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[umiman]

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/05/27/cheap-handheld-rogue.html

I don't think you can fit enough coolant and processing power in something that small...

[Sean Mirrsen]

"Enough" is how much?

Granted, 64mb of RAM and a 500MHz CPU wouldn't be enough, so for example the Glofiish M800 probably wouldn't cut it, but the next V-something model probably could manage a small world and a small site.
If you want something to play "on the go", a UMPC is in order, either akin to Asus's Eee PC, or our russian "Roverbook Q7".
(orwhateveritiscalledidontrememberalready)
The 'book's special feature is that it's a slider, designed so that you can use the entirety of the keyboard with your thumbs, without having to put the thing anywhere. I'd buy that if I ever needed a UMPC. The price is somewhere near 800$ though.

For something as small as a DS, I don't think it's possible to run DF in full, unless - unless it's really a WLAN terminal exchanging input and output with a processing unit strapped to your belt or disguised as a small suitcase. Speaking of which, such a terminal thing would be ideal for multiplayer games.

[sinoth]

I have an Asus EEE PC, and it works well for portable DF.  I've played it on a pocket world, with a 3x3 play area, and had about 50 dwarves with very little slowdown.  Much more than that, and I'm sure it would start slowing down a lot.  The important specs for DF are RAM and CPU speed... the EEE has a 900 Mhz processor and is easily upgraded to 2 gigs of RAM.

It would be amazing to have something even more portable, like the concept shot in the article umiman linked.  I think we'd need something with at least 2 ghz CPU and 2 gigs RAM.

I do hope at some point Toady takes a month or so purely on optimization.  Maybe then 2ghz would be more than enough to run smoothly.

[Slappy Moose]

That would be SO BADASS if someone made that thing.

Play DF on long flights and stuff!

[Sean Mirrsen]

[JustOnePixel]

$1000 for THAT?!  Jeez.  Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, I guess, considering what crap the USD is worth these days.

[Alfador]

I can run DF on my new laptop... sure, it's not QUITE as portable as some of these ideas, but I can take it on a plane...

[Idiom]

I recall some game developers getting together to discuss the future of gaming. Summarized:
Massive server farms (likely google) that run the games on them. You pay per play, or 'buy' permanent access to a game. You hook up to an available server, the keyboard/mouse input is sent. Server processes. Images fed back to you. With internet speeding up as it is, 60 FPS @ 1280x1024 worth of data will be nill. Any cruddy computer could be used to play any game, and the more you pay, the higher you'd be allowed to crank up the graphics.

Why not something similar? The images for DF can be sent in hundreds of text files of symbols per second with ease. Keep your decent home machine on with the server software, and you can remotely access DF on your good home PC with your PDA wherever internet is available (or possibly even wherever just cell phone service is available, the data would be so little).

You don't have to run the game on something that small, just enough to send/receive input/output. DF on my cell... I can just imagine the bill. Would be worth it with unlimited minutes plans.
===

quote: Play DF on long flights and stuff!

No! Don't land yet! Just... one... more... season!

[ May 28, 2008: Message edited by: Idiom ]

[Sean Mirrsen]

quote:Originally posted by JustOnePixel:
<STRONG>$1000 for THAT?!  Jeez.  Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, I guess, considering what crap the USD is worth these days.</STRONG>

Well, for a 7inch touchscreen, laptop-level hardware, easy-to-use-while-holding keyboard, GPS, TV, and any kind of internet you can think of, I think it's alright. The mentioned M800 is 21000RUB, which is slightly less for greatly inferior hardware plus phone capability. If I would need another portable PC, I'd rather keep my nokia 6670 and get the rover than just get the m800.