Laptop is dead what's a good choice for VASL?

[John Bark]

My laptop is dead. I need a good option to pkay VASL on. Under $1, 0000, suggestions?

 

[Philippe D.]

It seems to me that about any PC with Linux or Windows will run VASL - we're not talking of any kind of heavy computing or 3D graphics.

That being said, having some large display size makes it much more comfortable. I much prefer a desktop, preferably with two screens, if possible - but then I tend to choose laptops with small screens (for mobility) and desktops with large screens.

 

[Vinnie]

You can run vasl on a raspberry PI and your TV.
Get the best display laptop you can afford. It will run vasl with no problem.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

I used to swear by desktops, for a combination of reasons: ability to add cards, computing power, bigger displays and numeric keypad. However laptops caught up. My previous main PC was a laptop which had sufficient power and after many years of good service when it started to literally fall apart I replaced it with a 17" laptop. I used to be the type who carefully researched capabilities but a year ago I just went to a local PC/Phone store and picked the best I saw and it has well lived up to expectation. Unless you are really into heavy PC gaming, then the upper end laptops will be sufficient for many, many years.

So what was important for me? Large display makes things easier on the eyes and can change your experience from satisfactory to pleasurable. A numeric keypad can be a decided bonus, depending upon your usage. Look for 3+ USB ports. Decent spacing/key size on the keyboard makes typing easier. These days 4-8 GB of memory is sort of a minimum along with 1TB of disk space. No matter what you buy operating system and program bloat is inevitable, so plan for that.

Buy the best you can afford now. Doing that means you will be less inclined to replace it sooner, potentially saving you money long term as well as having a better experience overall.

So other than a bigger display, the above advice has little to do with VASL per se, but is sound advice for buying any computer.

 

[Robin Reeve]

If you can purchase a monitor in addition to your laptop, you will be able to have the map on one monitor and the other windows on the other one (toggle off the "combined window" in the Preferences).

 

[zgrose]

Most of the cost of the laptop is the screen size and pixel density (13in, 15in, etc and HighDPI/Retina or not). Personally I wouldn't buy anything less than a 15in HighDPI screen for a laptop. The Dell XPS15 is just under $1000 so maybe that's a reference point you can use to judge other machines.

 

[JoeArthur]

Try the official Dell refurbished site and grab a bargain. I have one and am very happy with it - it was a year old and had been switched on about 300 times.

Dell Refurbished

Get great deals on Dell Refurbished Computers, Laptops, Desktops and more - Includes Dell Warranty. Direct from Dell

www.dellrefurbished.co.uk

There will be a site for the US.

 

[A_T_Great]

I would buy anything with at least a 1920X1080 Screen, that's a good Pixel size for VASL.

 

[xenovin]

While I don’t use it, I hear a lot of folks like using Skype with their VASL so you might need a camera and mic which comes with many laptops now.

My laptop is dead. I need a good option to pkay VASL on. Under $1, 0000, suggestions?

 

[hongkongwargamer]

While I don’t use it, I hear a lot of folks like using Skype with their VASL so you might need a camera and mic which comes with many laptops now.

Weellllllllll ... not the camera. The mic only.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Weellllllllll ... not the camera. The mic only.

A small strip of black electrician's tape is all that is needed. That was the first accessory I applied to my new laptop.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

A small strip of black electrician's tape is all that is needed. That was the first accessory I applied to my new laptop.

Yeah me too, on my phone (no selfies) and iPad as well. Now .. about those mics that are not in use (or so we think)

 

[hongkongwargamer]

My laptop is dead. I need a good option to pkay VASL on. Under $1, 0000, suggestions?

Macs are fantastic and maintenance free, leaving you more time to play. Perhaps worth looking at a refurbished one?

 

[John Bark]

Macs are fantastic and maintenance free, leaving you more time to play. Perhaps worth looking at a refurbished one?

I'm not a fan of Mac's at all. I'm leaning towards a Lenovo Yoga 15.6 touch screen with an i7 processor

 

[hongkongwargamer]

I'm not a fan of Mac's at all. I'm leaning towards a Lenovo Yoga 15.6 touch screen with an i7 processor

I have never gotten around to using a China computer yet. Good luck! (Touchscreens might be interesting!)

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Oh .. get something with as big a screen as you can find.

I have used VASL weekly for 6 years. Here's the thing : if the screen's not big enough, the whole map shifts when your opponent uses the circle pointer to points things to you or do other things on his screen. If you have a rather gregarious opponent, you can get rather seasick.

Not sure if you have experienced it before, something to note. (.. and this happens regardless of what settings I have in my Preferences).

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Yeah me too, on my phone (no selfies) and iPad as well. Now .. about those mics that are not in use (or so we think)

OK, you use an iPad, but for Windows users:

Windows 10: Go into (the gear wheel thingy) Settings>System>Sound. Then halfway down that page under "Input" click on "Manage Sound Devices". The new page will list all input and output sound devices. Click on the one that corresponds to your built in microphone and select "Disable". On my machine when that's done it marks all input and output as disabled but when I click on the speakers it shows the option to Disable, not Enable whilst clicking on the microphone shows the option to Enable. The speakers still work, it's just a minor status reporting error on the "Manage Sound Devices" page.

Not really a practical option for a phone for very obvious reasons! I still use a 2002 Nokia for my mobile. I'm inclined to the paranoid end of things, not using Cortana or anything similar. Given that apparently Alexis remembers EVERYTHING, FOREVER, then I think I'm both sane and sensible.

I would buy anything with at least a 1920X1080 Screen, that's a good Pixel size for VASL.

As an addendum to my previous post my laptop display is 1920x1080 (17"). I am very happy with that. Despite my aged eyes and slight tendency to migraines, I have had little or no discomfort.

 

[zgrose]

Yeah me too, on my phone (no selfies) and iPad as well. Now .. about those mics that are not in use (or so we think)

Remember, if you're covering your camera or mic, you're only attempting to treat a symptom. Your computer would already be compromised and sending all your actually useful information to the bad guys.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Remember, if you're covering your camera or mic, you're only attempting to treat a symptom. Your computer would already be compromised and sending all your actually useful information to the bad guys.

My “How to Beat Grofaz like a Rented Mule” manuscript, for example....

 

[Paul M. Weir]

My “How to Beat Grofaz like a Rented Mule” manuscript, for example....

As long as you use an antiseptic lube you should be OK.