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Author Topic: megatouch question.  (Read 10465 times)

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Hutt

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megatouch question.
« on: August 27, 2005, 09:21:21 pm »
I am assuming the Megatouch machines are just regular computers with a touchscreen...with no proprietary hardware.

If so, can I open one of these things up and copy the harddrive so I can play the games in my own cab?

I can get access to the machines if this can be done.

Ken Layton

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2005, 12:50:33 am »
Ha! You must be joking, right?

Merit uses proprietary hardware and special security key software to prevent copying of any kind. If you try to ghost a hard drive the Megatouch program on the original hard drive will crash. "Unauthorized copying detected. Program terminated. Call Merit Industries to purchase new security software and replacement hard drive" may be shown on screen. :o

Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2005, 07:39:06 am »
Ha! You must be joking, right?

Nope!!

Merit uses proprietary hardware and special security key software to prevent copying of any kind. If you try to ghost a hard drive the Megatouch program on the original hard drive will crash. "Unauthorized copying detected. Program terminated. Call Merit Industries to purchase new security software and replacement hard drive" may be shown on screen. :o

Really...WOW...
Ok, then I guess I wont open one up and try to copy the harddrive :o

Thanks for the info though.

Although, the only I think that would really make this effective is the proprietary hardware...not the software...unless Merit is the only company in the world that makes software that cannot be copied!! Someone out there has to have the ability to do it.

Ken Layton

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2005, 10:59:02 am »
Merit Industries is very protective of their touchscreen games/technology. Telephone their tech support dept (www.meritind.com) and ask your questions about copying and system hardware.

Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2005, 11:15:09 am »
I'd be more then happy to purchase their software if they sold it seperately....as I don't want to pay $5000 for a machine that I can build for under $1000 (without the software that is).


Ken Layton

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2005, 11:19:52 am »
You can ask them if they do that, but I kinda think you're going to be disappointed.

Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2005, 11:40:16 am »
Yeah, I think I actually called them a year or 2 ago and asked them...and you are correct, I was disappointed :(

Oh well, maybe one day I will just buy a used machine.

SirPeale

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2005, 01:46:47 pm »
The MT Gold series are just 486 motherboards with a special ISA daughtercard.  This daughtercard contains a special encryption key.  If it doesn't detect this key on boot, it'll tell you as much.

It *is* possible to boot one of these beasties after copying, but like Ken says without the security key you're SOL.

Are you talking about the EVO series?  I haven't had the opportunity to poke around in one too much, but I see it runs Linux.  A security key is likely.  Without it, you're screwed.

Karetaker

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2005, 03:15:09 pm »
Yes, the EVO's have keys as well. You don't have to pay $5,000 for a new machine. You can always buy a used one and an update.

Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2005, 05:21:57 pm »
How old of a machine could I buy and still get the newest update?
Do you know what an update costs?

Karetaker

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2005, 12:52:05 pm »
It depends.... the Force  is there latest and greatest. You can pick up a Maxx for a decent price. It's just Merit's way of making operaters buy new machines. I remember the Merit promise when they first came out with the megatouch. "You buy the game and we will sell you the update for the cost of the chips @ $25"! That lasted for one update. Who knows what the new updates will cost for the Force 2006. Expect to pay between $400-$500 for them.

Ahhhhh yes I remember it well. The Mega-Touch. What a wonderful thing. They were cheap for what they were and made a ton of money. You couldn't get one every bar top fast enough. The updates were cheap YEAAAAA!!!! You had to cart your money into the bank and danced the whole way to the door. Then came the XL's..... CD-Rom based games. Now you had to buy yet another machine to replace all those Mega-Touches that you bought. Not to metion the Merit sneak attack deal. Things like buy 5 or more Mega-Touches and pay nothing for six months!!!!! Then a super low interest rate for 18 months.... how many would you like?  Two months later they would unveil their newest creation and now you were locked into the old ones. The old CD Rom drives.... what a bad idea for a bar. All that smoke just made them so dependable (blatant sarcasm). Changing a Rom drive got to be like a pitstop. The first one you changed you where thinking you got to be kidding me..... I have to take the monitor out to change the dive???? After you got a few under your belt it was nothing. Of course after you got every location an XL along comes then XL super deal, and then the Maxx. Which a hardrive was a much better idea for a bar I must say. But now it's time to buy a whole new round of Mega-Touches. Then the Force and the whole thing is repeated. Now the flatsceen..... the e.V.o. What started out as a wonderful money making endeavor has turned into an effort to keep up and try to stay even with these things.

You may find this hard to believe.... but I used to be an optimist....hehehe.

ChadTower

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2005, 12:58:07 pm »

I wonder how hard it would be to retheme a megatouch to look like a Moonwalker.

Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2005, 10:10:00 pm »
Well, I just did a quick ebay search and found Maxx Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire going from $900 to $1500.
What is the difference between these?
Are these fair prices?

What sucks is I just want this for home use so I don't need things like a $500 bill changer!!

Are there any companies out there that make similar games like this for home use...that would also work good on a touch screen?

Karetaker

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2005, 11:50:55 am »
They are just different levels of upgrades. You can get the cheapest one and update it to the latest upgrade which for a Maxx would be the Jade. Depending on what you buy you may need a memory upgrade as well.

Stingray

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2005, 12:05:30 pm »

I wonder how hard it would be to retheme a megatouch to look like a Moonwalker.

:D

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Hutt

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2005, 10:18:27 pm »
They are just different levels of upgrades. You can get the cheapest one and update it to the latest upgrade which for a Maxx would be the Jade. Depending on what you buy you may need a memory upgrade as well.

Sweet, this is probably what I will have to do then.
I assume it is just some standard memory in these?

Thanks for the help.

Karetaker

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Re: megatouch question.
« Reply #16 on: September 06, 2005, 11:46:19 am »
Yes, you can buy the memory upgrade yourself, or you can get it with an update kit.