Christmas presents

[Mistmatz]

It's the time of the year again and I'm thinking about presents for myself. [:D]

Obviously WitE and the Matrix holiday sale present interesting opportunities but I'm also thinking about a netbook - to run WitP-AE - and ebooks to shorten the boredom of commutes and long distance flights.

So here are this season's price questions:

- What are the minimum requirements for a netbook to run WitP-AE? Anybody does that and has experiences or recommendations to share?

- What interesting books are available as ebook (or any other format)? Also, some of the older ones might be public domain already, any recommendations and/or places to get them?

[TulliusDetritus]

Any book written before XX century is NOT copyrighted. You can't copyright Homer, Cicero, Alighieri, Shakespeare therefore it should be there (and obviously FREE). Two milleniums of free books that is [8D]

I doubt WitE would disappoint you...

[wdolson]

About the only "modern" thing needed to run AE is 1 GB of RAM or better.  I know someone who got it to run in 512 MB, but it was a tight squeeze.  32 bit Windows is limited to 4 GB of RAM, but that's what I would recommend for any new computer these days.  Not for AE, for everything else.

For the other computer features, a common off the shelf computer of 2000-2002 vintage would do the job.  Of course the faster the processor, the faster turns will process, but for most of the game play experience I've run it just fine on my 2001 vintage PC under Windows 2000.  About a 1 GHz processor and any video hardware less than 12 years old will do.

Bill

[donkey_roxor]

Make sure the netbook supports 1024 x 768 resolution.  Otherwise, it won't run AE. 

I have an Asus EEE netbook with native 1024 x 600, and I have to mess with old video drivers to get it to display a squished 1024x768.  AE does run on it though.

[Trekkie]

I am a loyal netbook user as I hate to carry a huge laptop along with my other bag every day on my way to work. And I don´t mention airport security procedures, I´ve realized that I am not able to track more than one piece of my luggage at a moment [:D]. So I have some experience with playing WitP:AE on netbook. Answer to your question is simple - any netbook you will buy will handle AE easily in terms of its performance. I play it on archaic (2 yrs old) Asus EEE701 (machine that started whole netbook madness), it is playable even with its original 512MB and there is absolutely no problem when simple RAM upgrade to 2GB is done. However,there is one limitation - its small screen and resolution.Its resolution is too small to show the game in fullscreen,I mean it can be done with certain utilities but the result is terrible - letters are too small, TF icons are barely visible etc. So I use screen scrolling.It means that you are scrolling twice: there is "normal scrolling" of the tactical map but top of that you have to scroll to see a top bar, base info in the bottom etc.Today´s netbooks have resolution high enough to show the game properly but I am not sure if its screen is big enough for a game of this type,maybe you will find it unpleasant to have such small letters.The way I described - scrolling can be used but it depends on your taste if you will find it suitable or not.

As I have said, my netbook is very old and I am also going to buy a new one in the christmas time.It is for sure that AE will be one of the most frequently runned programs on it.Based on my experience with the old one I don´t have any fear of it.But as I mentioned - it is a matter of everyone´s taste.For me it´s OK, for someone else it can be annoying experience.Best thing to do is to try it with someone´s else netbook and obtain a first hand experience.

Just for fun, this is how WitP:AE looks on my EEE701 (just for fun,it wll be different story with today´s netbooks):

[wdolson]

I have played AE on my 15 inch laptop.  It looks OK and fits on the screen.

Bill

[Smeulders]

- What interesting books are available as ebook (or any other format)? Also, some of the older ones might be public domain already, any recommendations and/or places to get them?

Take a look at Project Gutenberg, according to their own site they have about 33,000 books themselves, an there are links to more similar sites that offer free e-books. You'll easily find all the classics there.

[morganbj]

ORIGINAL: Trekkie

I am a loyal netbook user as I hate to carry a huge laptop along with my other bag every day on my way to work. And I don´t mention airport security procedures, I´ve realized that I am not able to track more than one piece of my luggage at a moment [:D]. So I have some experience with playing WitP:AE on netbook. Answer to your question is simple - any netbook you will buy will handle AE easily in terms of its performance. I play it on archaic (2 yrs old) Asus EEE701 (machine that started whole netbook madness), it is playable even with its original 512MB and there is absolutely no problem when simple RAM upgrade to 2GB is done. However,there is one limitation - its small screen and resolution.Its resolution is too small to show the game in fullscreen,I mean it can be done with certain utilities but the result is terrible - letters are too small, TF icons are barely visible etc. So I use screen scrolling.It means that you are scrolling twice: there is "normal scrolling" of the tactical map but top of that you have to scroll to see a top bar, base info in the bottom etc.Today´s netbooks have resolution high enough to show the game properly but I am not sure if its screen is big enough for a game of this type,maybe you will find it unpleasant to have such small letters.The way I described - scrolling can be used but it depends on your taste if you will find it suitable or not.

As I have said, my netbook is very old and I am also going to buy a new one in the christmas time.It is for sure that AE will be one of the most frequently runned programs on it.Based on my experience with the old one I don´t have any fear of it.But as I mentioned - it is a matter of everyone´s taste.For me it´s OK, for someone else it can be annoying experience.Best thing to do is to try it with someone´s else netbook and obtain a first hand experience.

Just for fun, this is how WitP:AE looks on my EEE701 (just for fun,it wll be different story with today´s netbooks):

Oh, oh!! Looks like perhaps the KB is about to ruin your day! Better set your fighters to 100% CAP, if you can.

[roeddog]

archive.org I mainly grab audio from here, I don't know for fact if the text area would have anything for your needs.

[Trekkie]

It´s Dec 8th screenshot so they already ruined my day [:D] . At this time, small Adm. Nagumo inside my netbook is considering 2nd attack [:)]

[Mistmatz]

Thanks for all your comments and experiences. Seems it's pretty safe to go forward with a netbook and decent screen resolution.

A question about copyright in the US though, how far back does it reach? 50 years, 100 years?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Mistmatz


A question about copyright in the US though, how far back does it reach? 50 years, 100 years?

It's complicated. We're not like most of the rest of the civilized world.

"Works created in or after 1978 are extended copyright protection for a term defined in 17 U.S.C. § 302. With the passage of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, these works are granted copyright protection for a term ending 70 years after the death of the author. If the work was a work for hire (e.g., those created by a corporation) then copyright persists for 120 years after creation or 95 years after publication, whichever is shorter.


Expansion of U.S. copyright termThe § 302 term above also applies to works created before 1978 that were not yet published or registered prior to 1978, with the exception that such copyrights would not expire before 2003. Prior to 1978, works had to be published or registered to receive copyright protection. Upon the effective date of the 1976 Act (January 1, 1978) this requirement was removed and these works received protection despite having not been published or registered. However, Congress intended to provide an incentive for these authors to publish their unpublished works. To provide that incentive, these works, if published before 2003, will not have their protection expire before 2048.

Works published or registered before 1978 currently have a maximum copyright duration of 95 years from the date of publication, if copyright was renewed during the 28th year following publication[26] (such renewal was made automatic by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992; prior to this the copyright would expire after 28 years if not renewed). The date of death of the author is not a factor in the copyright term of such works.

All copyrightable works published in the United States before 1923 are in the public domain;[27] works created before 1978 but not published until recently may be protected until 2047.[28] For works that received their copyright before 1978, a renewal had to be filed in the work's 28th year with the Library of Congress Copyright Office for its term of protection to be extended. The need for renewal was eliminated by the Copyright Renewal Act of 1992, but works that had already entered the public domain by non-renewal did not regain copyright protection. Therefore, works published before 1964 that were not renewed are in the public domain. With rare exception (such as very old works first published after 2002), no additional copyrights will expire (thus entering the public domain) until at least 2019 due to changes in the applicable laws."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Sta ... yright_law

[Canoerebel]

I'm a lawyer and that makes my head spin.  If I read again what Bullwinkle just wrote, and then read through the thread about warrant officers in which there were lengthy discussions of military rank, I will lose my mind.

You know what?  I think I'll put on a recording of Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade and get a cup of hot tea.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I'm a lawyer and that makes my head spin.  If I read again what Bullwinkle just wrote, and then read through the thread about warrant officers in which there were lengthy discussions of military rank, I will lose my mind.

You know what?  I think I'll put on a recording of Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade and get a cup of hot tea.

I made a lawyer sick! I made a lawyer sick![:)][8D][&o]

You know better than me that IP lawyers are very odd ducks. They really groove on sentences with nineteen subordinate clauses.

It would have been much simpler if the US had gotten off its high horse 100+ years ago and adopted the Berne Convention rules with the rest of civilization. AND, it would have kept Sonny Bono out of the history books. Yeeech! [:)]

[Canoerebel]

Moose, I'm beginning to have serious suspicions that thou art an educated man.  I've always wondered, but when you offered coherent, sensible thoughts about Moby Dick and Tobacco Road, I was nearly certain.  Then comes this latest foray into copyright law, which you pegged just right while also pegging intellectual property lawyers.  Just who are you and what do you do?

[:)]

[Bullwinkle58]

PM sent.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Mistmatz
A question about copyright in the US though, how far back does it reach? 50 years, 100 years?

In the US and EVERYWHERE, use this rule of thumb: nothing --before XX century-- is copyrighted. Mark Twain IS free. For me it isn't, because I hate reading a book on my PC. Only paper, thank you [:)] Therefore I will be buying the book: I am paying the paper, editor´s effort, notes, analysis etc.

[Canoerebel]

I second Tullius's motion.  I read only hard copy books, magazines, and newspapers.  No electronics.  Ever.

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

I have played AE on my 15 inch laptop.  It looks OK and fits on the screen.

Bill

Same here. I have an old Dell Latitude 15 inch and it works just fine.

[Mistmatz]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I second Tullius's motion.  I read only hard copy books, magazines, and newspapers.  No electronics.  Ever.

I was like that until a few weeks ago... then I spent some time with my wifes Kindle and that unexpectedly changed my opinion quite a bit.

I do like books and having them on a shelve for reference is also nice but a dedicated ebook reader is a very good alternative when not at home because of the quality of the display, the weight and handling and the ability to have a whole bunch of books stored on it. Though I think they have weaknesses when it comes to images and graphics.