Computer

Computers are electronic objects in The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims Stories and The Sims 3. Computers have appeared in every Sims game except for The Urbz: Sims in the City, The Sims 2 Castaway, The Sims Castaway Stories and The Sims Medieval. Their uses differ greatly from game to game, though in all games they are used to look for jobs and satisfying the Fun motive by playing video games.

The Sims
In The Sims, computers are primarily Fun objects, with a couple of added bonuses to make up for the cost. A player who wants a Sim to have particular job may find it wise to have them invest in a cheap computer, as it will speed up their search fourfold as well as providing a good way for any children to study.

Computers vary dramatically in price, as shown below. Despite the difference in cost, the only thing separating the models is the amount of fun gained by playing on them.

If a computer is placed on a community lot, only the Gaming function will be available. Sims who use a computer on a community lot will be charged between 5 and 35 Simoleons, depending on the computer's Fun rating.

Moneywell Computer
"Specializing in refurbished computers, Moneywell assembles new systems from old parts, some still under 5 year warranty. A great educational tool for kids, all systems also include FREE Job-Seek software, game bundle, protocol converter and 28.8 modem. 'Spend money well with a Moneywell computer!'"

Fun: 3

Microscotch Covetta Q628-1500JA
"Microscotch positions the Covetta Q628-1500JA for first time buyers. The unit offers average manageability and support and mostly average performance. GipChord audio card and Gimebyte motherboard provide serviceable gaming performance. Free internet access and Job-Seek software with purchase."

Fun: 5

The Brahma 2000
"The high-end Bradbury Brahma 2000 has three key A/V interfaces: SPIF, SIM-Link, and HypWire digital video and peripheral interface. Benchmark tests blow the competition away making this a gaming monster. PugiProcessor, PACHI-2 memory slots, Giganta drives, Insana3 Graphics card, SIM disks, dual high-speed modems, TKY support, smart case, ergo-mouse. Pre-installed Job-Seek software and Bradbury Unabridged Encyclopedia."

Fun: 7

Meet Marco
"'My software uses a decentralized, self-organizing network of artificial ecosystems of evolving information-filtering and discovery agents that cooperate and compete to find my consumer ideal work and gaming scenarios,' said Marco himself at a recent trade show. 'My frictionless work surfaces and microencapsulation module media monitor are destiny defined.'"

Fun: 9

The Sims 2
Some of the computer functions in The Sims 2 are similar to the phone functions in The Sims. The uses of a computer have been greatly expanded, as they could previously only be used for gaming and finding jobs. In general, using a computer will not disturb Sims or pets who are sleeping in the same room. However, the sound effects of computer games are loud enough to wake sleeping Sims or pets.

Computers on community lots can be used for more than just gaming, though some features are not available, and Sims are no longer charged for using them.

Computers in The Sims 2 are identical except for price and style. All but the cheapest raise a room's Environment score, and all give the same amount of fun.

There are only two models in the base game; the §1000 Moneywell Computer, and the §2800 Little Sister, WD-15.

Teen Style Stuff added a §2000 computer, the Pear ShinyStation XTR. This computer was also included in Apartment Life, but was not made visible in the catalog. Players who have Apartment Life but not Teen Style Stuff can make it visible in the Buy mode catalog by installing the proper Extra from the latest CEP. The free computer that Rod Humble delivers in FreeTime uses the same style, though it is a distinct object. Apartment Life added the LyfeB Gon Computer, which costs §1900. A pre-order bonus for Apartment Life was the GlowStation 90XD, which costs §2400, and has a slightly higher Environment score.

On September 13, 2004, EA made an Alienware computer available for download from the Exchange for The Sims 2. This computer costs §3100, and has a slightly higher Fun and Environment rating than other computers. While this download may still be available from sites which echo or archive content from TheSims2.com, players should note that it was never updated for any expansion packs. While it will work with expansions, only the base-game functions will be available. Some updated versions were made as custom content; a version updated for University through Pets is available here.

Players should note that, unlike other Buy mode objects in The Sims 2, newly bought computers depreciate as soon as the player switches back to Live mode.

Actions
Players should note that custom computers may not have options from some expansion packs.


 * Notes

Computers
Unless otherwise noted, all computers have a Fun rating of 7. Unless otherwise noted, all computers other than the Moneywell Computer have an Environment rating of 2; the Moneywell has no Environment rating.

Moneywell Computer
"Specializing in refurbished computers, Moneywell assembles new systems from old parts, some still under minimal warranty. A great educational tool for kids, each system also includes free job-seeking software, game bundle, and protocol converter. 'Spend money well with a Moneywell computer!'"

Little Sister, WD15
"The latest in quantum computing, Little Sister is everything that doomsdayers fear in a technological advance--and more! 1 terabyte hard drive, military grade processor, stealth design . . . and a keyboard to boot! Guaranteed not to attempt autonomous world domination before 2015 or your money back."

A feature of this computer is that the screen folds down when the computer is turned off.

Pear ShinyStation XTR
"The Pear ShinyStation XTR comes with enough technical firepower to run the latest games, do some serious online chatting, or find a wide variety of jobs. It can hold more songs than you can sing and runs at 1.21 GigaWatts. Plus, it'll give you a whole bunch of geek cred."


 * Note
 * The object was initially released in Teen Style Stuff, but was also shipped with Apartment Life. However, players that did not have Teen Style Stuff but had Apartment Life would not see the object. An "extra" in the Color Enabler Package fixes this glitch.

Colors: Blue, Yellow, Off-white, Black (with skull), Pink (with cat-face)

LyfeB Gon Computer
"This computer allows you to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary for hours of fun and learning. There are rumors of it causing rifts in marriages, but Marketing told us not to mention that. Uh...oh..."

Alienware®'s "Everything but the Saucer" Gaming PC
"Conspiracy has finally become reality in the form of the ultimate gaming machine! Strange viscous metals found at various top-secret crash sites have allowed the eccentric engineers at Alienware to finally live up to their namesake by bringing premium interstellar gaming technology out of the secret underground government warehouses and into the living room! Alienware: it's not just metaphorical anymore."

Fun: 8

Environment: 3

Colors: Green, Black, Blue

This was an official Maxis item which was available for download from TheSims2.com. However, it was never officially updated for any expansion packs. It will work with expansions, but will only provide base-game functions.

A replacement version that is fully updated for University through Pets is available at Mod The Sims. It can be updated for FreeTime or later by following the instructions here.

The Sims 3
The features of a computer have again been changed, and reflect the functions of a real, present-day computer more realistically. With the exception of the chess feature, the types of computers are identical apart from the fun they give while gaming. In The Sims 3, many features of computers now have requirements such as traits.

There are three types of computer in The Sims 3 base game: the cheapest costs §800 and has a Fun rating of three, the mid-range computer costs §2,150 and has a Fun rating of seven, and the most expensive one costs §4,000, which is a portable laptop. Another computer is added with High-End Loft Stuff, the MindMax Uni-PC 7200 costing §3,450, and a laptop from Town Life Stuff, FolioBit 791A Laptop, costing §5,000.

Easy Machine from Fred's PC Hut
"It's time to join the future... or at least the past decade, with this affordable and Sim-Friendly PC! Meet new friends via the fabled internets, or enjoy the games the youth have been extolling! Fred's PC Hut: Simple computing for simple Sims."

oTron 200 Thinking Computer from Landgraab Industries
"Sleek, stylish and expensive, the oTron 200 Thinking Computer is man's finest companion. Far beyond mere humans and other non-thinking computers, the military has trusted the oTron 200 for years. Shouldn't you?"

XS 4258p Laptop from Landgraab Industries
"The heartpounding joy of mobile computing has arrived! The XS 4258p XS 4258p Laptop from Landgraab Industries features the revolutionary OmniOcto Onboard AI, 4 nano rams and a hugely small harddrive that guarantees you can finally take it with you. With so much processing power in your pocket, why go home?"

This computer is portable and can be taken to community or other residential lots. This is the first portable laptop introduced in the series.

MindMax Uni-PC 7200
"MindMax strikes yet again with another monstrous desktop computer. The MindMax Uni-PC 7200 includes everything a Sim could ever want in a computer, including the ability to generate features that might be desired in the future. The widescreen swivel display is perfect for chatting, web surfing, and losing hours of time to the latest hi-tech video games."

Bodkin Laptop Computer by PeachySoft
"High-speed processor, gorgeous display, and a full suite of pre-loaded software round out this all-in-one package. This computer is so thin, it can be slid under most doorways."

MyPuter by PeachySoft Systems
"Sleek wireless hardware makes this system easy to set up, easy to use and easy to look at. Show off your summer vacation photos during the day, hammer out term papers at night."

Oculo Holo-Computer by Korben Computing
"The Oculo represents a giant step forward in modern personal computing. Holographic emitters aboard this floating sphere project the planet's most hilarious cat pictures in three stunning dimensions."

Edu-Osmosis Laptop
"How can fun also be productive? Well, with this new multitasking and multimedia laptop you can enjoy endless cute cat videos while queuing up that next round of intellectual research for that book you’ve been writing…about cats."

Trivia

 * The default operating system running on computes in The Sims 2 appears to resemble Windows XP, possibly because the game was released in 2004. The operating system is the same for all computers in the game. The operating systems on the computers and their screens can be changed using SimPE.
 * The computers in The Sims 2 also seem to have a "BSOD" screen, found in SimPE. BSOD stands for Blue Screen of Death, which can occur as the result of a critical error in the Windows operating system. Though the BSOD screen does exist in the game, it isn't used.
 * While The Urbz: Sims in the City takes place in a modern city setting, computers do not appear in the game. They do, however, appear in the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions of The Urbz.
 * In The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 for consoles, if a Sim uses a computer while visiting someone's house, the player will get a message saying "Sim's name is behaving inappropriately! If he/she continues, I will have to ask him/her to leave." However, using a laptop, such as the Landgraab Industries laptop included in The Sims 3, will not cause the message about inappropriate behavior to appear.
 * Using the Edu-Osmosis Laptop, however, will cause the message to appear.
 * The Sims 2 Castaway, The Sims Castaway Stories, and The Sims Medieval do not feature computers, as they take place in an island or medieval setting.
 * In The Sims 3 for consoles, a stylish wooden laptop called the Anachronism VCT can be obtained via the challenge shop. It will then be available for 4,500 simoleons.
 * Children in The Sims 2 use the "Hunt and Peck" typing style while using a computer. However, children in The Sims 3 use "Touch Typing" like older Sims.
 * In The Sims 3, when a Sim starts up a computer, the start-up sound is the exact same sound heard after completing a mission from The Sims Bustin' Out.