Mac Forums Talk about Apple Mac hardware software iPod iTunes Buying Tips, Advice and Discussion - View Single Post - PC and Mac applications that every gamer should have

weic · 02-28-2006, 11:23 PM

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...11151241994818

With the next-generation of game consoles just around the corner, the line between PC and console gaming is becoming increasingly blurred. Consoles like the Xbox 360 are borrowing standard PC features like media playback and packaging them in an appealing box, at a lower price than an equivalent PC or Mac. The Xbox 360 is also standardizing features like online game purchasing and wireless controllers. It's easy to see a future where game developers stray away from the PC as a games platform and stick exclusively to consoles with their simple interfaces and standard features. However, there are still several areas in which the PC has the advantage over game consoles. Some things you can't do with a game console: create machinima exclusively on the console, download cheat codes, take and share screenshots and chat with large groups of people simultaneously.
The stereotype that PC gamers are "hardcore" in comparison to the typical "casual" console gamer is just that, a stereotype. There are plenty of Halo 2 players out there that spend 6 hours a day gaming, just as there are people that start up
X-Plane
(a relatively complex flight simulator) for a casual flight every now and again. In the end, everyone needs to settle down and realise that consoles and computers complement each other. This feature is all about software and resources that will help you improve your existing gaming experience on a console and/or your computer.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...12130816697228
Azureus
,
BitComet
and
uTorrent
are three of the most popular BitTorrent clients available. Whilst these applications can be used to distribute illegal or pornographic content, independent game developers are increasingly using BitTorrent to distribute games, demos and mods across the web. Because BT files are peer to peer, the more people that download a particular file, the faster that file downloads. Anything that reduces the time people have to wait for a new mod or demo is fine by us. Just make sure to avoid any dodgy content - there’s a lot out there.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...00785094998202

Whilst the
Cheat Database
isn’t technically an application — and you’ll definitely lose the repect of your hardcore gamer buddies for bookmarking this site — having a constantly updated library of
videogame
cheats is an essential resource for any PC gamer. Make sure that the next time you get a “muuuust blow up cars!” craving in GTA, you’re only be a few keystrokes away from a fully equipped Apache helicopter!

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...07300673100879

In a similar vein to BitTorrent,
Download Express
(or
Download Accelerator Plus
on the Mac) is a simple, small and free download accelerator. Getting popular videogame files from the web (whether they’re screenshots, trailers, mods or game demos) can sometimes be a tiresome experience, especially if they’re popular and therefore slow. Whilst some webmasters hate download accelerators (and several download sites ban them), they’re totally legal and can have a very positive impact on download speed.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...44728460726846
DOSBox
allows you to run older DOS games on your modern PC that may not run correctly (or at all) under Window’s built in DOS emulation. The focus of DOSBox goes beyond mere emulation: the idea here is to get DOS games to run smoothly. That means that features such as network and printer support are on the backburner for now. This program allows people with Windows 2000/XP, Linux and FreeBSD to access a myriad of games from the pre-Windows era. So head up to the attic and rediscover your PC gaming past!

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...45175641849496

As the homepage for
FRAPS
states, there are three main things that this versatile application can do. To start with: it can display the framerate of pretty much every DirectX and OpenGL game out there. You can even setup custom benchmarks - just set a start and end point for recording the framerate. It’ll output the data to a file on your desktop which you can then open up in Excel and convert into pie… charts. It also features an excellent screen capture feature that’s light years ahead of Window’s awful “print screen” function. It’ll automatically create a jpeg on your desktop - that’s named and timestamped. Finally, its best feature: realtime video capture! FRAPS is the application to use if you have machinima aspirations. Mac users should check out the similarly featured
Snapz Pro X
.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...50402339176015
MAME
, which stands for the “multiple arcade machine emulator”, is the second emulator on the list. As you can probably guess it’s used to emulate arcade games. In development since 1996, with over 100 people helping with the project, this is the emulator to use if you want to play long-lost arcade games. The combination of MAME with above average DIY skills has allowed people to
create custom arcade cabinets
: the ultimate toy for a bachelor pad.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...21280705495726

mIRC
and
Xchat
are are two of the best
internet relay chat
programs out there and are essential for arranging online games, getting in touch with friends and mocking other inferior gamers. There’s a lot of geek culture surrounding IRC since it’s been around pretty much since the first online multiplayer games. However once you’ve found a server and channel you like, there’s no going back. If you’re a Mac user that’s having aqua withdrawl, check out the Apple styled
Colloquy
.

http://img.engadget.com/common/image...74079309233817
NetNewsWire
and
SharpReader
are the best RSS readers on the Mac and PC platform respectively. RSS cuts out the middleman (or more specifically, the web browsing) that gets in the way between you and the latest news from the world of videogames. Both of the above readers have an easy to navigate user interface, but NetNewsWire edges ahead feature-wise with its support for tabbed browsing, smart feed lists and compatibility with Tiger’s automater. Because RSS feeds automatically update whenever new content appears, you don’t have to wait as long to read the latest from your favorite games weblog. RSS is an essential part of the gamer’s daily diet.

02-28-2006, 11:23 PM	#1
weic Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 7	PC and Mac applications that every gamer should have http://img.engadget.com/common/image...11151241994818 With the next-generation of game consoles just around the corner, the line between PC and console gaming is becoming increasingly blurred. Consoles like the Xbox 360 are borrowing standard PC features like media playback and packaging them in an appealing box, at a lower price than an equivalent PC or Mac. The Xbox 360 is also standardizing features like online game purchasing and wireless controllers. It's easy to see a future where game developers stray away from the PC as a games platform and stick exclusively to consoles with their simple interfaces and standard features. However, there are still several areas in which the PC has the advantage over game consoles. Some things you can't do with a game console: create machinima exclusively on the console, download cheat codes, take and share screenshots and chat with large groups of people simultaneously. The stereotype that PC gamers are "hardcore" in comparison to the typical "casual" console gamer is just that, a stereotype. There are plenty of Halo 2 players out there that spend 6 hours a day gaming, just as there are people that start up X-Plane (a relatively complex flight simulator) for a casual flight every now and again. In the end, everyone needs to settle down and realise that consoles and computers complement each other. This feature is all about software and resources that will help you improve your existing gaming experience on a console and/or your computer. http://img.engadget.com/common/image...12130816697228 Azureus , BitComet and uTorrent are three of the most popular BitTorrent clients available. Whilst these applications can be used to distribute illegal or pornographic content, independent game developers are increasingly using BitTorrent to distribute games, demos and mods across the web. Because BT files are peer to peer, the more people that download a particular file, the faster that file downloads. Anything that reduces the time people have to wait for a new mod or demo is fine by us. Just make sure to avoid any dodgy content - there’s a lot out there. http://img.engadget.com/common/image...00785094998202 Whilst the Cheat Database isn’t technically an application — and you’ll definitely lose the repect of your hardcore gamer buddies for bookmarking this site — having a constantly updated library of videogame cheats is an essential resource for any PC gamer. Make sure that the next time you get a “muuuust blow up cars!” craving in GTA, you’re only be a few keystrokes away from a fully equipped Apache helicopter! http://img.engadget.com/common/image...07300673100879 In a similar vein to BitTorrent, Download Express (or Download Accelerator Plus on the Mac) is a simple, small and free download accelerator. Getting popular videogame files from the web (whether they’re screenshots, trailers, mods or game demos) can sometimes be a tiresome experience, especially if they’re popular and therefore slow. Whilst some webmasters hate download accelerators (and several download sites ban them), they’re totally legal and can have a very positive impact on download speed. http://img.engadget.com/common/image...44728460726846 DOSBox allows you to run older DOS games on your modern PC that may not run correctly (or at all) under Window’s built in DOS emulation. The focus of DOSBox goes beyond mere emulation: the idea here is to get DOS games to run smoothly. That means that features such as network and printer support are on the backburner for now. This program allows people with Windows 2000/XP, Linux and FreeBSD to access a myriad of games from the pre-Windows era. So head up to the attic and rediscover your PC gaming past! http://img.engadget.com/common/image...45175641849496 As the homepage for FRAPS states, there are three main things that this versatile application can do. To start with: it can display the framerate of pretty much every DirectX and OpenGL game out there. You can even setup custom benchmarks - just set a start and end point for recording the framerate. It’ll output the data to a file on your desktop which you can then open up in Excel and convert into pie… charts. It also features an excellent screen capture feature that’s light years ahead of Window’s awful “print screen” function. It’ll automatically create a jpeg on your desktop - that’s named and timestamped. Finally, its best feature: realtime video capture! FRAPS is the application to use if you have machinima aspirations. Mac users should check out the similarly featured Snapz Pro X . http://img.engadget.com/common/image...50402339176015 MAME , which stands for the “multiple arcade machine emulator”, is the second emulator on the list. As you can probably guess it’s used to emulate arcade games. In development since 1996, with over 100 people helping with the project, this is the emulator to use if you want to play long-lost arcade games. The combination of MAME with above average DIY skills has allowed people to create custom arcade cabinets : the ultimate toy for a bachelor pad. http://img.engadget.com/common/image...21280705495726 mIRC and Xchat are are two of the best internet relay chat programs out there and are essential for arranging online games, getting in touch with friends and mocking other inferior gamers. There’s a lot of geek culture surrounding IRC since it’s been around pretty much since the first online multiplayer games. However once you’ve found a server and channel you like, there’s no going back. If you’re a Mac user that’s having aqua withdrawl, check out the Apple styled Colloquy . http://img.engadget.com/common/image...74079309233817 NetNewsWire and SharpReader are the best RSS readers on the Mac and PC platform respectively. RSS cuts out the middleman (or more specifically, the web browsing) that gets in the way between you and the latest news from the world of videogames. Both of the above readers have an easy to navigate user interface, but NetNewsWire edges ahead feature-wise with its support for tabbed browsing, smart feed lists and compatibility with Tiger’s automater. Because RSS feeds automatically update whenever new content appears, you don’t have to wait as long to read the latest from your favorite games weblog. RSS is an essential part of the gamer’s daily diet.