WHAT!!!???

Hi Mac,
You and the others certainly are an enthusiastic bunch, I salute that.
Don't know anything about your side of the world, sorry. My middle name, Ozzie, has to do with my parents enjoyment of a bandleader in the great depression, a fellow who later became a TV star, Ozzie Nelson. If you're less than 50 years old you never heard of him.
I'll play with Trainz as time permits, seeing if cutting back the operational perameters, improves performance. I might even think about more RAM.
I think the Video card in this machine is an Nvidia with 512 on board.
What does RAM cost these days.
One problem with getting old is that prices always seem shocking, and we haven't seen anything yet.
Jerry Ozzie Pryor

Sorry Ozzie,
I just assumed with a name like "Ozzie" that you where a true blue "Ocker" from "downunder" living in the States. Well hopefully you have seen enough of the world to know about "rugby, racing & beer". They are National past-times down this part of the world... :hehe:
Ozzie Nelson was alittle before my time. (Jimmy Hendrick, Black Sabath, Urah Heap, Deep Purple, The Doors & The Who where more my time). :hehe:

Turning the sliders more to the left (from the default settings) will definately improve performance.
Your video card sounds OK, but I would still highly recommend you increase your RAM upto 3 gigs.
The cost of DDR & DDR2 ram has come down sharply (because of DDR3) so it won't cost you an arm & a leg anymore to increase your ram upto 3 gigs.
If you are not sure how to do it yourself, then contact any Tec guy or gal that you know, or take your case/Tower to your local computer repair shop and they will install it for you for a small fee. (plus the cost of the ram). It's only a two minute job...
Happy Trainzing.
Cheers, Mac... ;)
 
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Upgrading

Looks like an upgrade to 2 GIG RAM will cost nearly $100 with tax and shipping.
This machine only has two slots and it has 1/2 GIG modules. I can use them in my other machines but......
A new video card looks like another $100 plus.
That would not be so bad, but then I'm thinking I still have an aging machine!??? I won't buy a new one unless I win a lotto and I can't do that because I never buy a ticket.
And would I do this to run one program in which I have a mild interest. Since retiring I have very little time on my hands; I don't know how I ever had time to work.
Maybe I'll play with a previous issue!
Ozzie
 
Ozzie,

Sarasota , Florida does not have a computer store ?
Have you inquired regarding your motherboard and what it will handle as far as Ram ?
$100 to upgrade to 2 Gig of Ram seems pretty stiff , I just purchased (2 ) 1 Gig of Ram sticks for $ 24.95 each , and I know I could have bought a 2 Gig for cheaper then $ 49.90 ( but that maybe only CA. ) !

Just a thought --- ,DLR
 
Minimzing

G'day all,

Don't forget ALT TAB. Allows you to switch back to MS world and back again.

I have a moderate IBM notebook, specs are for programming etc not for playing games and yet TS09 works perfectly fine for the majority of layouts etc that I have tried or created. Some of the layouts are extremely large and detailed.


You may need to check your task manager, not trying to be insulting here, but I have helped a few locals (aussies) and have found that they are running > 60 processes and that even with 1 gig installed, the myriad of little apps are taking up 600 Meg, not leaving you with much to play with.

Another food for thought is your 'anti-everything' software. I have ended up using Sunbelt Vipre and Sunbelt firewall as these are beaut little programs to keep the nasties out and don't use a lot of resources.


Hope this helps.
 
Ozzie,
Not sure where you are getting your RAM prices from but $100US seem pretty pricey !!! (I've seen several sites in the US offering 2 gig modules of DDR2 ram for less than $30US (plus tax & freight)...

Heres an example; http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/EP4902706.htm?utm_medium=cpa&utm_source=Sh

If you are going to purchase RAM via the mail, make sure you take out the existing module and get those exact spec's off that ram. Make sure you are order the the exact same RAM... (eg; DDR2-400, DDR2-677, or DDR2-800).
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Cheers, Mac...
 
I've lived in Philadelphia, Harrisburg,PA, Los Angeles, and Sarasota.
There is no comparison between a city and all else.
Internet prices beat anything local here in Sorry-sota.
This board takes 3200, 400 DDR. About $34 a module and I need two plus postage.
I hate small towns but I'm almost 71 and this is where I've ended up.
Anyway you slice it it's still a couple hundred bucks. My next move will be on a gurney!
Ozzie
 
"What" Revisited, I'm hooked

Well if I look at my rantings of about a week back, I must now be in an apologetic attitude.
I decided to learn more about Trainz. I installed 2006 and have read the entire manual. I did the tutorials and have run a route. I tried a German one but there was too much I didn't understand.
I also found out that 2009 really will run on my hardware if I can wait out the incredible loading time.
I've done enough to get hooked.
I think I'll make a display for my 50 year old H.O. stuff and do my railroading with Trainz. The money I would have spent on HO I'll put into computing and Trainz stuff.
My immediate moves have been to order an Nvidia 512 card and a couple 1gig memory modules. I originally thought these things would cost $200 but I found the stuff on 'bay for about $120.
I know I'll still have an aging box, but maybe Santa will bring me something more modern.
Thank you all for your enthusiasm,
Ozzie
 
Out of interest, what were the HO models you have? I have a few. An Intercity XPT, 1 Illonois Central diesel, 1 NSW 44 class, 2 PCC Trolleys, 2 Brill Trolleys, 1 Melbourne W class tram, 1 UK double deck tram, 1 UK diesel shunter and 1 Uk Jinty 060.
 
I've done enough to get hooked. Thank you all for your enthusiasm,
Ozzie

I tried to warn you Ozzie !!! It doesn't take much to get "hooked". The only way of getting over your "Trainz's" addiction now is rehab... :hehe:
Great to read that you are getting more ram & a new video card.
Happy Trainzing.
Cheers, Mac... ;)
 
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Another thing that bothers me is that Trainz seems to want to take over the computer! I don't see a way to minimize the program to check my email or look at Ebay. Some programs acted that way back in the eighties, but nothing I've seen recently!
Ozzie

Press the "Windoze" key. This will pop open your start menu. If you have "Show Desktop" in your quickstart icons, press that, and everything will then be minimized. You can then do what ever else you need to do. To get back into Trainz, click the tab for the program.

That sounded more complicated than it really is, I promise.
 
You may also use "alt/tab" to reduce Trainz to the taskbar, but it doesn't appreciate being "second fiddle" too often, and may crash.
 
Yes, I found I can go to other windows in the suggested ways.
But I also find that with the present state of the computer, ( new vid card, still only 1 Gig mem, waiting for new ),anything else running slows T a lot.
What screen res are most of you running?
I'm increasingly thinking that I should be running Trainz on a computer dedicated mostly to that program only.
I have 4 computers here at this spot and they all do specialized work, but not 24/7. I must think about how I want Trainz to fit in and what minimally extravagant lengths I want to go.
If my wife really knew there are 7 computers running in the house she'd kill me, how can I risk another!
Ozzie
 
I believe I have read that running Trainz off a drive that does not contain the operating system is a good idea.
I use 1024x768. Well I did until my computer that died of old age.
I now run 600x800 on my daughters old HP machine with on main board video. That is the only resolution that works at all. TRS2004 works OK but not TRS2006. I have not tried my TS2009 on it.
 
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