Reoisasa

If you would notice my previous post and the original post, ARMA III's graphics and the computers people have are intimately connected. I was making an argument that we cannot let developers feel limited, that they need to have the freedom to push the envelope of what can be done and not be held back by people who have made choices (life choices or purchasing choices) that limit their ability to play the game. In order for video games to evolve and continue to succeed we need to let devolution know we want everything they can throw at us, even if it means we cannot feasibly play the game on the highest settings for a few years.

Hold on now. I believe it is you jumping to conclusions here. I never said the only purpose for a computer was for gaming. This is a complete straw man fallacy on your part, which makes you look immature, not me. I have done the research and built numerous computers, and I know that for $2000 you can build something that is completely top of the line, and that $1200 or so will do anything you need it to do. And Recta, I understand that they may be software engineers, but excuse me, 16 gigs of RAM is not only not that expensive at all, it is not even the limit on RAM these days. 16 gigs of RAM will run you maybe $100-$150 bucks, much less if you wait for a deal. If they were serious about needing power they would not be messing with laptops anyway. Last time I checked a desktop can get 64 gigs of RAM running for 400 bucks. Try that on a laptop... good luck. I am simply making a case for true desktop computers. Not the crap companies will sell you for thousands of dollars, or the overpriced laptops that are even worse. Unless one absolutely needs to be on the road while doing high end computing there is no reason for a laptop, except convenience. I personally bought a net-book for a few hundred dollars that I can write my code on and then compile it on a relatively high end desktop I built two years ago for less than $1000. It is a personal choice to go for a workstation laptop instead of a desktop of any kind. With a laptop you get mobility, but you pay for it, and you cannot complain when you cannot run the latest video games or open up that latest rendering. With a desktop you get something that is cheaper, more powerful, and more conducive to both work and play. All of you guys need to evaluate what your wants and needs are, not jump down other people's throats, and make a decision for yourself. Understand however, that once you have made that decision there are certain topics of conversation that you no longer have a fair say in joining. Software Engineer or Nuclear Physicist, the real power of computing does not limit itself to the size of a laptop, and there are ways to easily avoid and circumvent the "need" for a laptop that will allow you to have both portability and power (for whatever work or play you wish) for less than laptops will ever cost you.

I am highly suspect at any of your guys' needs for $2000+ mobile workstations. The fact that you cannot afford to build a $1000 gaming desktop (which you could also outfit with a workstation graphics card for a few hundred dollars) because you overpayed for these overpriced mobile computers is your fault. Game developers have to push the envelop or video games will never advance.