Author Topic: Vewlix - worth it? (Read 10039 times)

shanghaiguide · « **on:** April 06, 2011, 11:33:10 am »

I can get hold of a Vewlix L or Vewlix vs for reasonable price +- semi-locally.

10k RMB + 1k shipping for the L (approx 1680$ delivered)
22k + 1k shipping for the vs (approx 3500$ delivered)

New.

Question - is it worth it?

I'd probably be doing an extended "playtest" which might consist of a few months of "testing", then shipping back home.

Should I? Shouldn't I?...

I usually play older games - although I have an eclectic taste. I do like something that exudes quality though.

Thoughts, comments..

emphatic · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:33:21 pm »

The build quality is of course excellent. I think the upscaler that (I think) ships with them is very nice as well. No scanlines though.

fallacy · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:35:52 pm »

I would like a Vewlix cab to but why would that kind of cash be worth it?

Turnarcades · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2011, 09:28:02 pm »

I think these type of cabs remain firmly out of a regular arcade fan's budget right now as they're just too new and will devalue quickly. Whilst the prices of good condition retro arcade machines are holding well, they're still only a fraction of the cost they were new, and I doubt these will be so highly sought after. Couple that with the fact the monitor and sound technology is only really suitable for modern games, and that gives you just a handful to pick from.

emphatic · « **Reply #4 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:18:18 am »

If you can get TAITO EGRET II's, I can highly recommmend them instead. It's hard to beat the NANAO MS9 low res picture.

amendonz · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:27:32 am »

i say go for it.

VEWLIX

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #6 on:** April 07, 2011, 08:08:15 am »

Just to remind - I'm in China.

The cheap plastic ones are like 800rmb - 1200rmb locally for that style cab *including* crt monitor. Example pics below.
I also don't like those at all.
Reminds me of crappy chinese arcades with chain smokers and invincible sf1/2/3/0 joystick gods (I don't like losing).

In other news, I got another MVS-1F board and some jamma bits. Guess what I'll be hooking up tonight

See if you can spot it in the photo of the mess thats my desk at work currently!

Some days it pays to be the boss hehe

emphatic · « **Reply #7 on:** April 07, 2011, 11:07:54 am »

The bottom one looks very much like a Xiong Ba cabinet (by Macrown in China) that I used to own. I got mine new from the factory, and it was a mess off the bat.

Then I got a used EGRET II instead and couldn't be happier. If you have time to put some elbow grease in, just get one of those (with a burn free monitor tube) and never look back. Best cabinet ever.

opt2not · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2011, 12:58:36 pm »

Quote from: emphatic on April 07, 2011, 11:07:54 am

Then I got a used EGRET II instead and couldn't be happier.

Jealous!
I want an EGRET II so bad...or any candy cab with a rotation mech and med-rez to tri-sync monitor.

TOK · « **Reply #9 on:** April 07, 2011, 03:29:29 pm »

Quote from: shanghaiguide on April 07, 2011, 08:08:15 am

Just to remind - I'm in China.

Is everything backwards because you're on the other side of the world?

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #10 on:** April 07, 2011, 10:06:44 pm »

Mirror mirror on the wall.. My iMac takes photos like that is all.

The MVS went home, and this is what it saw -

As for the Vewlix, I'm enquiring still, they're factory new, not clones, but no games (which I can cope with though). Asking for more photos. May get a friend up in Beijing to drive down to their place and take a look before I order though, its a big chunk of cash.

Turnarcades · « **Reply #11 on:** April 08, 2011, 06:08:10 am »

Bah, this candy business is just not my cup of tea - wood cabs all the way!

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2011, 09:44:36 am »

I've decided that this would indeed make a good addition to my household, so am going to go for it.

Working out shipping from Beijing -> Shanghai, then will probably toss into a container, and ship over to Cape Town which will be the eventual destination.

Evil grin goes here

RayB · « **Reply #13 on:** April 08, 2011, 01:22:08 pm »

Quote from: shanghaiguide on April 06, 2011, 11:33:10 am

I can get hold of a Vewlix L or Vewlix vs for reasonable price +- semi-locally.

10k RMB + 1k shipping for the L (approx 1680$ delivered)
22k + 1k shipping for the vs (approx 3500$ delivered)

Just a note to you: "k" means "thousand". So 22k is $22,000.00
A bit pricey!

HanoiBoi · « **Reply #14 on:** April 08, 2011, 09:52:50 pm »

Quote from: RayB on April 08, 2011, 01:22:08 pm

Quote from: shanghaiguide on April 06, 2011, 11:33:10 am
I can get hold of a Vewlix L or Vewlix vs for reasonable price +- semi-locally.

10k RMB + 1k shipping for the L (approx 1680$ delivered)
22k + 1k shipping for the vs (approx 3500$ delivered)
Just a note to you: "k" means "thousand". So 22k is $22,000.00
A bit pricey!

Ray, RMB is Chinese currency. 1 is equal to about 15 cents in US dollars.

Warborg · « **Reply #15 on:** April 08, 2011, 10:01:09 pm »

Quote from: RayB on April 08, 2011, 01:22:08 pm

Quote from: shanghaiguide on April 06, 2011, 11:33:10 am
I can get hold of a Vewlix L or Vewlix vs for reasonable price +- semi-locally.

10k RMB + 1k shipping for the L (approx 1680$ delivered)
22k + 1k shipping for the vs (approx 3500$ delivered)
Just a note to you: "k" means "thousand". So 22k is $22,000.00
A bit pricey!

Uhm, he is talking about 22K Renminbi, which is Chinese currency...

BobA · « **Reply #16 on:** April 09, 2011, 10:03:22 am »

22,000.00 Chinese Yuans = 3,365.95 U.S. Dollars

Still alot of money.

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #17 on:** April 09, 2011, 10:53:47 am »

Quote

10k RMB + 1k shipping for the L (approx 1680$ delivered)
22k + 1k shipping for the vs (approx 3500$ delivered)

As some of you ~~apparently went to school in the short bus~~ failed english comprehension class

, I'll rewrite that in a more verbose format.

The Vewlix L I can buy for 10,000RMB, delivery will be another 1000RMB on top, for a total of 11,000RMB from Beijing to my apt in Shanghai, China.
When I write China, I refer to China, as in the China where RMB is the main currency in use, as opposed to HK$ or US$ or other currency.
This RMB value is approximately equivalent to US $1680 (for the equipment + delivery).

They also have a Vewlix VS for sale (the 2 player back to back version).
I could buy that for 22,000RMB, delivery will be another 1000RMB on top, for a total of 23,000RMB from Beijing to my apt.
I don't need (or have space for) the VewLix VS, but I can see myself ordering a Vewlix L.

Does that make it clearer?

I have actual photos now, looks like the real deal, so happy its not a "cloned one".

Gray_Area · « **Reply #18 on:** April 09, 2011, 06:44:53 pm »

Quote from: shanghaiguide on April 09, 2011, 10:53:47 am

As some of you ~~apparently went to school in the short bus~~ ...

Heheheheheh. Nice cab. Love the black.

JoeB · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2011, 12:31:10 am »

It might be only ~1700$ US, which isn't that much money for a westerner, but isn't this a lot of money for a Chinese citizen whose average salary significantly less? I was under the impression that the difference is 10 fold or there abouts .. so the actual cost to you is what would be equivalent to me being 17,000$

At which point, it is a lot of money!!

amendonz · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2011, 05:00:40 am »

with all due respect, who are we to say what is expensive to the guy....

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2011, 12:50:47 pm »

Most colleagues my age in Shanghai my age earn 20-30,000rmb a month, its not out of the question for me to order it.
My assistant has *handbag's* that cost more than the Vewlix. Way more.

Starting salaries here for young professionals are about 4-5000rmb a month in Shanghai for someone out of university.
Minimum wage here is 1300 a month. Unless you are working McDonalds or on a building site doing construction, you earn more than that easily.

Don't forget average salaries are an average. They include people from the countryside who live on 800rmb a month or less. Costs are also substantially lower in countryside vs cities, so salaries are appropriate for area, as they are in places like the USA.

Go lookup what apartments cost in 1st tier cities like Shanghai or Beijing, then compare to USA. Shanghai compares pretty similar to New York pricewise....

I've ordered the vewlix now. I also have shipping rates - actual rates is going to be 300rmb+30rmb for insurance (which the seller will cover), so not too bad.
Total will be rmb10,300 to my door (USD1575$).

Chinese people have money. They travel, and spend it too. Ask the French who spends the most money in Europe now in LV or Prada stores.
There are reasons why they hire Chinese speaking staff now there...

I passed a 50ft+ yacht on the way home on the road, the international boat show starts Friday, so they're loading up for that. People have money to pay for that.

iPhones here cost 5000-6000rmb. Out of my 8 staff, 4 have iPhones. They have more disposable income than I do! Most live at home with parents. I have more expenses than them...

iPad2 hasn't even come out here, and there are tons of them around in use. People I know in the USA can't even buy iPad2's as theres no stock - you know why?
They're all being sold to people in China.

This isn't 30 years ago...

Last time I time travelled like that, was when I went to North Korea - now that is going back to the 50's / 60's..

Sigh.

emphatic · « **Reply #22 on:** April 12, 2011, 02:40:17 pm »

Quote from: pinballjim on April 12, 2011, 01:35:18 pm

In China, milk comes in bags.

ITT, let's post like fortune cookies.

shanghaiguide · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2011, 04:24:33 am »

In most countries milk comes in bags actually

Fortune cookies aren't actually chinese either!

Heres the boat from last night

NipRing · « **Reply #24 on:** April 13, 2011, 07:30:30 am »

If getting a legit Vewlix was only $1575 to my door....i'd order 2. I'm going to order a knock-off and its gonna run me $2000 to my door. Shanghaiguide, thats a hell of a deal you're getting. Nice

JoeB · « **Reply #25 on:** April 14, 2011, 12:21:15 am »

WOW! You made my day ..

I'm an IT manager, managing a software development team in Canada. Everyone here is afraid of losing their job to China. We have colleagues in China Development Lab and I know what their head count cost is. At this rate, China would be just another Japan, where the west was afraid they'd lose all their work to them in the 80's but people would be people. Chinese citizens want nice cars, trips and the life style people in the west have, and costs will go up .. and eventually the "job drain" will go away.

Totally makes sense.

Your salary is no longer many times less than the west.. at this point it's less than 50% under (which is good for my team)

Good luck with your purchase.


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