Multi Questions - Help!

Great Forum - I've learned a lot from reading the threads...I'm a DUNCE when it comes to computers so any help is appreciated.

I have the totally basic MacBook (it runs on Flintstone feet power) - OS X 10.4.11, 2 GHz Inel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, and Intel GMA graphics

Questions:
1. Is windlight possible with my computer? As I up my SL graphic sliders, my screen goes white or I see checkerboards where land/sky/water should be...and I either crash or move at a snail's pace for about 20 minutes while I try to move the sliders back down.

2. If windlight is NOT possible, would a simple graphics card upgrade work? (And, please offer recommendations)

3. I have a black blobbie triangle that appears on my screen when I cam about and it even shows up in pictures - Is this a Mac thing? How do I get rid of it?

4. Is anyone having camera issues with the new (FORCED) upgrade? I can barely touch my camera to move and it just keeps moving, in fact its making me a bit motion sick because its so jerky.

5. Is anyone else so addicted to SL, they have contemplated buying a new computer so SL can run faster, smoother, or fancier (Windlight)?



Thank you for taking the time to read my post!

Vixie

From all I have heard, the MacBook (As opposed to the more expensive MacBook Pro or MacBook Air) is not terribly well suited to running Second Life, with or without Windlight. Running SL *well* on a laptop typically requires a "Gamers Rig", one of the small percentage of laptops that have the video capabilities tweaked to the max for people who plan to use them for high-end gaming - and those systems usually are Windows OS, and tend to start at $3000 to $4000 USD. The majority of laptops, regardless of operating system, are a poor choice for running a high-end, real-time 3D environment, The highest configuration of the MacBook Pro is the only system in the Apple product offerings that comes close to being a "gaming rig", and it pales compared to the Windows gaming rigs.

Not possible to upgrade a MacBook's video card, short of extreme hardware hacking that would void your warranty. The Apple Laptops, unlike many Windows laptops, do not offer an upgrade path for the video card in the laptop. It's usually integrated into the motherboard, and is completely inaccessible to all but the most rabidly dedicated hardware hackers who are willing to take apart over 50 parts to dig deep into the guts of the system and try to make an unauthorized modification.

That is either a graphic setting that is too high or incompatible with your hardware, or one of the many "beacons" that can optionally be set. No, most Macs don't see such things. A screen shot showing it may help someone to identify the exact cause.

I've read several such complaints in the forums, mostly from people on older hardware or older operating systems or low-power graphics cards. I never use the movement control panel, myself. The keyboard and mouse controls for moving and for maneuvering your camera are far more precise.

Yep. I bought a Mac Pro tower last December, because my first-generation Mac Mini, with integrated graphics, just wasn't up to handling the first generation of Windlight on SL. Took me close to half a year of scrimping and saving to save up enough money to buy it, but I LOVE how SL runs on it now!

======

As a dedicated fan of Mac OS, the sad thing is that although Mac has, for years, been proud of their graphics capability, for the last 5 years or so the high end of what a Mac could do in terms of 3D graphics and other extreme graphics demands have been easily surpassed by what is available in the Windows market. Even on their most expensive system, the Mac Pro Tower, there are limitations on the power supply that makes it impossible to use the highest-performance video cards that you find in a desktop Gaming Rig PC.

I love Mac. But if I really wanted to get maximum performance out of SL, I'd have to buy a Windows gaming rig. Which would cost about what I paid for my Mac Pro Tower, but would close to double the video power. But aside from Sl and a couple high-end 3D Art programs that I have, I don't have ay other use for a Windows system. My entire suite of applications that I use daily are on Mac, and most do not exist on Windows, or I would have to purchase them all over again to get the Windows versions. No thanks.

Thank you very much Ceera! I figured my Flintstone feet powered MacBook was no match for SL. /me wonders what it would be like to have a fancy computer to play SL...

hmmmm....maybe next year I can justify it, as my computer will be the ripe old age of TWO.

hey!

i was born with a mac in my mouth

my hardware (2 years old) to run sl:
iMac 17" - intel c2d 2Ghz /1GbRam/ATIx1600-128MbVram
OSX 10.4.11
sl Viewer v1.20.17 - custom settings

i have no problems to stay on my sim for days:
2 viewers open (me & my alt(model))
and -> to paint textures in ColorIt (rosetta mode)
and -> to run safari
sometimes my machine is running hot -> then i switch to "standby" for one night to cool it down.

@1
your intelGMA is ok to view documents but its not a videoboard to play modern 3dgames with - > shared memory.

@5
cos of sl i have updated my bandwidth to -> 8k down/ 2k up
and yes i plan to buy a new mac in spring/summer 2009

I think Ceera over estimates the cost of a suitable SL laptop. You do not need a $3000 gamers rig. There are a lot of laptops in the $1200 to $2000 range that will be very good (not max everything, but still very good). My 2 year old laptopn has an nvidia GO 7600, and it supports windlight and lots of features.

As of today, you probably need either an ATI 2xxx or higher, or an NVidia 8xxx or higher. The second number is importatn too, get a high one.

Rumor has it that the new Macbooks next week will have Grphics cards that are much better for SL.

thank you both for the great replies! i'm loving the new macbook pro - that may be something i'll invest in next year.

hiya.i have intel extreme graphics 2 i used to be able to play sl fine but my computer crashed not so long ago and i had to get some oen to fix it i think they mite have changed somethign becouse since that its horrible and i miss sl ( could some one help me?? or is it just my crapy computer

Eemer? Which Mac OS are you on? They recently had a required client upgrade, and the clients that would run under Mac OS X 10.3.9 and earlier will no longer be allowed to access the grid, because of a security hole that they felt had to be closed.

There are a few 3rd-party clienst that will still run for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and earlier, such as the Mac version of the "cool Viewer" by BoyLane. Search the forums for "Cool Viewer" to find info on that.

I just upgraded my version of SL to 1.21.6 (99587), and all today I keep crashing. Any recommendations?

Questions:
1. Is windlight possible with my computer?
Offhand, I'm not sure if it can be done. While your machine's performance isn't awful (damn sight better than my old PowerBook G4), it uses the dreaded Intel integrated graphics controller. The Intel graphics is absolutely fine for normal everyday stuff, but not so much with advanced stuff (like windlight)

2. If windlight is NOT possible, would a simple graphics card upgrade work?
You don't have that option. Your computer's graphics are wired into the system board.

3. I have a black blobbie triangle that appears on my screen when I cam about and it even shows up in pictures - Is this a Mac thing? How do I get rid of it?
Might be specific to your viewer. On the SL viewer, I'd say check the Advanced tab (assuming you've enabled that menu) and turn off the mouselook cursor.

4. Is anyone having camera issues with the new (FORCED) upgrade? Dunno, I'm just about to switch over to it (been running the RC5 viewer with no troubles.

5. Is anyone else so addicted to SL, they have contemplated buying a new computer so SL can run faster, smoother, or fancier (Windlight)?
*looks at brand new machine innocently* WHY THAT'S PREPOSTEROUS!!! Seriously, SL was just one of many considerations when I got this machine. I'd been planning an upgrade for ages, and I based my decisions on other beefier specs I needed for my a/v studio needs. IF what I needed had wound up being a much smaller machine, I would have considered stepping up a bit if that meant SL (and other 3D apps) would run better.

Just moved over to 1.21.6 and am having no troubles at all.