Want to create a portable Stem Mania Computer.

[djfmf]

it would have to be a pc system that would be able to fit in a regular size backpack. i don't mind carrying cords/mice/keyboard along with it. reason why is i play DDR/ITG on a military base and they let us use their TV's to play video games and stuff, i'm pretty much a regular when it comes to playing the dancing games over there. I use a cobalt flux pad and how i would like the set-up to work is plug in the PC, turn it on and boot up Stepmania on the desktop and just start playing on the tv.

i never built a computer before, but i just want to know what essentials to get so i can play StepMania songs, i already have a HP Media Center Computer so this custom SM setup will just be for portable use.

thanks in advance.

[psisarah]

[ItsDrew]

Laptop is defiantly the way to go on this. Me and some of my friends play on his Stepmania laptop every day at school and its not a big hassle for him to throw it in his backpack every morning before school so we can play, carrying a desktop around would be a pain (I know this from experience) if you have computers you can use there but can’t install programs, put Stepmania on a Jump Drive(http://www.lexar.com/jumpdrive/)
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[PedanticOmbudsman]

I have a new widescreen Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop that clocked in recently at under $1000 but runs Stepmania like a dream. It's a bit bulky as laptops go, but that helps to keep the price down, and it looks awesome.

[djfmf]

i was thinking it might be cheaper to build a desktop just for step mania, i've seen tower systems in different sizes and i just want one to fit in a backpack. if i did have a laptop how can i connect it to the TV? i still would like to know what i would need to build a computer just to play stepmania only, just the bare essentials. like i said i want to connect this computer with step mania on it onto a big tv screen.

[psisarah]

AFAIK, most laptops come with a video out. All you need is a cord that goes from the laptop to the video in on a TV (kinda like an RCA cable... but it's only one and it fits into the computer). Set your display drivers and you're good to go. Then you'd just have to hook speakers up to the laptop.. but um yea if you don't want to go laptop then have fun carrying around a bulky tower.
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[PedanticOmbudsman]

Most laptops come with either an RCA video output or an S-Video output, but not both. Some low-end laptops might have neither. If you plan on hooking the laptop to a TV, keep this in mind. Almost all televisions have an RCA video input, so a laptop with an RCA video output will give you the most compatibility. An S-Video connection will give you better picture quality, but usually only larger or higher-end televisions have S-Video inputs -- small, cheap televisions usually don't. Look at the television to see.

I hook a television and Cobalt Flux to my laptop all the time... works fine.

[djriverdance]

[paranoidmaxxmachine]

I have a dell inspiron 600m and it is very slim.
It priced out at 2200$ with all the extras and everything and stepmania goes blazing fast as do all my other programs.
Although when I have my laptop unplugged it seems to go slower. :/.
Go for the lap top and then visit my Simfile Museum! .
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[yagsimit69]

i got my cheap a$$ korean averatec for only $600, runs stepmania perfectly, small and weighs about 4lbs, laptops are clearly the best for this situation.

[Darkicarus]

[Gowmars]

you could always get you one of those LAN party cases. they are small, cube in shape and have a handle.

kind of like this one. but I have seen some much smaller.

http://www.xoxide.com/aspire-x-qpack-case-silver.html
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[tekkie]

There's also those Lindows (now Linspire I believe) PCs that load from a CD and are really small because they don't have a hard drive.

OR

Those really small Mac computers too.
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[T-A-K-A]

I bring my laptop to school everyday and play stepmania get a laptop. (of course, get a new, better one than mine because mine is old and uber heavy
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[Ðark @ngel]

u can use a mini-itx board they have video/audio/cpu on board in 17cm x 17cm (like epia m10000) a notebook hd and put all in a very small case or inside a metalpad (in the center pannel for example).
next install winxp, install stepmania, share "songs" folder in lan, and change in regedit shell.exe whit stepmania.exe, next restart the pc run directly stepmania (whitout loadin xp iterface and a lot of things) and u can add songs via lan.

[dnddrguy1]

Um I have a dell inspiron 6000 what cord would I need to hook it up to a tv so it show whats showing on my laptop on the tv, and what conversion thingy would I need to make PS2 pads work on a laptop I mean I could always just buy a RedOctaneIgnitionPad but i'd rather just use the soft pads until I can afford the above pad.

Because I'm going back to college next week and I got everyone hooked on DDR for PS2. If they loved ddr for PS2 there gonna love stepmania even more and I'll show them how to download and make their own simfiles.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

[BobTheFish]

What you need is an OQO.

http://www.oqo.com/

Pocket-sized PC. Except the keys would be a little small for Stepmania.
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