gaming on a Windows (x86) tablet

[lost_soul]

I picked up a Dell Venue 8 pro today. I would like to have some retro games on this thing, and I'm wondering how to go about it. I'm specifically wondering about the controls. OBVIOUSLY games from the 90s were not designed to play on a touch screen/with an accelerometer. Is there some program I can get (preferably free), that will allow me to set parts of the screen to function as certain keys? What about mapping the left/right of the accelerometer to turning left/right in a driving game and pitching it forward and back to accelerate/decelerate?

 

EDIT: So far, I've read about a very flexible software keyboard that allows you to make new layouts from scratch wherever you like. Sadly it costs more than the physical keyboard that I use daily on my main Linux box. That's right, a software implementation of a keyboard costs more than a physical keyboard that had an actual tangible reproduction cost.

 

I'm gonna give Skulltag a try and set the accel to turn and see if it is functional.

Edited December 17, 2013 by lost_soul

[woah]

I've got a mouse hook that allows one to play goldsrc-based games (e.g. Half-Life, Counter-Strike 1.6, TFC) with a touchscreen if you're interested (it's not a hack, it just transforms the mouse input prior to process receiving it). Essentially it rotates the optical axis to face the corresponding ingame point of wherever you've tapped on the screen. It's pretty crude (in terms of the math, the program design, and the user interface itself), but it works. Just let me know if you're interested and I'll try to dig it up.

Edited December 17, 2013 by woah

[lost_soul]

Sounds interesting, but I'm really looking for something that will function with any application. How hard would it be to code a program that dedicates the bottom right of the screen to an "invisible touchpad" and the left to a WASD or arrow configuartion? I know there's a function in Windows for "always on-top", which will prevent other programs from taking the focus.

 

I'm considering returning this thing. I REALLY want to keep it because the hardware is so awesome! It even runs Xonotic well. However, I don't feel like re-inventing the UI to make this a usable device. I'm sure an experienced programmer would be able to code something like that up in minutes. What you would do is use the side button to toggle it on and off.

Edited December 17, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

I picked up a Dell Venue 8 pro today. I would like to have some retro games on this thing, and I'm wondering how to go about it. I'm specifically wondering about the controls.

Well firstly the CPU isnt that bad Intel Atom Z3740D, but the intergrated GPU is only the eqivelent of a HD4000, so you may get Thief2 to run on there. Regarding controls, get a wireless/bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

 

One of the biggest con's of this tablet is there is only 11GB free from the 32GB internal eMMC hard drive, but as this is a proper version of windows 8.1 - it can be pared down a bit.

[lost_soul]

Yeah I am considering a bluetooth mouse, but that makes it less of a handheld device. It has no fan! The thing is silent. I've never seen a silent/passivly cooled X86 machine, and I never imagined it would be small enough to comfortably hold with a single hand!

 

What if I trade it in for the Android version? I really want a smaller (7-inch) unit so that it can still fit in a pocket. From what I've read, if Windows freaks out and I have to repair it, I'm in for some more pain because I do not have a keyboard to hit F8 to access recovery for example or a quick and easy way to make a recovery disk. In other words, I want a handheld PC, but I don't want to deal with the shit we traditionally deal with on desktop PCs.

 

EDIT: http://www.lovesummertrue.com/touchmousepointer/en-us/index.html

 

This looks like a good place to get started.

Edited December 17, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

What if I trade it in for the Android version? I really want a smaller (7-inch) unit so that it can still fit in a pocket. From what I've read, if Windows freaks out and I have to repair it, I'm in for some more pain because I do not have a keyboard to hit F8 to access recovery for example or a quick and easy way to make a recovery disk. In other words, I want a handheld PC, but I don't want to deal with the shit we traditionally deal with on desktop PCs.

 

pros - its a full x86 based PC, so most oif the stuff you run on your desktop will run on this.

cons - not as ridable as android which is Linux based and it is built for mobile from the getgo.

 

I may buy one to play with, as I have always wanted a tablet and the idea of a full 8.1 pro based unti tickles my fancy - that said the 7/8" market is wide open atm, for example

 

8" Acer for £179 - windows 8.1, dual core w/hyper threading (but only 3.4Ah battery)

10" Leveno for £179 - Android 4.2, Quad core (6.4Ah battery)

7" Asus nexus 7 for £119 - Android 4.2, Tegra Quad core (4.3Ah battery)

 

Based on hardware for the price the Lenovo smashes the competition, that said with a windows based tablet I wont have any of the rooting/recovery bollox associated with ANY of the android tablets (I will be admin and can remove install, what I want, at will)

[lost_soul]

Well, if you're at all concerned about security, I would go with the Windows x86 solution. WHAT!!?? "Aren't you a Windows hater, Lost_Soul?" Yes, I am. However, many manufacturers of Android tablets abandon them shortly after release. In plain english, they don't provide OS upgrades or security patches, even though the OS is free! This means that if a serious flaw is found in the OS on your Android device a year after you get it, you're usually ****ed unless you hack/mod the device to run a custom version of the OS.

 

Windows 8 on the other hand will be supported for a long time with security updates.

 

But don't go near Windows RT! You're not allowed to install software on it unless it has been blessed. Its just like Apple, but more bloated and not as nice looking.

 

PS, this mouse thing is pretty awesome. It looks like a touchpad on a laptop, but you can move it around, or make it the whole screen. You can make it translucent as well. Perhaps if I support the guy, he can add "buttons" to both sides of the screen like I imagined above. He's on the right track.

Edited December 17, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

• This means that if a serious flaw is found in the OS on your Android device a year after you get it, you're usually ****ed unless you hack/mod the device to run a custom version of the OS.
  
• Windows 8 on the other hand will be supported for a long time with security updates.
  
• But don't go near Windows RT! You're not allowed to install software on it unless it has been blessed. Its just like Apple, but more bloated and not as nice looking.
  
• PS, this mouse thing is pretty awesome, He's on the right track.
  

• yer and if you do root you then run faul of the bullshit "if you root it you loose your warranty, bollox"
  
• Its not the best solution, but for anyone who have even a remote knowley of tech and OS's then W8. is a far better option.
  
• +1 - it was dead in the water from the getgo.
  
• will have to look into that.
  

Another thing, the Dell seems to have the best CPU/GPU combo for any of the w8 tablets out there.

[lost_soul]

Here's another option for gaming controls. http://forum.xda-dev...d.php?t=2142997

 

Now I need to find a way to back this thing up before I do something stupid, mess up Windows and I end up fucked. I traditionally use a Linux live distro with dd or ntfsclone to backup Windows installations, but I cannot do that on this thing. I don't have a USB-OTG host cable and even if I did, I don't know if it would boot from a traditional thumb drive. Secure Boot isn't supposed to be a problem here. They force it on on ARM systems, but not X86. It actually tells me on screen when I boot that secure boot is not enabled. I'm afraid to enable it until I do more research. I can imagine a scheme where (after enabling SB) you are unable to turn it off afterwards... evil laughter here

Any ideas?

Edited December 18, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

• Here's another option for gaming controls. http://forum.xda-dev...d.php?t=2142997
  
• Now I need to find a way to back this thing up before I do something stupid, mess up Windows and I end up fucked. I traditionally use a Linux live distro with dd or ntfsclone to backup Windows installations, but I cannot do that on this thing. I don't have a USB-OTG host cable - Any ideas?
  

• Looks usefull to say the least.
  
• hmm, peice of piss - boot Acronis from USB stick vis OTG cable and save image to micro SD card.
  

[lost_soul]

I tried a product I found in the above thread and it works AWESOME! It gives you a d-pad on the left, a mouse on the right, and action buttons. You can move and turn as you would in an FPS game. I need to practice with it for a wile to get good at it. I haven't done much gaming on smartphones or anything like that.

 

You can also reposition the controls wherever you like on the screen.

Edited December 18, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

You can also reposition the controls wherever you like on the screen.

I can oniy see this being ok for tablet based games, for Thief2 I would need a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

 

Im chatting to Dell sales now about getting this for myself for xmas.

[Bikerdude]

@LS, I just purchased the 64Gb version, hopefully I will get it delivered this week.

[lost_soul]

Looks like creating a backup of this thing is going to be a major pain in the ass... Even if you DO use an USB-OTG cable, you cannot boot any traditional OS/recovery environment of your choice.

 

http://en.community....t/19533188.aspx

 

You cannot boot from an SD card on this device either.

Edited December 20, 2013 by lost_soul

[Bikerdude]

Looks like creating a backup of this thing is going to be a major pain in the ass... http://en.community....t/19533188.aspx

hmm, not good. Reading further down the thread it mentions that the SD card can't be booted from either and if you do successfully boot from a usb stick the touch screen doesn't work (that shouldn't be a problem though as we should be able to insert the cd key into the installer). I have replied to Dave_h in that thread to try and get to bottom of this, otherwise this will be 50% of the reason the tablet will do back to Dell for a refund.

 

The whole idea (IMHO) of getting a (full) windows 8 tablet is so it can be treated like a PC. Dell, really? what a crock of shit!