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Boot CD installs DOS, Vantage, Raine, MAME (1 of 7 versions) and Game Launcher
Ninja-chicken:
Blow it.
I had a go at configuring my regular VGA card (nVidia GeForce 8500GT) to output 15kHz and the picture was stable, but really bad. I've decided to make my version of this boot disc assume that you have the ArcadeVGA card as well as the J-PAC.
This makes sense because anyone who is serious about this project will be happy to shell out the extra $100 or something.
I'll post the ISO when it's 100% and I have pictures of my project too ;)
Ninja-chicken:
Getting my sound card working on such an old machine has proved a nightmare.
I installed a Soundblaster ISA and a Soundblaster Live PCI and neither have worked. I tried using diagnose.exe and it didn't help at all.
I think I'm going to change direction entirely with this and use a TinyXP install to run my cabinet. The benefits sound vast. It will have the simplicity of windows with the speed of DOS. Should be nice :)
spystyle:
Well it won't exactly have the speed of DOS. Windows, stripped down to nothing, still uses at least 50 MB RAM. DOS uses more like 2 MB. But it should be close.
Cheers,
Craig
Ninja-chicken:
--- Quote from: spystyle on May 27, 2008, 07:52:26 am ---Well it won't exactly have the speed of DOS. Windows, stripped down to nothing, still uses at least 50 MB RAM. DOS uses more like 2 MB. But it should be close.
Cheers,
Craig
--- End quote ---
Jeez that's a huge difference. Still, I think we should make a disc which is going to work first time for everyone, even people with no techy know-how. I think windows is the best way to achieve this.
However there is the argument that a mame cab is a personal project and so you should have to do some work yourself...
spystyle:
The DOS CD fills a particular niche. With it the full spectrum of computers can be used for an arcade machine. For example, if a person really wanted to use a Pentium 166 with 8 MB RAM to build a dedicated "classics" cab, like Dig Dug, Mappy and Pac-Man type games, the DOS CD would be the ticket.
For more recent computers a stripped 98se can be used. (uses 15 MB RAM, but I think it can eventually become unstable)
For even more recent computers a stripped 2K or XP with driverpacks is very nice. (uses 50 MB RAM, and I think it is rock solid)
Computers are evolving rapidly, and the price for parts is dropping like a rock. What was "costly" last year is "almost free" this year. For example, the new Pentium 4d rigs I build for my customers have 4 GB of RAM, the RAM only cost $50*. Not too long ago that was unthinkable.
So it should be very easy to find an inexpensive, or free, Pentium 3 rig for your cab and load it up with a stripped XP.
That 50 MB of RAM used by the OS is of no consequence since you can "max the RAM out" for $12-$20 these days. See pricewatch and ePay for inexpensive parts.
PM me if you need the tutorials for stripped 98se, stripped XP, or the "recipe" for the new "h3ll fast" computers I build for my customers.
Cheers,
Craig
*It's "off topic", but when buying RAM from pricewatch be sure to get "Samsung" or similar. In my experience the absolute cheapest RAM can have compatibility issues.
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