PortaMame idea?

[Tritoch84]

Ok, I play fighters , alot. I thought maybe there could be a way to have a semi portable MAME setup?

2 Arcade sticks, using playstation pads and usb adapters,

A cheap laptop, with enough power to run metal slug 3, a S-Video out, and a headphone/speaker jack.

Pair of cheap portable computer speakers.

I could turn any TV in the US into a gaming machine this way, but is there a cheaper way? Even 300MHZ  used laptops cost around 300something, and don't have a S-Vid out (the ones I have seen).

This seems like a really cool idea to me, the only part I would be missing is the laptop/computer part.

Anyone else think this idea is just nuts? When I told somone I was thinking of buying an old laptop just for MAME they said I was crazy.

[cholin]

Man, look in Project Announcements.  Theres one called Portable Mame or something like that.  Use a regular computer.  You put a whole computer into the panel, wire it all up, and you can turn any TV in north america into a gaming console   I might do one too, so Id love to see how far this goes.

[Tritoch84]

Ah, my fault, I searched and didn't find it, how, I don't know.

I have 2 indivual sticks, not sure if I could slam computer guts into one of them (kinda small).

Thanks for the heads up.

EDIT: I checked it out, I'm thinking of a more portable idea, that looks HEAVY, if that thing dropped, by by computer guts.

[DaveJ-UK]

Most laptops wouldn't take too kindly to being dropped either.

You can get a ~300MHz laptop for a lot less than $300, especially since you don't need the screen.

Can't you just hack a VGA cable? You shouldn't need video out I don't think.

--

Or just get an XBox and chip it...

[oldsage]

I don't see why lose the screen... Do the whole portable thing and add a battery or something... Could be nice for long car trips...

[RayB]

Sounds to me like all you really need is a portable JOYSTICK to plug into a laptop.

[oldsage]

Sounds to me like all you really need is a portable JOYSTICK to plug into a laptop.

Are you referring to me or the OP?

[Flinkly]

it sounds like you want a supergun of sorts...just my $.02.

but an x-box would be easier and cheaper, and they have enough buttons on their joysticks that i think it would work very well.

[pointdablame]

sounds to me like you want a console. 

Why not just get an Xbox and run MAME on it... you won't run everything in MAME, but you'll run what you could on a 300mhz laptop no problem.

[XtraSmiley]

I sell laptops for way less than that.  I'm getting 5 more in this weekend, shoot me an email if you are interested.  I ususally get 400mhz and up and can sell them for under $200, fully working of course.  Send me a PM if interested as I won't check back on this thread.

[Tritoch84]

I can't belive you compared that heavy thing to a laptop, all I ment is that it looks easy to mess up something, and easier to drop then a laptop you can put in a case and is ten times smaller.

I do use my sticks for console, the fighters I can't get on console I play on MAME, and would want to play them on a TV, not the tiny laptop screen. I'm not spending money on an XBox because I don't need it, or want it, all the games I want I have on PS2.

Thanks for the info XtraSmiley, I might just be hitting you up, (don't know why I said that, he's not going to check back in this thread anyway!)

Thanks for the input guys. I guess a cheap laptop is what I am looking for, I guess it would be cheaper then a minitower that I made and could just hook up.