4th Class - Heh the "128-bit Video adapter" advertising gag is still going around with modern computers these days.... everyone really don't know the videocard they're getting, until they have it and play around with it - this is often the evile Intel 82815 onboard video chipset, usually with 4mb of video memory. I've tested this and it ran slow in my Cheaphack engine <!-- s:( --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" /><!-- s:( --> It has multitexture though. I mean, why does this p4 2.5ghz I've used run 20fps on Cheaphack, at 640x480x16 in default settings? My dead k6 laptop can outperform that, with a Trident Cyberblade3d i7 8mb.
If you are, say like, getting a computer at Sams club, and it's on display, on and all ready and activated, ask around if they can let you run dxdiag to find out what videocard it has....or even soundcard <!-- s:o --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_surprised.gif" alt=":o" title="Surprised" /><!-- s:o -->. Find out what they don't tell you! And in the end, if you still don't know the video card, then get the hell away from them!
Firebrand - Odd, I first played Doom on my 386 - In a reduced window size with low detail, of course (4 sound channel mixing). Also i've only had a regular ol mono Sound Blaster. Probably the lack of stereo mixing made Doom rather playable on the 386. I remember the software bundled with that card still! Mmmmmmm....mocking parrot, crappy microphone, VOCKIT, and of course Dr. Sbaitso. Big difference between us here, is that I got it in 1992!
I did have an IBM PS/2 50MHz a bit later, and used it for playing MP3s (with Winplay) as it had a decent SB16 later on. It ran doom great <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D --> came with a nice-arse 17" monitor so my first impression was well. It even came with "sound enhanced" Minesweeper, and an early implementation for desktop themes for win3.1 by letting you choose "desktop sets"... came with OFfice as well, and if i can remember, it had multiple desktop ability and alot of unneccesary tools, such as an Icon maker (it could do 256-col icons too!)
Meeeeeeemorrrrrrries
Both of you: I don't buy computers anymore, I build them myself now. Cheaper!
Forgot to mention that I never format harddrives or reinstall windows <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) --> (unless it's Windows ME or XP, I remove them and put 98se back on, except the case of ME on my tbird, as it contains the realtek network drivers for my card, and my (micro!)floppy drive don't work)