Portable gaming device (PC preferably)?

[al Roumi]

Hi, I have a bit of a connundrum. I'm likely to start traveling a fair bit for my job and I'd quite like something I can do some mobile gaming on. I can't really use my work laptop for this, as I shouldn't and I don't have access rights sufficient to install stuff on it (if I was minded to be naughty). That said, I did try and the only thing i did get to work on it was Dwarf Fortress, which while fun is not enough.

Ideally I guess a laptop PC would do me. However, I do most of my gaming on a desktop and I'm not desperate to sink funds into an expensive but ultimately limited platform that won't have a decent/upgradeable graphics card. I could go for a second hand laptop I guess however I'd be interested in what other options the esteemed Orgahs might be able to recomend...

My main requirements would be:
1. Portable- Light & easy to handle/carry in 1 bag with a(nother) laptop
2. Battery life sufficient for several hours operation (portion of a long haul flights)
3. Internet browsing capability
4. Able to run decent strategy/RPG games -ideally PC type games e.g. from paradox (CPU rather than GPU heavy)

Number 4 is why I'm not interested in a handheld console. I feel a bit old for platformers and linear action games (!) -but happy to be corrected if my perception of the games available is out of date.

A tablet (ipad/android) seems to be a strong contender (bar the price), but I'm not really aware of what kinds of games are available for them -beyond angry birds. I don't have a smartphone so I'm oddly dislocated from what's available on these platforms.

And I guess a laptop would do all the above but would be the least portable, while perhaps also being too much like a PC. In a way, I'd quite like to get some use out of the device when at home and have access to my desktop too -so some measure of different/extra functionality to a PC would also be good.

Lastly, my reluctance to spend too much is becasue my desktop itself is due an upggrade and I don't want to splurge cash for that on something that will ultimately not provide a comparable experience -hence the attraction of something different to a PC.

Thoughts? Any ideas on how much stuff might cost?

Thanks

[CBR]

There are several strategy games for the iPad but I don't know them all though. One I do knowabout would be Starbase Orion, which has been heavily inspired by the classic Master of Orion. There is also Civilization Revolution of course.

[al Roumi]

There are several strategy games for the iPad but I don't know them all though. One I do knowabout would be Starbase Orion, which has been heavily inspired by the classic Master of Orion. There is also Civilization Revolution of course.

Thanks CBR. Are either of those games any good? I've never played civ revolutions and am afraid I might get annoyed with "lite" strategy games.

[CBR]

I have tried Starbase Orion and liked it a lot, and did not consider it to be a lite version. Never tried Civ though, but from what I have read it is a simpler and lighter version of the PC version. Oh, there is also Battle Academy but have not tried it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwAmv--jqJ4

I'm not that much into gaming at all these days, so I might not be the best to ask but AFAIK the iPad has a lot of games. For RPG there is the Infinity Blade series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFOvBVwZaQY or maybe that is more action than RPG for you.


edit: while searching I just found Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_e8MOT2mzo I don't know if that is something. If you are used to the big deep style of Paradox games then it might be difficult to find an equal on the iPad. In my limited experience I would say that StarBase Orion is nearly as deep as the old Master of Orion.

[Lemur]

The AMD Fusion platform has been shown to be quite capable at modern gaming (http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/06/14/amds_llano_fusion_series_apus/5). So basically you're talking about a very small laptop at a very low price which can probably give you a decent strategy gaming experience. Worth checking out.

AMD Fusion laptops are really quite reasonable, cost-wise. See here (https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=amd+fusion+6630M#q=amd+fusion+laptop&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=rCiIT5SoA8bjqgGH5fmDDA&sqi=2&ved=0CK8BEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=7196cf0ab0644004&biw=1920&bih=955).

[al Roumi]

Interesting... Thank you both very much, especially for doing research CBR!

[al Roumi]

If it interests anyone else, I saw on RPS (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/forums/showthread.php?4207-Good-Old-PC-games-for-Android) a couple of days ago that using a iOS or android version of doxbox allows one to play all manner of Abanndonia on a smart phone or tablet. Seems you can even play the Baldur's gate series... now that would satisfy my desire for meaty/substantial games on a portable platform.

[Furunculus]

The AMD Fusion platform has been shown to be quite capable at modern gaming (http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/06/14/amds_llano_fusion_series_apus/5). So basically you're talking about a very small laptop at a very low price which can probably give you a decent strategy gaming experience. Worth checking out.

AMD Fusion laptops are really quite reasonable, cost-wise. See here (https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=amd+fusion+6630M#q=amd+fusion+laptop&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=rCiIT5SoA8bjqgGH5fmDDA&sqi=2&ved=0CK8BEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=7196cf0ab0644004&biw=1920&bih=955).

agreed, the new "trinity" line of Fusion APU's is due to be released in May, and other than being generally awesome their most stellar feature is that they are cheap.

you can get a current quad-core "llano" Fusion laptop from lenovo with 400 graphics shader cores for as little as £400, and they are only going to get cheaper.

the new trinity APU's will be even better, and more widely available:

http://vr-zone.com/articles/report-amd-trinity-specifications/14852.html

[edyzmedieval]

I suggest some of the lower line ASUS notebooks, I'm looking to purchase one as well, they're cheap and they come with a 2GB video card and 2.50GHZ i5 core.

ASUS K53 is one of them.

[al Roumi]

For what it's worth, I ended up buying an Android tablet. I went for a TF300 as it seems the Transformer Prime model is buggy as hell. I've had it less than a month and am about to go on a 10 day work trip, which will provide the 1st proper test.

So far, I've downloaded a few casual games, which are distracting enough for about 15 mins at a time, but what has really been interesting -and is what drew me to the Android transformer, is the emulators and even the games Nvidia appears to be pushing for its Tegra3 devices. Rockstar have made dedicated ports of GTA3 and Max Payne already. On the emulator side, I'm using two and trying with a third. The first two are a dosbox port for Android (dosbox turbo) and a PSOne emulator (FPSE). The 3rd is an infinity engine emulator (GemRB) which ion theory allows one to run the games from Bioware's early golden-age (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind dale, Planetscape Torment). Now if i could only get GemRB to work...

The great thing about the Transformer is that i can use a PSX controller via bluetooth and that the docking pad has a trackpad and USB port which I can use either with a mouse or even ethernet over USB (e.g. for non-wifi hotel internet).

Grand strategy i may not have, but I'm very pleased to be able to run x-com, master of Magic/Orion, fallout, Gran turismo 2 and GTA3 on something so small and portable. In fact, most of these run on some Android phones -just without the larger screen.

[LeftEyeNine]

Fallout, sir ? Baldur's Gate, sir ? On an Android tablet like TF201, sir ?

Are you out of my mind, sir ? (user is trying to imply schizophrenia)