computers?

[Frank]

I am looking to buy a new computer. While I don't bet online now, I most likely will come basketball season. What, if any, are the preferred computers to buy for online gambling? Also what features are a must to make this as smooth as possible? My computer is behind the times and I'm not to familiar with the latest technology. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Frank

[Mark Pereira]

Frank... tough question as it very much depends on what you plan to use it for. Personally, if I were setting up a machine mostly for internet use and not gearing it up for games or big multimedia applications, I'd look for:

Processor: Pentium PIII 500MHz or faster or
AMD 450Mhz or faster.

Memory: 128MBytes (a lot of software these days, including Windows, is way too bloated to use anything less with any kind of efficiency)

Hard Drive: 4-5GBytes of space would be plenty.

Soundcard: Basic one will do.

Videocard: Again, a basic one will suit fine, anything with more than 4MBytes video memory.

Modem: As fast as possible!


This is a real basic package that would perform very well - although the specs would change dramatically if you needed to run more heavyweight stuff on it.

A desktop machine with these specs would be real cheap to pick up, and would be the most cost effective route as they are very easily upgradable if you do find you need to use it for more stuff.

Portables are great (I swear by them), but once you've got one, further upgrades are difficult and astronomically expensive to upgrade. These need to be selected with care!

A question for everyone here... do bettors prefer desktops or portables?

[azbob]

you should use mark's specs and buy a Computer Shopper (it's that HUGE book that costs about $3.95)

price out those specs versus all the ads for the major dealers

i've purchased my last two that way (shipped to my home) and got exactly the machine i wanted for a terrific price

lay the money you save on your favorite NFL future

i use a laptop when i have to go on the road but i much prefer my desktop at home

good luck

[This message has been edited by azbob (edited 08-28-2000).]

[Frank]

Mark & azbob,
Thank you for the info.
Frank.

[AussieVamp2]

Originally posted by Mark Pereira:
Frank... tough question as it very much depends on what you plan to use it for. Personally, if I were setting up a machine mostly for internet use and not gearing it up for games or big multimedia applications, I'd look for:

Processor: Pentium PIII 500MHz or faster or
AMD 450Mhz or faster.

Memory: 128MBytes (a lot of software these days, including Windows, is way too bloated to use anything less with any kind of efficiency)

Hard Drive: 4-5GBytes of space would be plenty.

Soundcard: Basic one will do.

Videocard: Again, a basic one will suit fine, anything with more than 4MBytes video memory.

Modem: As fast as possible!


This is a real basic package that would perform very well - although the specs would change dramatically if you needed to run more heavyweight stuff on it.

A desktop machine with these specs would be real cheap to pick up, and would be the most cost effective route as they are very easily upgradable if you do find you need to use it for more stuff.

Portables are great (I swear by them), but once you've got one, further upgrades are difficult and astronomically expensive to upgrade. These need to be selected with care!

A question for everyone here... do bettors prefer desktops or portables?

desktops are easier to use, and you don't need really anywhere near these specs just for punting...

[Mark Pereira]

AV... quite true! I built in a little safety margin to allow for some flexibility in requirements. Does look a bit like hitting a 2" nail with a sledgehammer though!

[Alex]

Regardless of the computer you get, it'll only perform as well as your Internet connection.

Check to see if you can get DSL or cable modem in your area. If you can get either, jump on it.

[Underdog7]

Frank - getting a good computer nowadays is not a problem anymore. 500 MHZ, 128 of RAM and at least 10 gig of disk space are just within reasonable price range. The problem I am concern is the other end. I am using a T1 and just couldn't connect yesterday because the other end is down.