xbox as parts to build Mame system

[ddebuss]

I have 3 cabinets waiting for systems inside of them.

[Mike]

Go check out www.xboxhacker.net for specifics but from my understanding the only thing you can use is the processor, ram and harddrive. Hardly worth the $200 for the box. The motherboard has a special bios on it so you can't use it plus it has no ability to take a keyboard and the dvd drive is special and won't work in a regular PC. Someone a while back though was suppose to have a port of mame to run on the xbox but i haven't heard anything about it in a while.

[John]

I think your confused on what the xbox is...ITS a console not a PC.  It might look like a PC, but it's systems cannot ascept a "Windows CD" to boot.  Pretty much everything on the inside is proprietory, and it would take a lot of work..if not impossible to convert to a  MAME machine.  

I would hope that someone would develop a MAME version for it and release it, but don't hold your breath!

Questions:
1.  No
2.  No
3. Standard DVD, but cannot read CDRs.
4 . Power supply is a special ATX connector, not standard ATX.
5. Memory is directly soldered on board.
6. No keyboard or mouse connections inside, just special USB connections for the controllers.  No and you can't connect a USB to it!
7. N/A
8. 8 gig proprietary OS
9 As big as the case.
10 I guess, with a lot of cutting

Your better off buying cheap PC for less than $300!

[Lilwolf]

You might consider it, but to run xbox games.

Better choice is the dreamcast.  40 bucks these days, and about 80 - 120 on ebay with multiple controllers and 10 - 20 games.  

There IS a mame version for the dreamcast.

There is a bunch of support for hacking the controls.

The games are running new for 10 bucks at most stores.

There are a TON of great games for it.

There are GREAT shooting games

(btw, I'm looking at hacking one now).

[Lilwolf]

Another note....

The PS2 might make for a good thing to hack.  the prices are going down to 200 bucks in a few months also.  

But the big reason?  Linux support.  For another 200 bucks you could add a linux box, harddrive, otherstuff that comes with it.  Then get Linux version of mame running on it should be easy!  (plus maybe Linux versions of Zinc and a few other great Linux emulators.)

So you would have both great emulation, and also great console system

[tom61]

The Xbox may soon become better suited for a MAME box, a Mod Chip is comming out for X-Box that lets you run unsigned code (ie homebrew programs).  

[ddebuss]

Thanks for the replies.  I thought it was a lot more pcish than it actually is.  Lots of good info in the replies

For now I will sticking to a regular PC since I know nothing about Linux.  Longer term I may give the PS2 example a try.

Any idea where I'd get info about Linux on PS2?  Is it a mod kit that allows a hard disk to be installed in it?