wow-laptop
Latest
A true World of Warcraft: 3 things to know when playing on the road
When the boss says "I need you overseas next week," replying "but I've got a raid!" isn't really an option. I've just completed a two-week whirlwind trip, and I've discovered that with some mild preparation, it's quite easy to get in your regular WoW time. Dailies, raiding, pet battles PvP; whatever your choice of fun, don't let geography keep you down. Choose your weapon "Honey, why can't you take my old laptop on your trip?" "Because it only gets 10 FPS in Val...erm, because I want one that can Skype with you well without any slowdowns!" First, you're going to need a machine to play on. If buying a new laptop isn't an option, it's not the end of the world; WoW can run on some positively ancient hardware, if you're comfortable with playing on lower graphics-quality settings. After installing it on a few laptops during my last trip overseas, I can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that any dual-core system should be able to at least run the game well enough to login, chat, and browse the Auction House. (In chronological terms, that means any system since about 2010 or so, and some higher-end 2008-2009 systems.) Of course, if you want to do anything more vigorous than posting auctions and talking in guild chat, you'll want a better hunk of plastic. Raiding and battlegrounds, in particular, will heavily tax your system, so try it out on your machine BEFORE you go. Trust me; learning Alysrazor tornadoes was challenging by itself, learning them while playing as a healer moving at 5 FPS was even worse.
Dell's XPS line not cancelled after all
You might remember yesterday that we reported on the Wall Street Journal's report on the canceling of the Dell XPS line, which includes the World of Warcraft laptop. It seems that the Wall Street Journal got it wrong, according to Dell spokeswoman Anne B. Camden, speaking via Dell's official blog. She took issue with almost every aspect of the Wall Street Journal's report, saying that both Alienware and the XPS line are hardly in trouble, and are known for excellence and have gained many awards and accolades, and that Dell was dedicated to both. In fact, she specifically praised the XPS M1730, which is the base for the World of Warcraft laptop. In short, the WoW laptop will probably still be available for your buying pleasure, if you are inclined to drop between 2500 and 3000 dollars on a souped up gaming laptop and a couple of extra toys. [Thanks to all the tipsters who sent this in!]
Dell to end its World of Warcraft computer line
Fresh from the Wall Street Journal comes some news from Dell: They're phasing out much of their XPS gaming line, including their Warcraft laptops. You might remember the Dell XPS M1730 from our giveaway contest, hand-ons analysis and reviews back when it first hit the market. According to the article, the phaseout begins next month, so if you've been thinking about getting one of these bad boys, you'd better act fast. The website still doesn't mention anything about the phase out, but it seems likely it'll be pulled soon. the $2999 price tag still seems a bit steep to me, but it's probably better than than the initial $4500 price tag, and better than the price that would probably be asked for any versions that might appear on various auction sites once Dell officially discontinues it. We don't know for sure if the Laptop sold well, since Dell doesn't release sales information, but according to the article, the main object of this phase-out is to bolster the flagging Alienware line, which has lost much of it's luster since being purchased by Dell. Whatever the reason, the laptop is going bye-bye, so if you want it, go and get it. But you better hurry, because it may not last. %Gallery-11623% %Gallery-11285% [Thanks for the tip, Surely!]
WoW Insider Show Episode 15: Grab your sword and fight the Horde
Matthew Rossi, Turpster, and I had a heck of a great time on last Saturday's episode of the WoW Insider Show, available right now for you listening pleasure over on WoW Radio and on iTunes. And we came up with two great slogans for the Alliance:The one I liked was "Grab your sword and fight the Horde," while Turpster's, if I recall correctly, was "Please put down that fishing appliance, we are Warcraft's fighting Alliance!" Okay, I may not be recalling that exactly correctly. But I know for sure that we chatted about the brand new collision of Activision and Blizzard. We also talked about our most popular story last week. We clarified a few pieces of mine, including the big analysis of the WoW laptop, and why everyone got so angry at my post about summoning stones. And we also had some great PvP discussion, both about how to lose at Alterac Valley, and how to beat a Warlock. Plus, as we mentioned, if you've been bugged by my clicking headset in the past, that's all over with-- I got a sparkling new headset and it sounds much, much better. All of the laughs, none of the clicking. It's like a whole new podcast.And if you didn't get to listen to us live but want to next week, make a note for Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm EST-- that's when we go live over on the WoW Radio (now 24/7!) site. The WoW Insider Show is always a fun time, and even if you read the blog during the week, it's always great to get a little insight and background on how things work around here.
Hands on with the Dell XPS WoW laptop
A week ago, Dell shipped me one of their special edition World of Warcraft XPS M1730 Notebooks. The very same notebook that is going on sale today to the public. They asked me to take it for a spin and let you, gentle readers, know what I think. Then they asked me to send it back to them when I was done. Buahahaha! Send it back? That's rich. Oh, there's lawyers? Ah, damn.First, I should let you know that I'm not a tech head, so I leave the number-crunching analysis to Engadget. But I do love me some World of Warcraft. And I can tell you my impressions of the new system and the goodies that came with it.So join me on a magical, mystery tour that started with a box on my doorstep.%Gallery-11285%
Two more big announcements from Dell and WoW Insider
You've probably already read the big news. Dell has the ultimate WoW gaming laptop up for sale next week (earlier for those who signed up through their banner campaign.) Dell has two more surprises up their sleeve. First, they sent us one for review. I received my Dell XPS 1730 World of Warcraft Edition laptop and goodie bundle yesterday. I will be putting it through the paces this week and reporting on it here on WoW Insider.Second, Dell is providing us with one of these bad boys with all the WoW extras that go with it to give away to you, faithful readers. That's right: Dell and WoW Insider are giving away a $5k+ gaming laptop. Details will be announced soon.Until then, check out the gallery below and read more details on the special edition laptop after the jump!%Gallery-11285%
