PCs are also good for playing games
JAKARTA (JP): Do you really need a Pentium II processor in your PC?
If what you do is create text documents, access the web, send and receive e-mail messages, manage your personal finances and maintain your schedules and appointments, you probably don't need a Pentium II.
A classic pentium running at 166 MHz and Windows 95 would do. We all know that, and Intel knows it, too.
But Intel also knows that some of its best-selling applications, for which people give very solid reasons to cough up US$ 2,000 and more for a new, powerful desktop PC, are games.
That was why when MMX, streaming SIMD and other new technologies were added to generations of their processors, talk centered around games. Indeed, new computing technologies enter game software probably much faster than common business productivity tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, and personal information management (PIM).
These include technologies such as 3-D rendering, frame-buffer and lighting capabilities.
Of course, at least an equal amount of computing power is required to create these games in the first place. Besides, other applications such as desktop publishing, graphic design, CAD and CAM as well as programming and application development can benefit from the extra horsepower that Pentium II, III and now 4 offer.
But it is funny that so many people judge the real benefits of more computing power in terms of how well the system runs Doom, Quake III Arena, Unreal Tournament, Diablo II, etc.
Believe it or not, new technologies in graphic display have been driven largely by the needs of games to display screens smoothly in millions of colors. Take a look at the specifications of graphic chips such as GeForce GTS2, and you will see that it is designed to meet the needs of truly heavy-duty game software.
And it is also interesting that among the first types of programs to become available when Palm PDAs became popular-- and people would immediately download them from the web -- were also games. The same was true with the pocket PC-based PDAs. So, even though we have Nintendo and PlayStations, games have basically become inseparable from personal computers.
And it is not really a sin to keep a game or two on your PC. Windows users are familiar with solitaire, and have probably spent hundreds of hours on this game alone. Another game that comes with Windows 9.x is FreeCell. This one is not so popular, because it requires more mental exercise to solve. Other common but less challenging games include Pac-man, Mine Sweeper, Tic-tac-toe and collections of other puzzles.
Serious PC games, which require serious machines and a broadband internet connection, include online games such as Roger Wilco that let you play against an opponent on the other end of the internet.
Serious machines are needed to create an environment that can really immerse the players with realistic sights and ear- shattering sounds. In fact, immersion is the keyword, because many of the games are simulations of real-world activities. On your PC, for example, you can race a Formula One, play ping-pong, billiards, golf, hockey, football, pinball and basketball, participate in combat, fly an aeroplane or a spacecraft, enter pyramids, explore Planet Mars, you name it.
One thing to remember is that, although games can be addictive, not all of them are bad.
Some, are educational and can be intellectually challenging. Read the reviews on the web before you buy an original game software package for your children, and look for the age target of the product on the box.
Better still, download demo versions from the internet before you go out and buy them. (Zatni Arbi)