Yeah, they definitely go better with the flush inlaid plexi. Although the raised buttons have a cool atari cone like feel to them. This particular application was better suited for the flush mount however.
The computer will be a PC. Partly so I can run 3Darcade as the FE and partly because I am determined to maintain the authentic picture from the AVGA.
Next steps are pretty easy, until it comes to dadoing the sides at an angle. I have to finish all the horizontal structures that get glued into the final assembly. So I've got to extend the bottom panel of the marquee box, and build "drawer rings" for the bottom, middle and top sections as well as a face frame like structure for the front and a rear panel for the back to keep everything solid and hold the massive weight of the canted sides. All those are easy, and will likely just be plywood rectangles since they will be completely hidden in the final cabinet. I think I posted a pic of the dado plan back a ways.
I've also decided to trim the edges of the sides with a furniture trim bit to give them a wide smooth radius/arc. And I gotta install the side art. So, yeah.. theres plenty left before glueup I guess.
Insert "yikes it's gonna be another decade before this is done" comment here.
Hopefully these more straightforward processes won't trip me up for months at a time like the unorthodox stuff has.