len_mullen

I don't know what a six year old plays -- let alone what he will be playing in five years, but adding that video card and power supply brings the WEI up from ~3 to ~5 -- and that is a dramatic improvement no matter what you use the machine for. It would be foolish not to spend the $110 if one was capable of doing the simple installation. It's a really great video card. That said, adding a video card later is not a bad strategy if it is not immediately necessary. My Vista machine that is not up to the specs I listed is running integrated video and I use it as my everyday machine. It's just not a good gaming machine.

I also have some older machines that would work for you, but the cost of the agp cards i bought for them (assuming you have an agp slot) has crept up as the cost of a vista machine has fallen, so it's tough for me to urge you to spend money on a card and psu for your machine. If you want to look into that, post the complete specs of your machine -- especially system board (at least what slots are available) and power supply (especially wattage).

No. It's a PC running a modern operating system with good security. It is powerful enough to run that OS well, and, by upgrading the video card, can run current games -- most at the top settings. My specs for a Vista PC (I think everyone should be running Vista; I have three Vista machines myself -- two are very close to this one) are... goal: WEI ~5 cpu: >= 2g ram: >= 2g video: >= 8600gt a machine that meets the hardware specs will achieve the goal of WEI=5 and that machine will do a lot of things well. the machine I spec'd will be cpu bound, so the next upgrade would be cpu + gpu. we'll do that when the kids have trouble playing whatever game is on the horizon. what i spec'd for you will be a good platform for ten years assuming you can pop in a new cpu and gpu as their prices come down.

At one point, I speculated this would be the featured BF item, but I'm not so sure anymore. I don't see many on the shelves and the buzz has quieted a bit. Until yesterday, every display unit I saw was broken. The one I saw yesterday was misconfigured. After configuring the unit, I was extremely disappointed in performance. If they're free...

The cost of an inexpensive game machine will be ~$400 if you can salvage your display. That's $300 for a Vista Home Premium computer with a 2+g cpu, 2+g of ram, a 300+g disk, and a pci-e slot plus $40 for a suitable power supply and $60 for a suitable video card. You will find these machines on BF or you can just shop the bargain sites. In fact, just buy what you need right now... 1) Computer ($250+shipping) 2) Video Card 9400gt ($60 after $10 rebate, free shipping) 3) Power Supply ($50 after $20 rebate) This PC is fine, but the disk is only 160g (big enough except for video editing, imho) and the OS is Vista Basic. You need to decide if you want Premium features. Merry Christmas. Get a big lcd on BF. Edited to get all parts from Frys for ease of purchase. Shipping was $15 for me, so $390 OTD minus $30 in rebates = $360. Benchmarks for the 9400 are here.

I shop alone, but I meet up with the same people year after year, so...

[climbing into my asbestos suit]Get a 50" samsung or panasonic plasma 720p set. Right now, they are the sweet spot in hdtv. This year, people are shopping for 'full hdtv' so these are discounted. I have a PN50A450 and it is awesome. That's my recommendation. Here are the details: I got a Samsung-1200W 5.1-Ch home theater in a box with an upconverting DVD player plus a Samsung-50" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV-PN50A450 for $977.98 from BestBuy.com. Using my Discover card to pay for this, I get 5% cash back ($49). I'll cash this in as Staples gift cards and get $25 for each $20 I cash in, so we're talking about a $50 discount (plus some money in my account). I think $938 is a good deal for a 50" plasma plus a 1200w 5.1 htib with an upconverting dvd player. I have the whole thing set up and it looks and sounds great from as close as six feet (my couch is eight feet away). Here is my reasoning. First and foremost, I looked at TV sets. If you haven't done this, start now. Measure the distance from each viewing spot (chair, couch, floor) to the tv set and go to some of the big boxes with a tape measure. At the distance you watch TV, evaluate the quality of as many sets as possible. Think about how you watch tv. Make a list of the types of programming you watch and visit enough stores and friends that you can know how the shows you will watch will look on an lcd or a plasma at this frequency or from that manufacturer. Make a list of all the sets you could love in your living room. Watch the deal sites for deals on these sets. If you see one, go for it. Some science: Maybe not science, but better people than me have analyzed the market and this guy does not think it's worth paying a premium for 1080p. I agree, of course, or I wouldn't have linked him here. He also talks abot 120hz LCDs. IMHO, at the same price point, you get a much better experience for plasma and I can't tell 1080p from 720p (actually 768p) at six feet on a 50 inch set. About 1080p: I'm amazed how many people make this a filter when so few even know what it means. In case you don't, here is my understanding... The number represents the horizontal lines of resolution of a set. Notice I said represents not equals. That's because most 720p sets actually have 768 lines of resolution. 1080/768=1.4. This means that a 1080p set will have 40% more lines of resolution than a 768p set. IOW, for every two lines on the 768p set there will be a third line on the 1080p set. The P stands for progressive scan which means all the lines will be painted at once vs interlaced (i) where every other line is painted then the in between lines are painted. I'm not sure there's any practical implication to this. I do know cable companies put out 1080i to save bandwidth. What matters most is that most content at this time is 720p. When this is mapped to a 720p set, it is perfect. When it is mapped to a 1080p set, it is scaled. Chances are it will look better on a 720p set. Write that down. Blu-ray is 1080p and will look best on a 1080p set. PS3 games are 720p. I have watched blu-ray, ps3 games, sdtv, and 1080i on my 720p and they all look great at a distance. Looking at sdtv after experiencing hdtv is disappointing. I'm upgrading my tv service to hdtv. It's worth it. later...len!

If you are looking for help finding a tv to pair with your console, I have some opinions on that as well

LOL! I know a lot? I've had one for a month. I admit that I do my homework and knew a lot going into the game. What you need depends on what you get. There are a lot of bundles. I was in BJs this morning and they had a PS3 with two controllers and two games. After that, all you really need is a TV. If you have hdtv, I'd recommend an HDMI cable (get this from ebay to save a bundle). In case you haven't seen this, here is *my* bundle. Probably not what you are looking for, but maybe my decision making process can help you... PS3/80g 4 x ds3 wireless controllers Sony Blu-ray remote 50" 720p Samsung Plasma TV Samsung HTIB including upconverting DVD player 4 x hdmi cables Warhawk Resistance: Fall of Man Soul Caliber IV LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- Game of the Year Edition Army of Two Uncharted: Drake's Fortune All new. Total cost: $1571 I have two kids. We have seven 'gameing' PCs and they often have friends over for LAN parties. So we are already playing online and enjoying very good PC games. We also have a PS2. The kids play a lot of games on it -- especially split screen games. We have been looking to upgrade for a while, but I wanted to wait for the hd dvd thing to settle. It settled this spring and I decided to go ahead and get a console. I didn't get a PS3 because blu-ray won, but I would not have purchased a PS3 if blu-ray had lost...if that makes sense. We were leaning towards a PS3 for a number or reasons. We have had other Sony consoles and they were great. We have a library of PSOne software that will play on the PS3. Buying a PS3 means you get a HD DVD player. The Cell technology is amazing and has not yet approached its potential. And my kids really like the games. I scouted this over the summer. I take my kids shopping and let them wander. I often found them playing with a PS3 or a PSP. Very little interest in the xbox and genuine dislike for the WII. Once I decided on a PS3, I assembled a library of 'launch' titles. I did not want one kid to watch or wait for the other so I looked for games that supported multiple players at the console plus online play. I wanted a fighting game, a war game, a platform game, and a racing game. I decided on this list... Resistance: Fall Of Man Warhawk Soul Calibur IV Motorstorm: Pacific Rift Hands-On LittleBigPlanet I haven't purchased Motorstorm, but I downloaded a demo. I'm going to wait on LBP -- I think it might end up being shelfware. I started looking for a deal and stumbled across the Sony Card ($150 off $300 promotion). The wife and I each got a card, so we got a PS3 with a DS3 for $250 and $310 worth of software for $160. When I got the PS3 home and plugged it into my 36" Sony SDTV, I was disappointed with the image quality, so I decided to get an HDTV. I bought three more DS3 controllers and a remote control. Now I have a fabulous entertainment center that has web access, plays video games, and shows hd movies. All for $1600. You can get a PS3 bundle and you'll be able to play games, but, even if you can't afford to purchase at this time, PLAN a path to an entertainment center. That is, afterall what the PS3 is -- an entertainment hub. And think hard about the games you want to play. They can cost as much as $60, so don't take chances -- download demos and read reviews. Good luck!

A better ticket system is all that is needed. Hand each person entitled to a ticket a mag card. For each ticket item, scan the cord for each person who wants one (continuing in line for people who would like to be put on a waiting list). The items scan at full price and the ticket holders get door buster discounts at the register. If some checks out without buying their door buster, it goes to the first person on the waiting list. When that person gets to checkout, they are asked if they still want the item. If not, it goes to the next person on the list. This would be efficient and fair for consumers. Plus it would keep shoppers in the stores longer hoping for items to drop to them. Stores could put up a display as items went out the door. I'd be scanning cards throughout the night to thwart the 'friends' who show up to take their place in line an hour before the store opens.

Understand that the current PS3 models do not play PS2 games. Be very careful to read the box or ad if you are looking for a PS3 that plays PS2 games.

Kohls cash comes to your email box as a printable coupon.

I've never used a ds, but they are popular and inexpensive. We got my youngest a PSP this summer. I had already decided on a PS3 for xmas, so that was a factor. His own experience with the PSP, of course, was the main reason for going that way. I don't think you'll be disappointed with your decision. Just wanted to add that if you sign up for a sony card via sonystyle.com, you will get $150 off your first $300 purchase. The PSP is a better, more expensive game and getting half off your system plus games and accessories is an amazing deal. later...len!

Can't beat Kohls with a stick. Just stopped in there to pick up a dockers button collar long sleeve shirt for $3.99 after kohls cash and a five dollar gift coupon they sent this week.

I don't think you'll see a DLP door buster. For the same reasons I mentioned for the 58" plasma -- too big, too expensive, too specialized. Just watch the bargain sites for a deal. BTW, I don't see a big difference between plasma and dlp prices. What's your budget and how big a set are you looking for?

How did you decide? Did you have input from your kid? Hints? Outright requests? If he just thinks a PS3 is neat, he may also think an xbox is neat. If he wants a PS3, return the xbox stuff and get the PS3. Get the Sony card at sonystyle.com and you can get $150 off your first $300 purchase. $250 for a PS3 is a good deal.

I just got some shirts and a pair of shoes. Got 15% off a good sale price plus $10 back in kohls bucks and a $5 off my next purchase. If what you want is on sale, go for it.

Actually, the 1080 and 720 refer to the number of horizontal lines of resolution and, FWIW, most 720p sets have 768 lines. There are more factors than distance -- especially the size of the screen, but also what you are looking at. 720p content may actually look better on a 720p set than a 1080p set as the 1080p has to scale the image. I usually point people to this chart, but, as you say, it's a rule of thumb. Best to go to a brick and mortar and see how things look when you sit as far back as you would in your living room. Circuit City has a chair and tape measure to help you out. Excellent points. I'd add that glossy screens (i.e., plasmas) are problematic in bright rooms. I noticed that this year the merchants are mounting the tvs at a slight downward angle to reduce this effect. I'd do this at home if I couldn't dim the room with shades and curtains (which I have). I agree. If you can manage the light, get a plasma. I got a 50" 720p Samsung with a 1200w htib for $930 after cashback. I'm breaking it in now. I've watched blu-ray, hd cable, and sd on it. It's beautiful. Even SD DVDs look great when played on the upconverting player. The Samsung bundle is nice since the devices are aware of each other (htib turns on and off with tv). My PS3 looks awesome.

I just made my choice and it was a PS3. For me, it represented the best entertainment value. Let me explain. 1) This console is going in my living room. I wanted an internet appliance, a video game, and a hd dvd player. I waited for the hd dvd war to end before making my choice. The PS3 is a blu-ray player which plays video games and comes with wireless internet access. 2) We have computers that play video games, so I was looking for a different experience. I wanted to improve upon the LAN parties and online gaming that my kids already enjoy. I found the WII intriguing, but thinking about the way my kids play, I decided that adding multi-multi capability to the kinds of games they prefer would provide more enjoyment. (By multi-multi I mean multiple people at the console playing with multiple people on the internet.) I found a lot of excellent games for the PS3 that fit the bill. 3) Out of pocket spend heavily favors the PS3 -- for my configuration, anyway. Video consoles do not respect the free market. The prices are fixed, so you have to be creative to avoid sticker. I bought my PS3 via an ongoing $150 off your first $300 purchase when you open a credit card account promotion at sonystyle.com. So, my PS3 cost $250 (free shipping). That's competitive with the others even before adding a blu-ray player. My wife opened a sonystyle account too (no trickery -- we called and they said that was fine) and we used it to get $310 worth of games for $160. PS3/80g LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (for PSP) Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (for PSP) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- Game of the Year Edition Army of Two Uncharted: Drake's Fortune all for $410. I think that qualifies as a good price. All shipped to my door free. Moonlighting as a blu-ray player adds value for me. Then there's the rest. Sony does not charge for its network services (vs $50 per year, I believe for xbox live). Once you get that working, there are dozens of demos and free games to play. I am a huge fan of demos as these reduce the risk of shelling out $60 for shelfware. I have to say that I eliminated the WII early. I know LOTS of people who have them and most love them, but I played with them and didn't like them very much at all. Of my friends and family who own a WII, few have more than one or two games beyond the sports pack and most play infrequently. Had HDDVD won the format war, I may have gone with an XBox. Already, the two systems are pretty similar and, if history tells us anything, PS3 games will get better going forward. So, there you have it. $400 for the newest console plus a blue-ray player and a handful of amazing games. How can you go wrong?

No one knows, of course, that's why we are all hanging around here But I'll go out on a limb and speculate that there won't be one. It'd be too big, expensive, and limited to serve as a door buster. 58" plasmas are still fetching $2-4k and weigh in at close to 150#. I guess that most would struggle getting a six foot box home. I expect to see mostly LCDs at 42" and smaller on BF. If I were going to plunk down that much money on a TV, price would be a screen criteria, but so would brand and image quality. To wit, start shopping. Make up a list of all the TVs that look good to you and are in the size range you want then watch here to see if any shows up as a BF deal. While you're waiting, keep an eye on the 'deal' sites for your choices -- never know when a deal is going to bite you in the butt!

That's right -- they have another version coming out. New version improves the screen, so no impact on installed base. As far as content goes, get your PSP working wirelessly and download media (games, movies) from your PC or sources on the internet. I don't think movie discs will be wildly popular. Walmart has a good selection of games at good prices.

same here. we fade the speakers to the back and have quiet up front (until the missus dozes; then i turn up the radio to drown her out).

get an fm transmitter instead and play audio through the car's stereo. Kids can hurt their hearing. I like this.

Apples to Oranges, Promom. My youngest has a PSP and loves it. He plays games on it and that is what it does best. We could put movies and music on it, but it's kind of big for that. My oldest has a Sansa View. No games, but it plays movies and music with grace and style. If he wants a video game, consider the PSP (get $150 off your first $300 purchase using a sony card available from sonystyle.com). If he is wanting to watch movies, get something bigger than a nano. If he wants music, the nano is fine. Take a look at the sansa if you are not already committed to itunes.

The thing I HATE about Kohls is that they move their BF items. Even if you get in line early, you have to locate merchandise in the store. The associates did not know where specific items were. So you skoot over to the digital frames only to find an empty shelf then dash over to jewelry where they are stacked on a table.