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iCade for iPad released!
Lilwolf:
Its really too bad getting a 10" vga monitor is !@# expensive for the size (145 is best I've found... but 30 bucks for a 15")...
I've wanted a counter top cab for a bit, but to plug to my main PC. I think it would be great for quick plug / play without keyboard.
I wonder if mame works with any of the USB monitors? Then get a USB keyboard encoder... a small usb hub... and you have a single usb plug for an arcade machine that plugs into your computer...
Now that would be a product worth spending a few bucks on!
Cynicaster:
Most consumer products: 1) identify need; 2) design product to meet need
iPad: 1) identify demographic with more money than brains; 2) design "cool" product with bright screen and flashy colors; 3) look for needs to meet with product
As far as looking for needs to meet, I must admit, the iCade is a cool concept. Unfortunately, for the price of an iPad + iCade I could almost build a full upright cabinet.
pointdablame:
--- Quote from: Cynicaster on June 08, 2011, 12:55:13 pm ---Most consumer products: 1) identify need; 2) design product to meet need
iPad: 1) identify demographic with more money than brains; 2) design "cool" product with bright screen and flashy colors; 3) look for needs to meet with product
As far as looking for needs to meet, I must admit, the iCade is a cool concept. Unfortunately, for the price of an iPad + iCade I could almost build a full upright cabinet.
--- End quote ---
I'm well aware of how cool it is to hate Apple products on the internet, but this is an absolutely idiotic post. The iPad is a tablet.... there were tablets before it, and there are now more tablets than ever with more and more use cases.
Cool product with flashy colors... give me a break. And yes I own an iPad and love it... we actually have 2 in the house and it's replaced my netbook. I dont' actually use it everyday for browsing, gaming, and even work though... I just stare at the pretty colors. ::)
CheffoJeffo:
:stupid , again.
I have owned a number of tablets now and have sent most back. I tend to despise Apple since they dropped the Computer, but I love my iPads. It is popular to bash, but if you haven't owned a variety of tablets, save the nonsense for your friends who don't know better.
Anybody should be able to build a full cabinet for less than the cost of an iPad and iCade. May last two cabs cost less than an iCade.
DeLuSioNal29:
--- Quote from: Cynicaster on June 08, 2011, 12:55:13 pm ---Unfortunately, for the price of an iPad + iCade I could almost build a full upright cabinet.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, but if you're like me and use an iPad2 for work, then the additional $100 is appealing. The app is FREE and comes with Pong arcade version. You can purchase one game at a time for 99 cents or the whole 92 arcade and 18 Atari 2600 ones for $14.95. I already picked up app with all the games for $14.95, only because if I have guests over I want them to be able to scroll through the whole list and play anything they choose.
For the most part, most of the games have a vertical layout, some have horizontal, but give you the option of selecting a control layout that "convert" it to a vertical orientation, since the controls are on the bottom. That behavior may change, once the mini arcade is connected to it. There was an option in the settings to "turn off" the label buttons. Not sure what it's for, but it seemed to have no effect when I disabled it, but it may need the base for it to work properly.
One other note. Looks like the bluetooth interface it will be using is proprietary. I tried using my apple bluetooth keyboard with it and when I pressed one button at a time (I tried the whole keyboard) in Asteroids, nothing worked. However, when I mashed the keys together, it fired and moved the ship. So I'm guessing that certain combination of keys make the controls work: Which is probably sorted out in their special encoder in the base. (My Apple keyboard works fine with other apps to type and such).
I'll include some screen shots of the app when I have a sec to upload them. It's pretty customizable.
In the meantime, here's a video someone already posted on youtube:
DeLuSioNaL29