First Person Shooters: Hardware & Software

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Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

Other World Computing: Go Longer Between Charges with a NewerTech NuPower Batteries! Not just another battery, NuPower available for PowerBook and iBook models, is built in the USA to offer the longest Run Time + the longest useful LifeTime too! In Stock at OWC from $99.95

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

NEW MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB Kit $104 / 4GB Kit $184 / 8GB Kit $362 Click to Maximize your Macs...

Korin Hasegawa-John - 2001.11.26

The following are just my opinions, which are in general drawn from my experiences and not that of someone else. I know that a lot of you won't agree with me, especially as to the game picks.

Hardware Awards

Input Device: Kensington Mouse-In-A-Box Optical Pro, $29.99. This mouse has a good feel, accurate tracking, a scroll wheel, and 4 buttons. It's inexpensive, and, as an added bonus, incorporates an optical sensor. No mouse ball to clean!

Video Card (High-End): ATI Radeon DDR PCI edition, $179. The biggest, baddest PCI video card around. It has 32 MB of DDR RAM for more pixel pushing pleasure, DVI, VGA and S-video ports. Supports RAVE and OpenGL, but has lackluster 2D acceleration - but if you are only into games, who needs 2D speed?

Video Card (Low-End): 3Dfx VooDoo 4 4500 PCI, discontinued. Under $100. A good card at a good price. Supports OpenGL, Glide, and non-windowed RAVE. Native for Mac, so no ROM-flashing needed. Has 32 MB of RAM and a VGA port. Good 2D acceleration. Caveat emptor: No OS X support, and it's unlikely.

RAM in any form. Enough said. Turn off virtual memory and play those games like they were meant to be played!

Monitor: Any LCD monitor. IMHO, most games look nicer on an LCD monitor. Maybe it's because they are easier to look at than a conventional CRT.

Game Picks

Classic: Marathon II Durandal, Bungie Software, free. This game started the Macintosh FPS genre. With great graphics for a 1996 era game and low hardware requirements (100 MHz or faster PowerPC, 32 MB RAM), this game is a winner for older machines. Added bonuses are a very good plot (unlike a lot of recent games) and network support for 8 players.

Big Fun: Unreal Tournament Game Of The Year, MacSoft, $19.99. UT has almost unlimited expansion. This version includes the Tactical Ops modification, which adds new challenges to the game. It wins over Quake III due to superior level design and more innovative team play.

Best Graphics: Quake III, id Software, $39.99. Quake III has the helter-skelter play represented in most of the Quake line. The levels are wide open with plenty of maneuvering room. However, graphics are what make it shine. Even on a Rage 128, detail is excellent. The characters also seem better rendered than UT, with less unnecessary detail.

It's a short list, but hopefully it gives you some ideas as to what I would suggest. However, try stuff yourself and ask people who either have hardware you are interested in or the games you are interested in whether they are happy and if they think the purchase was a good one. If possible, try before you buy.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, 12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
Multiple users on the same Mac at work, Dan Knight, 11.15. How to set up a Mac so multiple users can log in and use it - and use the same pool of work files.
1 working eMac from 2 broken ones, Dan Knight, 11.14. A pair of matching eMacs, each with a different failure, results in one working eMac and lots of leftovers.
More in the Mac Daniel index.

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