Games You Can Play On Your Netbook

 

If you’re like everyone else in the world, you probably bought a Netbook in the last year due to its low-cost and light weight.  It’s a handy little tool, great for travel and checking your email, but it’s not exactly known as a gaming computer with its lower quality graphics and processor. 

But let’s face it, any true gamer is going to be itching to play some type of game whether they’re on their Netbook or not.   That’s why CNET decided to find out just what games are easily played on those trendy little laptops.  The games range in price and range from web-based casual games to the new and fast-growing social media gaming that so many people are participating in on Facebook.  

Below is the list of games and according to CNET, they will run on any Netbook with Windows 7 or XP, 1GB of RAM, and an Intel Atom N270 or 280 processor.    A few of them also require you to have Nvidia’s Ion graphics.

1.  Torchlight:  RPG game that even has a “netbook mode” setting.  Available online from various sources. 

2.  Plants:  Casual tower defense game available for $9.99 from PopCap.

3.  World of Warcraft: This MMO is available for download and isn’t exactly great for Netbooks but runs OK if you turn the graphics settings down.

4.  Quake Live:  A free web-based game that plays on almost any PC and can be downloaded from QuakeLife.com.

5.  Alien Shooter 2/Zombie Shooter 2: A new 2D RPG that is easy to play and available for $5.99 – 9.99 at Steam.  

6.  Fallout/Fallout 2:  They aren’t Fallout 3 but fun all the same.  Both are available for $5.99 at Good Old Games. 

7.  Farmville:  If you’re already on Facebook, you probably love or hate this one, but regardless, it’s 70 million players strong and one of the most popular online games of all time.  Plus, it’s free!  Go to Farmville.com for more info. 

8.  Gothic II:  The folks at CNET compare this RPG to Dragon Age (which won’t run on a Netbook).  Available for $9.99 at Good Old Games.

9.  Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast: Available for $9.99 from Steam, this is a first-person shooter Star Wars game. 

10.  Mafia Wars:  Another game that is big on Facebook (it’s also available on iPhones and MySpace). 

11.  Bejeweled Twist: This match-three game is available everywhere it seems but the web-based version is fun and easy to get just about anywhere. 

12.  Sanitarium: A classic point-and-click adventure that’s been recently re-released and is available for$9.99 at Good Old Games.

13.  Nancy Drew Series: These games will run on any PC and despite not really changing their graphics over the last decade have remained popular.  They are available from $14.99 – $19.99 on Steam. 

14.  Beneath a Steel Sky:  Another point-and-click game from the 90’s, it’s free to download from Gold Old Games. 

15.  Braid:  This game is available for PCs and Xbox 360 and is available for $9.99 on Steam.

16.  Peggle:  Download from PopCap or play a web-based version, it’s addictive and almost anyone can play. 

17.  Bloons Tower Defense:  This game is another tower defense game that is full of well, balloon-popping and monkeys.  Play it for free, online, at Ninja Kiwi. 

18.  Grand Theft Auto 2:  Rockstar Games is making some of its classic games available as free downloads and this is just one of them.  

19.  Petville:  Another one of the social networking games that is becoming popular on Facebook.  Sort of like a virtual pet. 

20.  Duke Nukem 3D:  Another classic game that is full of fun and pop culture.  Available for $5.99 at Good Old Games.

Alienware TactX Gaming Mouse and Keyboard

Alienware is known primarily for their gaming technology, always pushing what we can do with PC gaming to the edge and their new TactX gaming mouse and keyboard are no different. For hardcore gamers out there, having the best mouse and keyboard can be the difference in smoking your competition or getting powned like a noob. Alienware wants to help you on your road to gaming greatness and offers you two new tools to assist you in your efforts with the TactX gaming mouse and TactX gaming keyboard.

The TactX gaming keyboard is a full-size keyboard that comes with 6 customizable macro keys and all 6 keys have three different modes giving you up to 18 different keys. Each key can be programmed to replicate individual keys, launch applications or even perform multi-key macros. On top of that, the keyboard features a game mode switch which disables your windows and context menu keys. Along with the 6 customizable keys, the TactX features WASD gaming cluster and anti-ghosting technology. Customization is a big thing with Alienware so its not a surprise to see some customization options on the TactX. The keyboard comes with removable palm rests and color lighting options for two different zones on the keyboard with 20 different color choices thanks to AlienFX.

The TactX gaming mouse has just as many features as the keyboard. It comes with FTM features which help to enhance your MMORPG games and also a differentiator for Alienware gaming systems. The mouse comes with an on-board memory which allows you to setup, customize and save macros to your liking. The mouse has a dual mode scroll wheel allowing for both vertical and horizontal scrolling. The TactX also gives you the option of storing up to 5 different mouse settings profiles to the on-board memory. On the bottom of the mouse is a Profile Selection button which allows you to easily switch between profiles. This mouse also has a 5000 DPI Laser Engine complete with on-the-fly DPI switching as well as 9 customizable buttons. Like the TactX keyboard, the TactX mouse also comes with AlienFX, allowing you to fully customize it with a multitude of colors and effects.

To get a truly unique gaming experience on your PC, check out the new TactX gaming mouse and keyboard from Alienware. You can also make it a full package by adding on the TactX gaming headset for the full on TactX experience. Both the mouse and the keyboard come with a 6-foot USB cable and both support USB 2.0 and have Windows 7 compatibility. You can pick both of these great gaming tools for $100 a piece.

By: Zack Duncan

Borderlands

It seems that post-apocalyptic worlds ruled by legions of outlaw gangs is something many people are into these days. People love the lawlessness, the gun play, the gangs and everything that goes along with it and that is exactly what Borderlands delivers. This game is first and foremost a loot hunting game, much like Blizzard’s huge hit Diablo. This game doesn’t ease you into it either, right off the bat you are thrust into this open world environment with a handful of quests and mass amounts of gang members that are trying to keep you from killing their beloved leader.

When you start off, your weapons are, to put it nicely, less than desirable. They are old, rusted and don’t work too well. But they don’t last long as you find new weapons that have better functionality, better fire power and a better appearance. The farther into the game you go the better weapons you get like shotguns, handguns, sub-machine guns sniper rifles and even rocket launchers that glow with an elemental fury like fire or lightning or even ones that shoot a corrosive substance that literally eats your enemies alive! And that’s only the human weapons, there are crazy alien weapons later on in the game that are even more insane. The more you use a weapon the better your character becomes with it, allowing you to better become a more intense fighter blasting, shattering and burning your way through any obstacle that obstructs your path.

This game is an action RPG which means you will be leveling up and upgrading your character the entire time. each time you level up you will want to swap out gear and weapons for better ones so you are always outfitted with the best stuff. There are four different character classes and each class gets one and only one primary action skill. The soldier class can drop down a sentry turret to assist in a firefight, the Berserker class can charge forward and smash foes with fists of fury, the Hunter Class throws out a bird to attack from a distance and the Siren class can enter a temporary state of invisibility. As you level up your selected character, you will earn points that are attributed to your skill tree. Your skill tree changes how much damage you can do, how much damage you can take and helps make your action skill even deadlier, and they mean deadlier. The Siren has a phasewalk ability that can be upgraded with shock damage and can also drastically shorten the abilities cool down period or turn into a contagious inferno after every kill made.

While the skills and level progression are great, this game’s true call to glory is the weaponry. This game feels, plays and moves like an FPS and you spend most of your time shooting people and experiencing fast-paced gameplay. You have a variety of different enemies to fight against and dispose of in your own sick and demented way. When you begin you will face off against your typical, low-class bandit type enemies who bounce between cover and shoot back at you. Then you will come across some bruiser characters, some of which carry bigger, badder weapons and others you just charge straight at you, sometimes while on fire, trying to take you out with blunt, rusty weapons. Some of the smaller bandits, who carry shotguns, get thrown on their back with each shot and some snipe from a distance. Others have shields and then again some do not. The way all the enemies move around during a firefight is frantic and chaotic which makes it exciting to be a part of. Sometimes, however, the fighting can be unrealistic, especially when you are standing toe-to-toe with a group of enemies unleashing head shots galore and not taking down a single one. But that’s what you get when yuo take health bars over realism.

If you get bored of taking down the crazy humans in the game, then you can take a stab at taking out the crazy, spiky skags, dog-like creatures that jump, spit, slash and overall make your life difficult. There are also winged beasts that soar high above the world before swooping down to gauge your eyes out. In addition to these there are worms that burrow underground as well as armored insects that hurl projectiles at you and roll across the battlefield at high speeds. Overall there is a very nice mix of enemies in Borderlands. They also have a tendency to attack in large groups, which makes defeating the lot of them by switching weapon types and activating action skills in one all out charge extremely satisfying. If, by now, you are thinking that fighting these little humans and weird creatures is going to get old then slow your role because there are some pretty intense boss fights in this game as well. The bosses are totally monstrous and include things like a gigantic, lumbering quadruped and even a flying, fire-breathing behemoth. These fights serve as a welcome change of pace in the game and some of the bosses even drop unique loot that you can’t get anywhere else in the game.

Some of the environments feel similar to each other but then you come up on a boggy swamp, dockyard or clustered urban environment which gives you a nice sense of variety. There is a nice transportation system that has quick-spawn vehicles or a rapid transit system to help you traverse the world better. The vehicles in the game do help you travel faster and some can be outfitted with rockets or machine guns to help kill annoying foes but running over or into things is much easier. Two people can man a vehicle, with one driving and the other manning the turret. Which brings us to one of the best features of Borderlands, the multiplayer.

While you are completely capable of exploring the game, finishing quests and fighting off enemies alone and have a great time doing it, you receive some of the best entertainment by playing with other people. As more players join your game, your enemies get stronger and drop more valuable loot. This makes you want to bring in as many of your friends as possible so you have a better chance at getting better stuff. Praise needs to be thrown on Gearbox, developers of the game, because they created it so that all of your quests you completed, items you received and experience gained from playing in a friends game is carried over to your game when you switch back. Assuming you and the person you are playing with are at the same point in the game, it is possible to do the same quest together. Up to four of you can go out and venture the game world together. Players should give the four player scenario a try due to the mass chaos that ensues when playing. It is suggested, however, that you play with people you know and trust because there are no looting rules in Borderlands. Any item that drops is free game to whoever can get to it first. A statistical pop-up appears whenever you pan over an item in range showing you how it rates according to your skills and other weapons. If you get a weapon you don’t want, then you can always sell it at one of the games many vending machines or just drop it back on the ground for another teammate to acquire.

Gearbox took replay value into great consideration with this game. After you complete your first play through, you will probably be in your mid 30’s with character level out of a possible level 50. You can start a new game with your current character with everything other than quest progression carrying over. The best part is that your starting enemies will be upgraded to fit your character’s level, so you are not just going through slaughtering ridiculously weak enemies. After you and everybody you know has maxed out to level 50, it will be time to see which of you is better. The game gives you the option of melee attacking a teammate and trying to initiate a duel. After that it is possible to head to special dungeons for some player on player combat. This mode is strictly for fun and adds a nice mechanic of seeing how your weapons and armor stack up against another actual player.

Borderlands is a surprisingly accessible game although gamers who are not familiar with loot drop games may need to take a little extra time to get used to the game’s mechanics. There isn’t a punishment system either for when you die. Before you die, you enter a bleed-out-state where you can kill your attacker and then come back to life. On the other hand, if you are playing with other people, they can simply come over and revive you with no need of special healing skills. However, should you actually bleed out and die, the game restarts you at a convenient respawn point and only deducts a small amount of cash from your inventory. You do not lose any skills, weapons or armor. Some other great features of this game include the visuals. The sharp and stylish visuals make the gameplay interesting and entertaining. However, the framerate on the console versions can be a bit jittery with large scale fights. Enemies also react realistically when being shot. Their head snaps back, the get sent reeling and occasionally trigger some nice elemental deaths. The large open, environments have very nice detail as well as the large variety of weapon designs. The game also has a nice humorous aspect to it. Some of the recurring characters in the game offer witty and snappy remarks which make for an enjoyable experience.

This game plays like a shooter but is built on statistical progression, character customization and holds item acquisition high above everything else. Borderlands doesn’t lack in content with four player co-op, four different classes, an insane amount of weapons and around 20+ hours of content with the ability to restart your game after completion with stronger weapons and enemies. Convenient and accessible, Borderlands offers action-RPG gamers a solid title to sink their teeth into. A definite game to try this year. Borderlands is available now for the PC, Xbox 360 ans PS3.

By: Zack Duncan

Sims 3 World Adventures Expansion Pack

The Sims 3 may still be relatively new to the game world but that hasn’t stopped Electronic Arts from announcing the game’s first expansion pack: Sims 3 World Adventures.  The EP will ship to stores on November 16.  For the first time, in the world of Sims, your game will go international. 

They will be able to explore new fictional cities based on real-world destinations.  Learn martial arts in Shang Simla, discover a romantic getaway in Champs Les Sims, France, or explore ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt.  Your Sims take part in various adventures along the way.  Accept challenges to find secret treasures, learn new skills, look for personal opportunities,  meet new, unique Sims personalities and Sims of different nationalities, discover new styles and of course share your Sims’ adventures with photographs, movies and stories. 

One revelation is the appearance of mummies that will be playable in the game.  The mummies can awaken from their sarcophagus and curse your Sims, causing the Sim to die in two weeks’ time if you do not perform a certain ritual.  Sims can also become mummies, but the details on what their abilities would be have not yet been released. 

It also looks as though the EP will come with 1,000 SimPoints to use for downloading exclusive content from the Sims 3 store, if you register your game.  The Sims 3 store is filled with a variety of hairstyles, outfits, furniture, home decor and architecture which can be downloaded by the item or in sets such as Steampunk, Jet Set, or UltraLounge.   In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to check out secret hints and clues to adventures, and download new, exclusive Explorer’s Loot content.  

The game will also feature new music in Simlish (the game’s language) by some fairly well-known artists including Nelly Furtado, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, LeAnn Rimes, Matt & Kim, Pixie Lott, Katie Melua, Manchester Orchestra, Evan Taubenfeld, Young Punx, and Borken Hearts Club.

Will Wright’s New Project

After creating The Sims, SimCity, and Spore – some of the most successful and best-selling PC games of all time, you would think 49-year-old Will Wright would be sitting back and taking it easy.  Not so fast.  The Atlanta native, who has become something of a legacy in the PC game world, has a new project up his sleeves.  According to an interview with the LA Times, he wants to “build things that people would want to play with.”  So what is Wright’s latest project?  Well, he wouldn’t say, but he did drop a few hints that are sure to get wheels spinning in the tech world and maybe even the toy world?  

First of all, the new project is a toy, though Wright says calling it a toy exactly makes it too specific.  “All of our projects have crossover elements,” he tells the LA Times. In February, Wright will deliver a speech entitled “The Evolution of Entertainment: A Toy’s Place” at Engage! in New York City.  He will also be bringing his new concept along.  According to the Times, Engage! is a “conference on the convergence of toys, the Internet, virtual worlds, games and social media.”  

Not surprisingly, the new concept involves games – something Wright knows a little bit about.  His games (The Sims, Sim City, and Spore) have generated over $1 billion for his previous employer, Electronic Arts.  In the spring of 2009, Wright broke away from EA and started his own company, Stupid Fun Club, of which EA is a principal shareholder.  

Wright also says the project will have robotic components, something Wright has been fascinated with since childhood.   It will also have online components.  This is not unusual for today’s world as many popular toys also have virtual worlds where kids (and grown-ups) can play. 

Wright let a few more hints slip – you can read mor here: Will Wright, creator of The Sims, talks toys | Technology | Los Angeles Times - but the hints were elusive and it’s really hard to narrow his new project down.  Even so, with a creative genius like Wright behind the wheel, the new project will most likely be just as popular as his past ones, and probably just as anticipated!

Champions Online

In most games, a superhero wearing lime green spandex with bunny ears and a huge butt picking up cars and and throwing them at bad guys and then ripping the ones left limb from limb may seem like an odd occurrence to say the least. However, in Champions Online it is something you will see everyday. It is also a good representation of one of the craziest MMO games out there.

Champions Online may seem like a straight follow up to City oh Heroes, the first MMO by developer Cryptic upon first glance. But oh how your assumptions are wrong, very wrong. In fact, the only thing these two games have in common is the fact that you get to create a custom superhero and fight villains. But that’s about it. As opposed to randomly generated maps like the ones in City of Heroes, Champions Online centers a majority of the action in overworld areas. City of Heroes also offered fast-paced MMO combat. Champions Online offers all-around superhero action which is constructed around the stats and level progression you would typically find in an MMO.

There are alot of pros and cons you will face while playing this game. First of all, the user interface is a bit fiddly and the tutorial is, well, horrible. The point of the tutorial is to let you meet some of the games main characters, letting you try out a majority of things and then foil an alien invasion. Sounds fun right? Well in reality you are stuck in an area with a mass of non-playable characters set with quests that technically help you learn what you need to know so the first few hours of gameplay are less than stellar.

But, once you get the hang of it the game really takes off. The combat is great and is the best thing to come about that makes the MMO feel like an action game. There isn’t any of this standing across from your opponent and trading blows crap. Instead, you are constantly on the move lining up enemies, dodging attacks and countering critical strikes. The action is explosive and dying isn’t unnecessarily painful with virtually no downtime between battles. But the best part is that you are awesome from level one.

While action is fast paced, the game does have a tendency to over-complicate things. There are no character classes so you can basically pick whatever combination of powers you want. But once you get your powers, you find out that they are all based on a combination of 8 different statistics which are boosted by in-game inventory items and upgrades. Your character can carry up to 9 different items which have their own unique slot. Items are split into 3 different crafting disciplines. Some of these disciplines add bonus power while others change the color of the power. The concept that a majority of items have no bearing on your costume or your powers makes the stat boost not feel like rewards. It also doesn’ t help that you are given a lot of items you can not even equip at your current level. The system is a bit ridiculous and could be better if simplified with a few core stats.

Your character will spend the first 30 out of 40 levels restricted to three semi-small zones: a city, the Canadian wilderness, and an irradiated desert with two additional zones being unlocked in the final levels. But don’t fret, it isn’t as bad as it first appears. Each map is like a world in its own right. Each is packed with tons of quests for all character levels and getting around is pretty simple if you get a power like flying or swinging. The world design is a little boring but it is made up for with spiced up individual areas taking you to villainous night clubs, zombie infested graveyards and theme parks with crazy cowboy robots.

The majority of missions are “kill this many of these” and “use this on that so this happens” but they are done well. Unique dialogue per character is prevalent for each section of gameplay. Most major areas have a strong theme while the indoor areas are more short and to the point. There are also public quests like those seen in Warhammer Online. With these quests, any hero in the area can band together to complete a task. Many people will be happy to know that kill stealing is not a problem. Typically whoever lands a good hit on the enemy will receive credit for the kill. However, this isn’t the case for item collecting and escort missions. This typically leaves you waiting for item respawns and seeing another player run off with your guy after you rescue him. Teamwork is also potentially problematic due to the fact that you can not easily see another player’s quests, objectives or waypoints.

For an MMO, you level up pretty fast. But it is an MMO so this still means it is pretty dang slow. There isn’t a lot of high level content, the player vs player mode is basically boring and simplistic arena fighting and duels, and there isn’t a whole lot of social activity. A feature that has real potential is the Nemesis system, which allows you to create your character’s arch-enemy. However this feature is currently a little lacking. Your Nemesis design tool is given to you at level 25 and your control doesn’t go much past your enemy’s visual appearance and broad power-set like “Fire” or “Munitions” as opposed to “Fireball” or “Assault Rifle”. The opening mission where you first get to fight your nemesis is wonderful. However, it is quickly burned away when you get repeatedly attacked by packs of your nemesis’ generic minions while trying to go about your everyday business. A cool thing that gets really old really quick.

Champions Online is a good MMO that has it’s share of problems. But give it a chance and it will quickly grow on you. It is in desperate need of more areas and better endgame content. Yet it is a refreshing break from the typical MMO RPG and is still worth taking a look at. Champions Online is available now for the PC.

By: Zack Duncan

Modern Warfare 2 Coming With Night Vision Goggles

Gamers were blown away with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare when it debuted back in 2007. The game took players out of the traditional and familiar World War 2 setting and placed them in a modern day conflict. It appeared to be a winning formula as Call of Duty4: Modern Warfare went on to sell 13 million copies becoming the best selling game in 2007. Jump forward two years and the next installment, simply titled Modern Warfare 2, is about to be released to the hungry hands of the gaming public and fans of the game are going crazy with anticipation.

But before you run out to the store to buy your copy, you have to ask yourself which version you want to get. Don’t know what I mean? Like the first installment in the series, Modern Warfare 2 will be shipping with three different editions of the game: the Normal Edition, the Hardened Edition and the Prestige Edition. Now you may be asking yourself “What’s the difference?” and the answer is, a lot. Depending on which edition of the game you buy depends on which of the cool goodies you will get along with your game, and how much you are going to pay for it.

If your not much into other stuff and you just want to play the game, then you will be o.k with getting the Normal Edition. The Normal Edition comes with the game, traditional plastic box and instruction manual all for the typical price of $59.99. Not exciting enough for you? Well the Hardened Edition, which will run you $79.99, comes with the game and instruction book as well as a limited edition metallic game case and art book which holds concept drawings of character models, vehicles, weapons, levels and more. But the real prize comes with the Prestige Edition. If you are fan enough to go for this version of the game you are to be well rewarded. The Prestige Edition, like the others, comes with the game and instruction manual, the Hardened Edition metallic case and art book, and the big prize, a pair of fully functioning night vision goggles! Yeah, I said it, night vision goggles. The goggles are branded with the Modern Warfare logo as well as the Infinity Ward (the developers of the game) logo. You will also receive a ticket with a code that will allow you to purchase the original Call of Duty which came out for the PC via Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. Buyers of the Prestige Edition will also get a sculpted model head of “Soap” MacTavish, the main character from the first Modern Warfare game, to display your goggle on when you are not using them. Wondering about how much this little bundle of goodies is going to cost you? The price for all of this comes in at a mere $149.99.

The game itself isn’t set to hit store shelves until this November but I wouldn’t recommend waiting around until then to get your copy, especially if you are interested in getting the Hardened or Prestige Editions of the game. If you really want either of these editions I would recommend pre-ordering your copy as soon as possible. There is only going to be a limited number of each edition and you are almost guaranteed to not find a single Hardened or Prestige Edition of the game on store shelves this holiday season. If you are willing to fork over the extra cash for the Prestige Edition then you are going to be well rewarded. Pre-orders are available now for all three editions and you can expect to pick up your copy of the game in November 10, 2009.

By: Zack Duncan

Alienware M17X All Powerful Gaming Laptop

Alienware is king in the realm of gaming laptops, and their newest machine has just been crowned, and sooner than expected. The latest teaser for the M17X was released yesterday with 5 lines of alien-like code. The code has been cracked and it translated into this:

The sum of the first four primes. Which is 17, hinting at either Core i7 or a 17-inch display.
Denotes a state of two parts Which either means dual-GPUs or Core 2 Extreme
Known as the gentleman’s muscle car of 1967 The Plymouth GTX which hints at NVIDIA graphics.
When pure, it will carry a yield strength of 7-11 mpa Which could be an aluminum chassis.
Is always empty in zero sum games Which has something to do with the core.

So, the M17X wasn’t supposed to be released for another four days, but Alienware jumped the gun and unleashed their beast today. Does the actual laptop live up to the decoded message? Yeah……pretty much. The base starter model has a ton of features that should tickle the fancy of any gamer out there. The M17X has a single 1GB nVidia GeForce GTX 260M GPU, which can be upgraded to dual 1GB nVidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs if you need amazing high end graphics. 4GB of RAM which can also be upgrade to 8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM. A slot-loading DVD-RW drive which, like everything else, is upgradeable to a dual-layer Blu-ray Disc. An nVidia GeForce 9400M G1 GPU with HybridPower technology. The great thing with this is on the motherboard it helps you get scaled-down graphics in case you don’t need dual-card megaton firepower. This kicks in when plugged into AC power, and an optional 1920×1200 resolution edge-to-edge LCD.

But that’s not all. The M17X also has an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz P8600 CPU which is upgradeable to a Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core CPU. A 250GB 7200-rpm hard drive, also upgradeable to a 1TB 7200-rpm or to a 512MB solid-state storage, RAID 1 or RAID 0. Users can swap out swap their hard drives easily by simply removing the nine-cell battery. Other features include 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4-pin FireWire, 4 USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard, 8-in-1 media card reader, Display ports, HDMI-outs, VGA-outs, multiple audio-out jacks which allow for 6.1 sound, and an eSATA/USB port.

Alienware always impresses on the visual side of the spectrum, and it is clearly visible in the M17X. It has an anodized aluminum hood with red LED lights illuminating the keyboard, touchpad, trim lights, and numberpad. All of these lights, however, can be customized to your desired satisfaction because Alienware integrated its traditional user friendly performance-shifting software giving you complete control over how exactly you want your M17X to look. The M17X will do well to replace any gaming desktop you have, both in performance and in size. The M17X measures 15.98×12.65×2.11 inches and weighs a hefty 11.68 pounds which could make it a little irritating to lug around, but with the performance this bad boy pumps out, I really don’t think you’re going to mind.

The M17X is called All Powerful for a reason, because it is. This thing has everything your little gaming heart desires in a laptop and everything you would expect from a company like Alienware. The M17X comes under a base price of $1,799. This price includes all the base features mentioned above, and the price may increase when upgrading. $1,799 isn’t a small price to pay, but for all you get with the M17X it is definitely worth it. If you truly want an “all powerful” gaming laptop, then the Alienware M17X All Powerful gaming laptop is definitely for you.

By: Zack Duncan

Microsoft Confirms Zune HD

Microsoft has finally confirmed the rumored Zune HD. So far Microsoft has come out saying this is their answer to the iPod Touch. The two main features of the Zune HD is the touch-screen interface and its HD Radio tuner. Microsoft has also said that you will be able to surf the web using a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touch screen, play HD movies, and play content on your TV.

So far no word on pricing and capacity, but they have stated the Zune HD will only use flash memory. One of the big feautures that has yet to be announced or even mentioned is the Zune HD’s gaming capabilities. Microsoft has said they will announce this and much more at the upcoming E3 this summer.

Expect to see the Zune HD come out this fall and hopefully be the first true iPod Touch contendor.

ATI Radeon HD 4770

ATI’s new Radeon HD 4770 offers the best in HD gaming, performance, and price. The new 4770 is very similar to the ATI Radeon 4830, but it comes with a completely new GPU and its comes with the latest GDDR5 memory technology and a 40nm chip. The best feature about this card though is without a doubt its unbeatable price of $109.

Spec Sheet:
Card: ATI Radeon 4770
Price: $109
Memory Size: 512MB
Core Clock: 750 MHz
Ports: 2 DVI, 1 S Video
Stream Processors: 640 Stream Processing Units

The 4770 is an all around great card. The price pretty much sums up where the card stands compared to others. According to xbitlabs.com the 4770 has a 10-15% performance advantage over the 9800GT and 4830, and lags behind the 4850 and GTS 250 by only 2%.

Overall the card is a great buy for a little over a $100. If you are looking for a card the can perform just as well as the 4850 and GTS 250, but are on a budget this is the card for you. Also with the added bonus of its low power consumption and it is only 8.5 inches long making it able to fit in the smallest of cases.