Main > Main Forum
I-Pac vs. Keywiz
<< < (2/8) > >>
Tiger-Heli:

--- Quote from: jer2665 on April 07, 2005, 09:51:41 am ---what is the difference between the gpwiz and keywiz, i understand one acts like a gamepad, the other as a keyboard, but what are the differences in using one over the other?   like the ipac vs. the gpwiz or something.

--- End quote ---
See this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,34805.0.html (Oddly enough also started by TimStuff.
Timstuff:

--- Quote from: Tiger-Heli on April 07, 2005, 10:00:11 am ---
--- Quote from: Timstuff on April 07, 2005, 09:25:47 am ---Which one is the prefered choice of most people? Which one works better/has less problems?

--- End quote ---
Been covered a lot in the forums, or see http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/encoder/

--- End quote ---

Hmm... Very enlightening. The Keywiz Max 1.5 is looking pretty good to me at this point. I was originally hoping to go with something cheaper (as in the $20 range), but I guess it'd be worth springing for the extra $15 to make sure I get the one that I know has the features I want (like keyboard passthrough). But also, I read that you need to flip a switch to switch between the interface and the keyboard, and I don't really like the sound of that. And I also read that your programming settings will be lost if you switch it between computers. This doesn't sound very good to me. The I-pac is $40, which is $5 more than the Key-Wiz and twice as much as I originally wanted to spend. But it might be worth going that extra mile to ensure that I have the maximum performance.
Tiger-Heli:
Well, you're catching on to why there's not a "which is better answer", as it depends on what you want. 

--- Quote from: Timstuff on April 07, 2005, 10:48:52 am ---Hmm... Very enlightening. The Keywiz Max 1.5 is looking pretty good to me at this point. I was originally hoping to go with something cheaper (as in the $20 range),

--- End quote ---
There's the KeyWiz Eco with a pin header for $23, if you don't mind cutting up a HD cable.

--- Quote ---but I guess it'd be worth springing for the extra $15 to make sure I get the one that I know has the features I want (like keyboard passthrough). But also, I read that you need to flip a switch to switch between the interface and the keyboard, and I don't really like the sound of that.

--- End quote ---
On an arcade cab, you really don't need a pass-thru.  Are you building a cab or a desktop controller?  On a cab, it's easy enough to unplug the encoder and plug in a keyboard on the rare instances that you need to.  On a desktop controller, you can either use a wireless, USB, or PS/2 to USB adapter with a PS/2 Keyboard, or just flip the switch.

--- Quote ---And I also read that your programming settings will be lost if you switch it between computers.

--- End quote ---
That's not as big a drawback as you make it seem.

If you use the same computer, your settings are not lost, you just have to add a shortcut to the KeyWiz software to reload them at startup.

If you take a desktop controller to a friends house, the default codeset is MAME-compatible and they probably won't match your custom codeset anyways.

Where it is a problem is if you don't use the default set (again, I use it and it works fine for MAME), and you plan to hot-swap the controller.  (The software can't load the custom codeset if the KeyWiz is not plugged in).
spriggy:

--- Quote from: JoyMonkey on April 07, 2005, 09:46:17 am ---I don't think anyone will tell you that one is better than the other. As far as I know, they're pretty much on par with each other. I've always used KeyWiz's for the simple fact that they're cheaper and ship from the USA (though I hear Ultimarc's shipping is insanely fast)

--- End quote ---

Insanely fast is right.

I ordered some parts on Friday evening 01/04/2005 from Andy.  They arrived at my doorstep (by a lady who nearly knocked the door down!) the morning of the 05/04/2005.

Damn.  I live on the other side of the world, down in the bottom corner.  ie Perth, Western AUSTRALIA.

Nuff Said!
(Another wiz in Ultimarcs pocket!)

Tiger-Heli:

--- Quote ---I ordered some parts on Friday evening 01/04/2005 from Andy.  They arrived at my doorstep (by a lady who nearly knocked the door down!) the morning of the 05/04/2005.

--- End quote ---
Pretty sure he means 1Apr05 ordered and arrived 5Apr05.  I can just see the other Yanks saying "January to May to get an order???"
Navigation
Message Index
Next page
Previous page

Go to full version