Laptops and PDA's at the table... what do you use?

[gtoasnt3]

We recently tried laptops at the table over the last two sessions. Unfortunately, our gaming table just didn't have enough room and the laptops created a bit of a clutter that wasn't as easily moved as a paper character sheet. Also, we all started worrying about spilling drinks (my players watched me KILL a Dell laptop with a beer one day).

So now, we will go back to paper sheets tomorrow. However, we all look forward to the map maker from WOTC and the gaming table. We don't want to play the game without sitting together, but I do have a small LCD TV that my laptop plugs into. I'll use it to display the gaming table and the maps along with the occasional visual.

 

[Aeson]

I've always had bad experiences with computers and tvs in the game room. I am considering getting an analog TV for the game room and leave it uncoonected to the cable service that way it will only be relegated to whats going on in game.

We're pretty good about keeping outside distractions outside. We have a problem with going off on tangents about Monty Python or Star Wars.

 

[Troll Wizard]

Use a laptop to DM two 3.5 games

Run Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, IE/Mozilla, and SKPE
Use MS Excel to track initiative, track damage of the monsters/npc...
Created my own exp table to calculate xp...
Stay log-in into my campaign's google group website to keeps notes of the adventure, track magic items, place for PC's to share notes on party funds, etc.
Simulatenously run SKYPE (video and audio) so a player in Japan can join the fun.

and when I run a character

Run Microsoft Excel for Heroforge to manage my PCs

 

[timbannock]

I just picked up an Asus Eee PC 900 so I can do schoolwork on the move at Starbucks and Panera and the like. It's got solid state memory which is friggin' sweet (how often do I have to defrag? Um, try never.).

It's a little on the slow side for what I need -- I HAVE to run a lot of java crap and MS Office for school -- but I recently used it at game and loved it. Tracking combat stuff was about 1000 times faster (I type way faster than I write), and searching for info in my text documents was a snap (i could just do a CTRL + F to find the room number the PCs were going into rather than scrolling around).

I haven't used it during game for a lot of rulesy searches (SRD) or for dice-rolling -- I love rolling my own dice, thank you very much -- but the limited uses I tried definitely had an impact.

And the Asus is small. Took up considerably less room than my standard notes do! And for less than $300, you really can do no wrong.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I use laptop as DM for combined reference and screen (notes in Word, combat in Excel)

As a player I've found tablet to be best, but not with Excel 2007 which is pants with pens! Excel 2003 was much better pen interface.

Cheers

 

[DaveyJones]

i don't mind personal displays of affection at the gaming table as long as they aren't too disruptive.

 

[wedgeski]

I just picked up an Asus Eee PC 900 so I can do schoolwork on the move at Starbucks and Panera and the like.

Now then. This is very promising. Pretty much the size I'm looking for, at about the right price.

If you don't mind me asking more questions: it's solid state, so very quiet right? No HD fan? How's battery life?

 

[Wombat]

Most use of laptops I have seen at tables has been negative, although not all.

Most of the time I see people paying a lot of attention to the screen and not the other players; even during "breaks" there seems to be a lot of websurfing or solitaire.

I have seen some games where GMs use laptops to positive effect, as the laptop doubles as GM screen and special effects box (sounds, music, images); a few GMs, however, fall victim to the "pay attention to the screen" syndrome.

One of the best events this way was a player of mine who had a pda where he kept his character sheet, party records, etc. The problem? The pda belonged to his company, not him ... and then he left the job ... and had to give it back ... and lost not only his own character, but many of the party records! No, this is not common, and it could happen just as easily with a notebook, but this was so preventable...

 

[Krensky]

I've been using my Palm T|X as a dice roller and note pad for a while now, and I just purchased a Asus Eee PC 1002HA, for a number of reasons, but one was for PDFs and notes and what not at the game table. It's waiting at home, I'll post a review for this purpose once I get a chance to fiddle with it if any one's interested.

 

[Alan Shutko]

I use a Macbook Air as part of my screen when DMing. It has an XP tracker so I can give instant XP at the end of the sessions, a Mystara calendar app so I can keep track of what time of day and season it is, and a set of hyperlinked notes (using DevonThink) I use for additional prep or reference. The main materials I intend to use in the session are on paper, but the additional notes help me find stuff quick when players go off the beaten path.

I don't use it when I'm playing.