I-PAC shift function vs. KeyWiz Shazaam Function for Howard C.

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eightbit:
Heres another perspective- ;)

The shifted functions of the Ipac and the keywiz are wonderful. If your only doing mame you don't need either unless you need the functions to be available outside of the emulator. Outside the emu you need to be able to navigate a list and start the game. This is usually done with p1 joystick and p1b1. Inside the emu is where you need the programed buttons, esc, pause , coin, player start plus a bunch of other actions if you want them.

Within mame you can specify any key combination that you want. You can set up a dedicated shift button or it can have its own action plus a shifted action. You can configure key combo moves, like require a 3 key combination to get TAB to get the game menu.

The advantage to doing it inside the emu is that you never mess with changing jumpers or programing of the encoder or switching codesets. You practicly have an unlimited ability to program as many functions as you want without adding any more buttons to your control panel.

ErikRuud:
I have an IPAC, it is a great product. The KeyWhiz looks good too.

In my cab, I must have a programmable encoder.

I run O2Em (an Odyssey2 emulator), it does not have assignable keys, and O2 controllers only had one fire button.

I use multiple configurations on my IPac. One each for O2em, MAME, Retrocade, and one for Game Launcher. For example in the O2Em configuration all 5 player 1 buttons are set to be the player 1 fire button. I do the same for the 5 player 2 buttons. The Game Launcher configuration set all the player buttons to be space(Show Snapshot) and all the MAME admin buttons are set to 1(Launch Game).

I know that eventually the EEPROM in the IPac will give out. When that day comes I will have to buy a new encoder. It might be an IPac, or it might not. Both the KeyWhiz and IPac 4 would allow me to add the extra buttons for modern fighting games(I'm not really a fan of those anyway).

From my point of view, the two products are functionally very simular, and neither one has a huge feature advantage over the other. As I see it, IPAC is a proven product, and KeyWhiz is less expensive.

I don't understand the complaints about US Customs charges with the IPAC. I paid the purchase price and the S&H, there were no additional charges.

Tiger-Heli:

--- Quote from: ErikRuud on February 17, 2003, 04:07:35 pm ---I don't understand the complaints about US Customs charges with the IPAC. I paid the purchase price and the S&H, there were no additional charges.

--- End quote ---
As I understand it, the Customs charges occur when shipping products to Canada. (Although you might be in Canada, in which case, I don't understand either.)

eightbit:

--- Quote from: ErikRuud on February 17, 2003, 04:07:35 pm ---I know that eventually the EEPROM in the IPac will give out. When that day comes I will have to buy a new encoder. It might be an IPac, or it might not. Both the KeyWhiz and IPac 4 would allow me to add the extra buttons for modern fighting games(I'm not really a fan of those anyway).

--- End quote ---
Eeproms have a limited life but I doubt if your going to see the end of it.

ErikRuud:
Nope, I am in the US.

Someone had said that the KeyWhiz would not get the customs charges because it was from the US, so I thought they were talking about US Customs.

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