Erin
Question:
I just got my new Tacx Fortius Virtual Reality trainer. The problem is, it doesn't work. I hooked my laptop up to the trainer and then installed the software but it just doesn't work. I have an HP laptop, isn't that a good brand?
Answer:
Thanks so much for writing. The problem is not so much the brand of your laptop but the fact that most laptops use a video card that is built into the motherboard. This uses what is called shared memory and can cause big problems with the Fortius.
Here is the computer spec from Tacx. Note that they say you must have a separate video card, which is what the "no shared memory" statement means.
Processor: minimum Pentium IV (3.0 Ghz)
Memory: 1024 MB for XP, 2056 MB for Vista
Hard disc space: 850 MB
Graphics card: DirectX9 compatible 3D card with 256 MB of memory (not shared) GeForce FX or equivalent
Sound card: DirectSound compatible
Various: 1 free USB port; DVD player (for use of Real Life Video & ErgoVideo only)
OS: Windows XP SP2 or Vista SP1 (32 bit)
Recommended internet connection: 2 MB downstream and 500 KB upstream (only for Multiplayer)
Let me know if your computer has all these requirements met and I will gladly help support you to get your trainer working perfectly. The fact is, Tacx VR trainers are pretty high tech machines and they do place a demand on computers. Once they are up and running, however, they tend to run very well.