over that, it shows the desktop, if you click it, it minimizes everything.


#64



makare

yay thanks


#65

strawman

strawman

makare said:
I liked being able to just click a button and get to my desktop screen. Is there a way to add that to my win 7 taskbar at the bottom?
Click to expand...
Also press the windows key and the letter D at the same time. Very very fast.

win+D - Desktop
win+E - Explorer

There are others, but those are the ones I use, and you should too!


#66

Covar

Covar

win+M - minimize to desktop.


#67



makare

I prefer having something to click.


#68

PatrThom

PatrThom

Buy a mouse with programmable buttons.
Map one (or more) of them to reproduce the above key combinations.
???
Profit.

--Patrick


#69



makare

I just use the scroll pad


#70

Bowielee

Bowielee

I've got all those hotkeys on my keyboard. It's really nice, you can launch damn near any program you want,control the volume, control the media player. It even has nice DVD control style buttons for watching DVDS.

Now, do I use any of that?

Nope.

I still find and click the old fashioned way. I really under-utilize my hardware sometimes.


#71



SeraRelm

Bowielee said:
I really under-utilize my hardware sometimes.
Click to expand...


#72



makare

Ok so I really REALLY need to know how to get firefox to not show sites i go to in the new tab button... this is very important.....


#73

PatrThom

PatrThom

Should be an option. I know Safari has the "When I open a new tab, make it active" checkbox, so I assume there is something similar in FF*.

--Patrick
*Disclaimer: I don't use FF. Too bloated for my taste.


#74



makare

Hmm If I don't figure this out, my teenage cousin will not be using my laptop this weekend. :oops:


#75

strawman

strawman

If its only a one time thing, clearing your history works.


#76

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

makare said:
Hmm If I don't figure this out, my teenage cousin will not be using my laptop this weekend. :oops:
Click to expand...
Just stop going to otterlove.com


#77

PatrThom

PatrThom

I think the last preference on this page is what you are looking for.

--Patrick


#78



makare

clearing the history seems to have helped. I dont have that thing checked on mine.

Thank you all... so very very much. >.>


#79

PatrThom

PatrThom

makare said:
I dont have that thing checked on mine.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Leave it unchecked.

--Patrick


#80



makare

Tomorrow I am taking my desktop in to be repaired. As of right now it isn't showing anything on the screen. Assuming it isn't my screen (which would suck) if they have to take out my videocard and put in a new videocard about how long would that take? I am trying to figure out how much this is going to cost me.


#81

Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

Swapping a video card is extremely quick. I can change my video card in less than 5 minutes.

That's assuming that's what the problem is though. If they swap video cards and find there are still problems with your desktop then you have to pay for them to diagnose it which gets fun.


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