Getting my wife a laptop for her bday. Need assistance!

[Superman]

So, I'm getting my wife a laptop for her birthday. I'm going to load it up with all of the software she uses (Office, accounting programs, etc), get her a console system type controller, and I also want to put some games on it. She loves the old NES titles, so how can I get these? I've seen some of the emulation programs, but I'm not sure how legal and/or stable they are. What's the best way to get those?

[Xisiqomelir]

Buy a Macbook. Thank me later.

She loves the old NES titles, so how can I get these? I've seen some of the emulation programs, but I'm not sure how legal and/or stable they are. What's the best way to get those?

Once you have your Macbook, try any of these.

Finding ROMs is not hard.

[Superman]

Buy a Macbook. Thank me later.

Bite your tongue, sir!

Once you have your Macbook, try any of these.

Finding ROMs is not hard.

I bid you good day! Good day!!

[Erik von Nein]

She loves the old NES titles, so how can I get these? I've seen some of the emulation programs, but I'm not sure how legal and/or stable they are.

They aren't legal. Unless the company's gone under and/or they've abandoned their hold on the intellectual property.

[Joviwan]

That usually doesn't stop people, though. As far as I know, most NES/SNES games were fairly ignorable on the ROM scene on account of you couldn't get them anywhere, so who will sue you? That's recent;y become more hotly debated as the Wii has been porting oodles of these old games, thus renewing their availability. So, it was always illegal yet overlooked, where as now, it's illegal and people are still hoping no one cares.

I'm under the impression we're not allowed to talk about acquisition, in that regard, but PMs will probably do wonders.


As for a laptop, what kind of games do you want to run? JUST emulation? There are some decent power gaming laptops out there, but she sounds like she might enjoy something silly, like battery life.

[Stark]

It's still illegal, and we shouldn't be talking about it here. Finding ROMs is incredibly easy with a goddamn google search in any case.

[Mobius]

i like my thinkpad and the customer service is actually useful:
a few month ago, i spilled a cup of coffee on the machine, it killed 2 keys, called the customer service, gave the serial number, the morning after UPS delivered the new keyboard. 10minutes later my computer was fully operational.

My experience with the Apple customer service about my faulty MacMini (here in Belgium at least) is horrible. I won't buy a new apple branded computer here because of it.

[Superman]

Righto. The roms are illegal. That's all I wanted to know.

I'll keep looking for the legal games... help is appreciated.

[Pu-239]

I second the thinkpad recommendation. Been using a 7 year old thinkpad for a year and it still works despite my abuse (dropped a few times, been epoxied together).

IANAL, but...

ROMs are probably legal despite what nintendo says if you do your own ROM dumps and don't distribute, lying under format shifting, but that's probably rather hard unless you're good w/ electronics since you'll have to build your own ROM dumping hardware, etc.

ROMs obtained from somewhere if you have the original is more questionable, though I really don't see the difference in the end result from the above other than the technical skill required. Whoever is distributing said ROMs though is probably committing copyright infringement, since they're not verifying that you actually have it.

Ultimately, I really don't see the point other than nostalgia, completionist urges, etc. There are plenty of free legal games out there that are graphically superior, more modern, etc.

[Covenant]

My brother got a Thinkpad when he went to college and it's been incredibly durable so far, which is the main complaint I have with Laptops. They might cost a little more from time to time but the service is good and the construction is usually as great as you can ask for.

If you want something that's unbreakable, get a toughbook. They're designed for high-impact work or clumsy people. If I got a laptop, I'd get one of those.

You can find 'emulated' games in a legal context occasionally from the game companies, such as Nintendo, who is now selling 'emulated' games for the Wii. If you got her a Wii, she'd be able to legally play all of the roms you could ask for, as well as surf the interwebs and such, though it isn't portable. You might also look into getting some 'anthologies' if you can--sometimes they release PC versions of old games in big bundles. Roms are illegal, but there are legal avenues now with the Wii.

[phongn]

ThinkPads are pretty much the gold standard, especially if you get the accidential-damage insurance. They do command a price premium, but it is worth it.

[Superman]

I appreciate the help guys, but I really need to find some games. The laptop has been picked out. And Covenant, I'm definitely going to remember the Toughbook for my next one.

For an example of games, the original Super Mario Brothers. Can that be purchased?

[Davis 51]

I appreciate the help guys, but I really need to find some games. The laptop has been picked out. And Covenant, I'm definitely going to remember the Toughbook for my next one.

For an example of games, the original Super Mario Brothers. Can that be purchased?

Yeah. On a Wii.

You're probably not going to have much luck outside the console-sphere. Nintendo typically doesn't release games like that legally on a PC. As said, ROMs are ridiculously easy to get, but they are illegal, and I doubt Nintendo is going to change their stance anytime soon.

[phongn]

Emulation of the NES should actually be legal now since Nintendo's patents have expired (hence the horde of retail NES clones appearing). The ROMs of the games are copyrighted, however, so acquiring them is entirely illegal.

[InnocentBystander]

HP's business line is pretty solid, and though a little on the bulky side I'm fairly impressed with dell's Vostro series.

Of course a lot depends on price and size. Is 13" too small of a screen? Is there any sort of price range? Do you have to purchase a copy of MS Office(expensive!)? Any plans for modern games?

[Beowulf]

Get a Wii.

[Uraniun235]

I appreciate the help guys, but I really need to find some games. The laptop has been picked out. And Covenant, I'm definitely going to remember the Toughbook for my next one.

You probably don't really need a Toughbook; that's the sort of thing that people in construction and military (and other) fields use when they need to be able to have a laptop in an environment that would kill another laptop. They're typically less powerful and far more expensive.

A modern Thinkpad is generally about the toughest laptop short of a "ruggedized" laptop (i.e. Toughbook) and you'll get more bang for your buck; get the accidental damage warranty and you can even accidentally run it over with your car and they'll service/replace it.

[Joviwan]

I've heard some good things about Gametap, and the Steam catalog is ever growing with fun/easy titles to pick up at low cost (not free).

EDIT: For illegalz. Eh-heh. Whoops. Please ignore anything illegal I might be spouting, I'm obviously not as educated as I thought.

[Pu-239]

Abandonware is not legal, unless author has explicitly said it's okay to be freely distributed

[InnocentBystander]

Gametap is pretty fun, its not expensive and it has a decent library. I mainly use it for the Sam and Max games, but it also has tons of old games if thats what you like.

[Mobius]

I appreciate the help guys, but I really need to find some games. The laptop has been picked out. And Covenant, I'm definitely going to remember the Toughbook for my next one.

For an example of games, the original Super Mario Brothers. Can that be purchased?

free cool games:

The Prokect shrine Maiden
The Prokect shrine Maiden

Kenta Cho's games

Abuse is also free now

already decide for what pad you'll go?

[LapsedPacifist]

I've been in this business a while and don't think I've ever made a laptop recommendation that I haven't regretted... I've recommended Thinkpads here in the past, I work with them now and hate them.

The business laptops are running the same chipsets and procs... Lenovo, Dell Latitudes, Compaq NCs all about the same. I have a macbook and put it in the same category.

If you get one of the windows boxes take a day and remove absolutely every scrap of proprietary software that comes with it... Dell makes(made at any rate) it easy to do a reinstall of vanilla windows.

LP

[Lisa]

Depending on where you are owning the rom allows you to have a back up (ie a downloaded mame rom). Scour pawn shops and flea markets for old roms.

+1 for a macbook, specially now that they have bootcamp out of beta.