Can I modify a megatouch machine and convert it to a mame machine?

[pbGames]

Hi,
  I have been thinking about buying a arcade machine for a long time now.  The problem was always the cost!.  Anyway, I decided to buy a mame machine on ebay.  Although they are quite costly too!  So I was looking at converting megatouch machine into a mame machine.  These machines seem a lot cheaper than others.  Although, from quickly looking at one I have a number of questions that I need answering before purchasing one.

1. I assume the motherboard is a standard pc motherbaord?  That I can run windows?
2. Can I modify the from of the cabinet(just below the screen) so that I can place the stick and buttons?
3. The screen resolution is good enough to play games.
4. I can replace the harddrive with a standard HD?

Thats what I can think of for now.  If there are any other issues that I have missed here to then please comment on them.

Thanks.

[WindDrake]

Megatouch machines run from custom hardware to not-quite-a-pc. They can't run windows. The cabinet modification would be something akin to custom kick boxes in a car, lots of fiberglass work. Screen resolution would probably work, and if I'm remembering correctly, they use standard HDD's.

Megatouch would be a pretty poop choice. Better off putting together a kit bartop, especially considering what the Megatouch machines cost.

[paigeoliver]

Megatouch games are cheap at the moment because cell phone games have killed their profitability and all the operators are unloading them.

They are basically completely unsuitable as mame conversions.

It really isn't difficult to do a complete mame project for between $200 and $300.

$25. Used 21" Computer screen off craigslist (CRT type).
$40. Used computer off craigslist or from your local PC recycler.
$80 Encoder, joystick and buttons.
$100. Broken down used arcade game to convert.
$245 total.
You can sell the original monitor, circuit boards and wiring out of the game you buy to get some money back.

[yotsuya]

Megatouch would be a pretty poop choice.

Did you mean to write poor choice? 'Cause poop choice is pretty good, too.

[pbGames]

Thanks for your replies.  Thanks for the breakdown of the item cost.  In the uk buying cabinet is the most expensive item.  For example, on ebay cabinets cost around £350!  Ican buy a megatouch fully working for less than £100.

[pbGames]

Ok.  So what can I salvage from an existing megatouch machine. 

1. The cabinet.  Although I will have to modify to add the joysticks and buttons.  Should be too much a problem though.
2. The screen.  Does it have a VGA input, so that I can connect to motherboard?
3. The motherboard. I will assume I have to get a PC motherboard, ram and HDD?
4. The speakers.  I guess the amp can connect to the motherboard too?

Can some please confirm that they agree with these.

[Brian74]

Pictures would help. I have a bartop megatouch. Idk if you can run a os on the mb and the hdd is small. The monitor on mine was vga and the touchscreen controller was serial.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[AAirhart]

A majority of Megatouch games with a crt were 486 PCs with a microtouch controller and security/sound card. Don't bother trying to MAME one, as is you can run Windows 3.1 if you install it. They boot into DOS. I'd swap the board with a newer one that still has a serial porr, install XP, microtouch drivers and use it as a jukebox.

[AAirhart]

Hi,
  I have been thinking about buying a arcade machine for a long time now.  The problem was always the cost!.  Anyway, I decided to buy a mame machine on ebay.  Although they are quite costly too!  So I was looking at converting megatouch machine into a mame machine.  These machines seem a lot cheaper than others.  Although, from quickly looking at one I have a number of questions that I need answering before purchasing one.

1. I assume the motherboard is a standard pc motherbaord?  That I can run windows?
2. Can I modify the from of the cabinet(just below the screen) so that I can place the stick and buttons?
3. The screen resolution is good enough to play games.
4. I can replace the harddrive with a standard HD?

Thats what I can think of for now.  If there are any other issues that I have missed here to then please comment on them.

Thanks.

1. Yes, but ancient
2. Don't do it, not worth the trouble and the area you're referring to is metal.
3. Lucky to get 800x600
4. It is a standard drive, the software just won't boot unless it finds the key fob on the security/sound board.

[paigeoliver]

The existing Megatouch motherboard is going to be worth far more as megatouch spare parts as it would be as a computer.

Are those touch games really all VGA? I have 3 of them and somehow I never noticed that.

[Paladin]

Early Megatouches are CGA, the later ones are VGA.  I believe Megatouch 3 through 7 are CGA, XL and later models are VGA.

[WindDrake]

Megatouch would be a pretty poop choice.

Did you mean to write poor choice? 'Cause poop choice is pretty good, too.

Nope, totally meant poop.

[ark_ader]

So you cannot have a PC in there like XP (for the serial interface) running Android in a VM using the touch sensor as a mouse?

I do this workaround on my old Wacom tablet (without Android) with XP running VM for the old graphic software.  The interface is serial also and works via the VM very well.

Just a thought.