Games related to airplanes for children

[Top Spin]

My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.

I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.

He has a Windows 2000 computer.

Thanks

PS: Is there a ng that deals with children's games?


--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Murmur]

"Top Spin" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>
> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.
>

Well actually I don't think it's ever too early to begin PC Flying if
there's love for flying ;-)
After all, FS can be enjoyed even without exploiting it to the most complex
features.

Often children prefer combat flying to general aviation, e.g. Pacific
Fighters or Combat Flight Simulator 3, but I don't know if this is the case.
Try to find out.

Anyway, you love or hate Flight Simulations. If he'll love it, he'll be
forever grateful to you. :-)

[Mikael K]

On 27-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:

> I am concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.

Hmm..

My youngest son (now 9 yeas old) has enjoyed flying FS9 from he was 7... And
especially the heavies.. The bigger, the better.. ;o)
And he has no problem controlling it. Of course, the realism is turned down
so crashes just bounce him up in the air again, but otherwise he goes with
the lot.
Often flying for 1 hour or so...

But.. He also likes to take off in Combat Flight Simulator, and try to shoot
down some enemies (or get shot down him self... happens more often).
Or he goes playing in an OLD Jet Fighter game (F22 Lightning3) from '99.

When I asked him, what he did preferred (if any) he couldn't decide..
But he said, that he think he uses a little more time in one of the 2
warbird-games, than flying "normal" AC's...

So.. As Murmur says in another answer.. You have to find out what your
grandson like the most...
Maybe your son/daughter could help you decide? Also they could have an
opinion against a combat-game, and would prefer that it was "civilian"...

Regards
Mikael K

--
Sorry.. no direct reply-email.. ;o)

[Tom Garrett]

My grandson just turned 5 this month. When he comes over he either wants to
play Train Simulator(he is fascinated by trains!) or Flight Simulator(his
second fascination.) He is fairly good at flying, just can't land. But he
enjoys the takeoffs and flying around the sky. If you can find a friend who
had Flight Sim, maybe your grandson could try it there.
Tom
"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>
> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.
>
> He has a Windows 2000 computer.
>
> Thanks
>
> PS: Is there a ng that deals with children's games?
>
>
> --
> Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
> (11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 15:34:23 GMT, "Murmur" >
wrote:

>
>"Top Spin" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
>> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
>> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
>> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>>
>> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
>> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
>> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.
>>
>
>Well actually I don't think it's ever too early to begin PC Flying if
>there's love for flying ;-)
>After all, FS can be enjoyed even without exploiting it to the most complex
>features.

So can the game be customized so make it less complex for beginners? I
think that would make it a go for sure. Personally, I think he'll like
it and do OK. I jjust didn't want it to be soooo hard that he then
wouldn't give it a try later.

>Often children prefer combat flying to general aviation, e.g. Pacific
>Fighters or Combat Flight Simulator 3, but I don't know if this is the case.
>Try to find out.

Are these simpler?

>Anyway, you love or hate Flight Simulations. If he'll love it, he'll be
>forevemr grateful to you. :-)

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:23:52 GMT, "Mikael K" >
wrote:

>
>On 27-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:
>
>> I am concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>
>Hmm..
>
>My youngest son (now 9 yeas old) has enjoyed flying FS9 from he was 7... And
>especially the heavies.. The bigger, the better.. ;o)

That's encouraging. He's not a prodigy, is he? ;-)

>And he has no problem controlling it. Of course, the realism is turned down
>so crashes just bounce him up in the air again, but otherwise he goes with
>the lot.

So the game can be scaled down or customized to make it a little
easier to use for beginners?

>Often flying for 1 hour or so...
>
>But.. He also likes to take off in Combat Flight Simulator, and try to shoot
>down some enemies (or get shot down him self... happens more often).
>Or he goes playing in an OLD Jet Fighter game (F22 Lightning3) from '99.
>
>When I asked him, what he did preferred (if any) he couldn't decide..
>But he said, that he think he uses a little more time in one of the 2
>warbird-games, than flying "normal" AC's...
>
>So.. As Murmur says in another answer.. You have to find out what your
>grandson like the most...
>Maybe your son/daughter could help you decide? Also they could have an
>opinion against a combat-game, and would prefer that it was "civilian"...

I don't think they are 100% opposed to combat games, but I would
prefer something that had more of an instructional component.

Thanks

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> I am
> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.

The short answer is the sim can be as complicated as a 8 page checklist to
start a jet or as simple as pressing the engine start key and going flying
with a Cessna. If he's a smart 8 year old he should be able to have some
fun with it.

Dallas

[GeoffC]

I agree. If you want to start at the beginning, turn the realism off, don't
ever think about landing and then take the extra 300 for a spin (literally).

For what it's worth I think a youngster would prefer a joystick to a yoke.

Geoff



"Dallas" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Top Spin"
> > I am
> > concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>
> The short answer is the sim can be as complicated as a 8 page checklist to
> start a jet or as simple as pressing the engine start key and going flying
> with a Cessna. If he's a smart 8 year old he should be able to have some
> fun with it.
>
> Dallas
>
>

[Chris Harries]

"> I don't think they are 100% opposed to combat games, but I would
> prefer something that had more of an instructional component."

you say that but I would say that something like CFS3 still has education to
it. Its still flying just not as detailed as FS, it as that exciting
shooting element that I think many people like (not that he wouldn't like
FS) and you can learn all about old planes. WW2 types planes, how they are
different, how things are different, and in ww2 military places so he could
learn a bit about ww2 aswell. I learnt alot about WW2 from WW2 games like
Call of Duty, Medal of honour etc


--
www.deadlyhosting.com - Great Game, Voice and Web Hosting.
www.deadlyhosting.com/special.php for a great special.
I apologise now for any spelling mistakes or bad grammar
--
"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 16:23:52 GMT, "Mikael K" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>On 27-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:
>>
>>> I am concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>>
>>Hmm..
>>
>>My youngest son (now 9 yeas old) has enjoyed flying FS9 from he was 7...
>>And
>>especially the heavies.. The bigger, the better.. ;o)
>
> That's encouraging. He's not a prodigy, is he? ;-)
>
>>And he has no problem controlling it. Of course, the realism is turned
>>down
>>so crashes just bounce him up in the air again, but otherwise he goes with
>>the lot.
>
> So the game can be scaled down or customized to make it a little
> easier to use for beginners?
>
>>Often flying for 1 hour or so...
>>
>>But.. He also likes to take off in Combat Flight Simulator, and try to
>>shoot
>>down some enemies (or get shot down him self... happens more often).
>>Or he goes playing in an OLD Jet Fighter game (F22 Lightning3) from '99.
>>
>>When I asked him, what he did preferred (if any) he couldn't decide..
>>But he said, that he think he uses a little more time in one of the 2
>>warbird-games, than flying "normal" AC's...
>>
>>So.. As Murmur says in another answer.. You have to find out what your
>>grandson like the most...
>>Maybe your son/daughter could help you decide? Also they could have an
>>opinion against a combat-game, and would prefer that it was "civilian"...
>
> I don't think they are 100% opposed to combat games, but I would
> prefer something that had more of an instructional component.
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
> (11/09/04)

[Dallas]

"Chris Harries" <
> you say that but I would say that something like CFS3 still has education
to
> it.

Yeah, but with FS9 he could grow up to be an airline pilot and make oodles
of money and support Dad in his retirement years. :-)

Dallas

[Mikael K]

On 27-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:

> That's encouraging. He's not a prodigy, is he? ;-)

Nope.. No prodigy (except the ordinary)... But thx for asking... ;o)

> So the game can be scaled down or customized to make it a little
> easier to use for beginners?

As easy as to push the throttle forward, and pull the stick back...
And then just a little guidance to find out how to select the
favourite-airplane of the day, and start the flight...

By the way.. Does he have a joystick? With a "speed"-lever on (to be
preferred for easy control of speed)?
This would be a good thing to have, to get the most joy out of a flight
simulator...
If he has to steer with the keyboard, he will quickly put the simulator
aside...
So if he doesn't have a joystick, it could be a thing to get his Mom and Dad
into.. :o)


Regards
Mikael K

--
Sorry.. no direct reply-email.. ;o)

[Dallas]

Mikael,

Before we get too carried away, what are your computers specifications?
You'll need a modern processor, about 768 RAM and a good graphics card to
run FS2004....

Dallas

[Dallas]

"Dallas"
> Mikael,
> Before we get too carried away, what are your computers specifications?

Err... that should have been directed to Top Spin...


Dallas

[Jan Berg]

"Top Spin" wrote:

> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.

In my opinion, an eight year old kid shouldn't stay alone with a computer.
If your daughter/son thinks the same, she/he could help him to set up
the sim or flight. If your grandson will find himself back on the runway,
with started engines and full flaps, be sure he will get up to the sky
somehow.

> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.

As I said before, if your grandson will get some support from his
parents, there should be no age-limitation to start using a computer or
aircraft (imo), as long as you consider the age-recommendation
of the games publisher or your countries law. For this reason, if I
were you, I would not think about war-games for young children.

Besides, a simulation like the MS-FS9, can really improve your
grandsons geography-skill :-). Even my son, who is just three years
old, tooks the first steps, to be a great armchair-pilot, like his daddy
already is...

Sorry for bad english and grammar,
Jan

[Murmur]

"Top Spin" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> So can the game be customized so make it less complex for beginners? I
> think that would make it a go for sure. Personally, I think he'll like
> it and do OK. I jjust didn't want it to be soooo hard that he then
> wouldn't give it a try later.
>

Yes it can. But don't underestimate the learning capabilities of a 8 year
old boy, they usually learn quicker and easier. The only discriminant here
is if he's really interested in flying. In that case, I'm pretty sure, soon
he'll be teaching to you how to use FS. ;-P

>>Often children prefer combat flying to general aviation, e.g. Pacific
>>Fighters or Combat Flight Simulator 3, but I don't know if this is the
>>case.
>>Try to find out.
>
> Are these simpler?
>

Well, it depends on several factors...WWII flight simulators don't require
the knowledge of modern nav systems, and are usually designed to make quick
plays. Sometimes children prefer them for the shooting element.

[boB]

Dallas wrote:

> "Chris Harries" <
>
>>you say that but I would say that something like CFS3 still has education
>
> to
>
>>it.
>
>
> Yeah, but with FS9 he could grow up to be an airline pilot and make oodles
> of money and support Dad in his retirement years. :-)
>
> Dallas
>
>


Dalli, I have never once heard a good thing about CFS-3. Did I miss
something?

And as for landing, an 8 year old will have a better time learning to
land on a long straight road, where even if he goes off the road, it
doesn't matter. He'll come to a stop and he's ready for take-off again.

But once he gets good enough to land on, and stay on, a road the sense
of accomplishment will be surpassed only by landing safely on an one of
the airfields in the sim.


--

boB

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[Jan Berg]

"boB" wrote:

> Dalli, I have never once heard a good thing about CFS-3. Did I miss
> something?

Apparent, Firepower

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/firepower/review.html

But I have just read about it...

> [..]

Jan

[boB]

Jan Berg wrote:

> "boB" wrote:
>
>
>>Dalli, I have never once heard a good thing about CFS-3. Did I miss
>>something?
>
>
> Apparent, Firepower
>
> http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/firepower/review.html
>
> But I have just read about it...
> Jan
>


Darn it Jan! I'm not gonna dig out my CFS3. FS9 takes most of my time
as it is. Is it addictive?

:)

:)




--

boB

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 20:15:22 GMT, "Mikael K" >
wrote:

>
>On 27-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:
>
>> That's encouraging. He's not a prodigy, is he? ;-)
>
>Nope.. No prodigy (except the ordinary)... But thx for asking... ;o)
>
>> So the game can be scaled down or customized to make it a little
>> easier to use for beginners?
>
>As easy as to push the throttle forward, and pull the stick back...
>And then just a little guidance to find out how to select the
>favourite-airplane of the day, and start the flight...
>
>By the way.. Does he have a joystick? With a "speed"-lever on (to be
>preferred for easy control of speed)?
>This would be a good thing to have, to get the most joy out of a flight
>simulator...
>If he has to steer with the keyboard, he will quickly put the simulator
>aside...

Nope. That was going to be my next question.

Any recommendations for a really good joystick?

Is there anything else? Leather flight jacket? Silk scarf? French
lass?

I think I read about foot pedals. I guess that can be for birthday
next year if he's still into it.

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 20:26:43 GMT, "Dallas"
> wrote:

>Mikael,
>
>Before we get too carried away, what are your computers specifications?
>You'll need a modern processor, about 768 RAM and a good graphics card to
>run FS2004....

I think his computer is good. If not, his folks will get a new one. He
already has a lot of educational games and they play just fine.

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:43:16 -0700, "Tom Garrett"
> wrote:

>My grandson just turned 5 this month. When he comes over he either wants to
>play Train Simulator(he is fascinated by trains!)

He also likes trains. I didn't notice train simulator before. Are you
talking about the Microsoft game?

Is it easier to use that flight simulator? Maybe I'll get that for him
first and then FS later.

Any peripherals needed for TS (joystick)?

>or Flight Simulator(his
>second fascination.) He is fairly good at flying, just can't land. But he
>enjoys the takeoffs and flying around the sky.

That's encouraging.

>If you can find a friend who
>had Flight Sim, maybe your grandson could try it there.
>Tom
>"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
>> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
>> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
>> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
>> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>>
>> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
>> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
>> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.
>>
>> He has a Windows 2000 computer.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> PS: Is there a ng that deals with children's games?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
>> (11/09/04)
>


--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Quilljar]

I have a grandson who has enjoyed FSims since he was about six. I just used
to get him into the air by slewing first ,and then he hunted about in a Lear
Jet to find AI aircraft to crash into! He soon became very skilled, much
better than I am, and especially at using all the different facilites the
sim offers. He would play for three or four hours at a time.
One of the great Educational benefits was the practice in spatial awareness
and 3D thinking.

Since my son's pending divorce, I don't get to have the fun with him that we
used to enjoy any more :-(
He taught me not to take it too seriously!


Quilljar

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> I think his computer is good. If not, his folks will get a new one. He
> already has a lot of educational games and they play just fine.

I can not think of a single "game" that requires more resources that FS2004.
I had to make a $700 upgrade to my computer to bring it up to FS2004s
standards.

My point is this, if his computer is 2 years old... you should find a copy
of FS2002 instead of FS2004.

Dallas

[Mikael K]

On 28-Feb-2005, Top Spin > wrote:

> Any recommendations for a really good joystick?

For the good quality all-round joystick, I would recommend a Logitech
Extreme 3D Pro..
Prices are around 30-35$...

With regards to the foot pedals, that would add to further realism...
But it might be to much at one time. Then they would be better to add later
(in a couple of years)...

Regards
Mikael K

--
Sorry.. no direct reply-email.. ;o)

[Tom Garrett]

Yes, it's Microsoft Train Simulator. No joystick or Yoke needed, just the
keyboard. If he can read, which he should being 8, he should be able to use
it and have a ball. BUT, driving trains is not half the fun of flying
planes. What I would suggest, is ask him which he likes best, planes or
trains, and take it from there.
Tom
"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:43:16 -0700, "Tom Garrett"
> > wrote:
>
>>My grandson just turned 5 this month. When he comes over he either wants
>>to
>>play Train Simulator(he is fascinated by trains!)
>
> He also likes trains. I didn't notice train simulator before. Are you
> talking about the Microsoft game?
>
> Is it easier to use that flight simulator? Maybe I'll get that for him
> first and then FS later.
>
> Any peripherals needed for TS (joystick)?
>
>>or Flight Simulator(his
>>second fascination.) He is fairly good at flying, just can't land. But he
>>enjoys the takeoffs and flying around the sky.
>
> That's encouraging.
>
>>If you can find a friend who
>>had Flight Sim, maybe your grandson could try it there.
>>Tom
>>"Top Spin" > wrote in message
...
>>> My grandson will be 8 in a month. He loves airplanes. He is also
>>> pretty good on the computer. I was thinking of getting him a copy of
>>> FS for his birthday, but after lurking on this ng for a few days, I am
>>> concerned that the game is too complicated for an 8 year old.
>>>
>>> I would appreciate any opinions on the appropriateness of FS for an 8
>>> year old boy. If FS is not a good choice, I would appreciate
>>> suggestions for other games involving ariplanes that would be.
>>>
>>> He has a Windows 2000 computer.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> PS: Is there a ng that deals with children's games?
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
>>> (11/09/04)
>>
>
>
> --
> Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
> (11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 23:32:34 GMT, "Dallas"
> wrote:

>
>"Top Spin"
>> I think his computer is good. If not, his folks will get a new one. He
>> already has a lot of educational games and they play just fine.
>
>I can not think of a single "game" that requires more resources that FS2004.
>I had to make a $700 upgrade to my computer to bring it up to FS2004s
>standards.
>
>My point is this, if his computer is 2 years old... you should find a copy
>of FS2002 instead of FS2004.

Are you saying that it won't run at all on a 2 year old PC or that it
will underperform in some way (slow, fuzzy graphics, etc.)?

Unless it won't load, I'm inclined to install it and see what happens.
If it needs more horsepower, they can deal with that.

Thanks

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Jan Berg]

"Dallas" wrote:

> [..]
> My point is this, if his computer is 2 years old... you should find a copy
> of FS2002 instead of FS2004.

There is a fs2002.exe in my fs2004 folder, i didn't execute this yet, but I
thought that fs2004 includes fs2002. I'm wrong?

Jan

[Dallas]

"boB"
> Darn it Jan! I'm not gonna dig out my CFS3. FS9 takes most of my time
> as it is. Is it addictive?

My problem with CFS3 was the flight dynamic engine, they didn't have the
feel of air under their wings like FS9 does. It was like flying pieces of
plywood around.

Dallas

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> Are you saying that it won't run at all on a 2 year old PC or that it
> will underperform in some way (slow, fuzzy graphics, etc.)?

For example: If the computer is a 2 year old Pentium 900 with an on board
64k graphics card... it will "run" but at a frame rate so slow that it will
effectively be "not running".

Most of us have 2.5+ Ghz processors and $300+ graphic accelerator cards.

Can you call and find out what the computer's specs are and post them here?

Dallas

(See the thread I started: Would this run FS9?)

[Dallas]

"Jan Berg"
> There is a fs2002.exe in my fs2004 folder, i didn't execute this yet, but
I
> thought that fs2004 includes fs2002. I'm wrong?

Yep...

That fs2002.exe and fs2000.exe just start FS9. My guess is they are there
because some install programs search for them to install programs in the
right folder.

Dallas

[Top Spin]

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 05:55:58 GMT, "Dallas"
> wrote:

>
>"Top Spin"
>> Are you saying that it won't run at all on a 2 year old PC or that it
>> will underperform in some way (slow, fuzzy graphics, etc.)?
>
>For example: If the computer is a 2 year old Pentium 900 with an on board
>64k graphics card... it will "run" but at a frame rate so slow that it will
>effectively be "not running".
>
>Most of us have 2.5+ Ghz processors and $300+ graphic accelerator cards.
>
>Can you call and find out what the computer's specs are and post them here?

I called, but my daughter doesn't know. Is there a utility I can get
that she can run on the PC to display the specs?

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> I called, but my daughter doesn't know. Is there a utility I can get
> that she can run on the PC to display the specs?

(This is for WinXP I can only hope its the same for Win2000.)

Yeah, on WinXP she can got to Start->Settings->Control Panel->System

On the General tab she will find "Computer:" and the name and speed of the
processor along with the amount of installed RAM.

For the Graphics card Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Display->press
the Advanced button->Adapter tab



Dallas

[Carl Frisk]

Or run dxdiag for adapter info.

--
....Carl Frisk
Anger is a brief madness.
- Horace, 20 B.C.
http://www.carlfrisk.com


"Dallas" > wrote in message ink.net...
> "Top Spin"
>> I called, but my daughter doesn't know. Is there a utility I can get
>> that she can run on the PC to display the specs?
>
> (This is for WinXP I can only hope its the same for Win2000.)
>
> Yeah, on WinXP she can got to Start->Settings->Control Panel->System
>
> On the General tab she will find "Computer:" and the name and speed of the
> processor along with the amount of installed RAM.
>
> For the Graphics card Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Display->press
> the Advanced button->Adapter tab
>
>
>
> Dallas
>
>

[Top Spin]

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 16:56:38 GMT, "Dallas"
> wrote:

>"Top Spin"
>> I called, but my daughter doesn't know. Is there a utility I can get
>> that she can run on the PC to display the specs?
>
>(This is for WinXP I can only hope its the same for Win2000.)
>
>Yeah, on WinXP she can got to Start->Settings->Control Panel->System
>
>On the General tab she will find "Computer:" and the name and speed of the
>processor along with the amount of installed RAM.
>
>For the Graphics card Start->Settings->Control Panel->System->Display->press
>the Advanced button->Adapter tab

Yes, my Win2K system has the System applet. I don't see where it sows
the processor speed or the graphics card or video memory.

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Top Spin]

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 18:39:45 GMT, "Carl Frisk"
> wrote:

>Or run dxdiag for adapter info.

Cool, that seems to do the trick.

Now, what all information do I need her to write down?

I tested my own laptop and desktop. Are the parameters listed below
the ones I need to get for my grandson's PC? Any others?

Thanks



My Desktop Computer:

System Tab:
OS: Windows 2000 Professional (5.0, Build 2195)
Processor: Intel Pentium III ~995 MHz
Memory: 510MB RAM
Page File: 232MB used, 1015MB available

Display tab:
Name: Intel 82815 Graphics Controller
Approx Total Memory: 4.0 MB
Monitor: SyncMaster 173P



My Notebook Computer:

System Tab:
OS: Windows 2000 Professional (5.0, Build 2195)
System MOdel: HP Omnibook PC
Processor: Intel Pentium III ~60 MHz
Memory: 512MB RAM
Page File: 209MB used, 1315MB available

Display tab:
Name:ATI RAGE MOBILITY-M AGP
Approx Total Memory: 8.0 MB
Monitor: Digital Flat Panel

--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> Are the parameters listed below
> the ones I need to get for my grandson's PC? Any others?

Yup... that would do it...

Dallas

[Top Spin]

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 17:02:37 -0700, "Tom Garrett"
> wrote:

>Yes, it's Microsoft Train Simulator. No joystick or Yoke needed, just the
>keyboard. If he can read, which he should being 8, he should be able to use
>it and have a ball. BUT, driving trains is not half the fun of flying
>planes. What I would suggest, is ask him which he likes best, planes or
>trains, and take it from there.
>Tom

I'm guessing that Train Simulator does not demand nearly the processor
or graphics power that FS does. Right?

Thanks


--
Email: Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com
(11/09/04)

[Dallas]

"Top Spin"
> I'm guessing that Train Simulator does not demand nearly the processor
> or graphics power that FS does. Right?

I have no idea... :-)

http://www.microsoft.com/games/trainsimulator/


Dallas

[Ace]

Hi there,

My son just turned nine - however he has been flying FS2004 since he
was about seven.

Granted there is a lot he does not understand about flying (I.E nav,
GPS, etc...) However he has no problems choosing an aircraft, and
flying it. I had to do quite a bit of coaching initially in order to
get him to understand the joystick and what each button is for. I
found that flying in external view helped him tremendously. Now days
he flys quite well (even the odd landing) I have realism set to easy
for him and I have turned off "detect crashes"

My daughter who is the same age (twins) occasionally jumps in too and
flys around.

I would certainly recommend it. Just bear prepared for some coaching
early on.

Ian
www.fstv.us