How To Travel With LCD Gaming Screen?

johnpagenola asks: "My 17 year old son will start traveling this Fall to fencing tournaments, but he needs his gaming fix over the weekend. How best to travel with an LCD screen to protect it from damage? Is there a way to put together a storage device for LCD with speakers, SFF system unit, keyboard and mouse?" Other than "buy a laptop," can anyone suggest some travel-proofing tips for such a set-up?

Comments

i completely agree

[Hadlock]

if this is a school sponsored event, or hell, if it's an event of any type; let's remember it's an event for you to SOCIALIZE at. the only time a computer is used (well) for socializing is possibly a lan party and (more remotely) email/aim. not computer games. when going to speech tournaments (verbal fencing), the most enjoyable part of the whole tournament was the socializing factor. if you lock yourself in your hotel room and play computer games, you're not even getting half of the value of going to these events in the first place.

if anything, i'd MAKE him get a laptop with a sub-par video card in it just so he wouldn't play games on it. or maybe just a cheap PDA.

Re:i completely agree

[Xerithane]

when going to speech tournaments (verbal fencing), the most enjoyable part of the whole tournament was the socializing factor. if you lock yourself in your hotel room and play computer games, you're not even getting half of the value of going to these events in the first place.

I used to do tournaments, most of them were local but if you find someone whose technique is intruiging, or better, you can usually dedicate your time to working with them. Most people in any form of competition like this (and speech) likes to explain their techniques. The best want people to be better for more of a challenge, end of story.

If it was my kid I'd try to get him to find those better and have him work with them after everything. You learn a lot of really great things. If I was in an open tournament, I'd find someone who has a drastically different style and work with them so if I ever matched with them I'd handle it better. And the same with them. If it's something you take seriously, take the time to get better, not play video games..

Re:Not to be a troll...

[balister]

Me too. Anyone who needs a gaming fix, especially during something as cool as a fencing tournament, needs to be thinking about 12 step programs.

Philip

Re:Not to be a troll...

[MaxVlast]

(Interesting personal fencing analysis.)

Events like that are prime opportunities for socialization. That's when high school kids are supposed to have the high quality interactions they remember for the rest of their life. One more frag isn't going to be that memorable in the long run for your kid.

Game system?

[Chris Canfield]

Your 17 year old son should be going outside, exploring the cities. He should be seeing America (or whatever contry he is in) with a group of friends he works and plays with. He should be growing and writing in a journal.

If you need to buy him something, buy him a digital camera. Give him some spending money. Buy the team nerf balls. Give him a guide to all ages clubs in your state / province. Give him rollerblades, frisbies, and waterguns. Give the coach specific instructions to not let him rot in his hotel room.

I love games. I haven't come across a game yet that I can't beat in 2 days, and my Maniac ERA continues to be a real crowdstopper. But they 're not everything. Your kid is 17, and is about to go on an oddessey. Would Homer sing of a developing young man staring at a slightly glowing fire and occasionally poking it with a stick?

It may be scary as a parent to think that your kid may be out in the real world, but he soon will be an adult and will have to make mature, adult decisions based on what he has experienced and shared with you. I'm sure if you have raised him well, he will do great. But don't love him so much that he isn't given those experiences until it is much to late for him to look to your guidance.

Part of your guidance should be to forbid him from taking his Playstation.

-Chris