Which OS and which version of MAME?

[GenreX]

Hi all!

I am making a MAME cabinet of my own. My preference is to Use MAME32 running on WinME.

My selection was due to the following facts:

I can hot plug 2 USB joysticks and use keyboard and mouse whenever I want.
MAME32 seems to be compatible with most of the ROMS.


Do you think this is the easiest way to go and is it the most compatible? My only problem to figure this out is how to shut down the computer? Like when I am done playing... how do I close the MAME32 front end and shut down windows?

Help me please.

[AKA Kaytrim]

Windowz ME??    Stay away from that version above all others.  This was Microsoft's biggest blunder for an OS.  It was full of problematic bugs and would crash quite often.  Your best bet is to get your hands on a copy of Windows 2000 or XP.  They are much more stable and XP is better than 2000.

An honest opinion from a Windows Application Programmer.


TTFN 
Kaytrim

[AtomSmasher]

It depends on how fast your computer is.  I'd say either use Win XP or Win 98, in general I'd only use win 98 on computers slower then 800mhz or less then 256mb ram.  Win Me is the buggiest version of Windows there is, I would not ever recommend using it.  If you do use Win Me, then don't come crying to us when your computer keeps crashing 

As for front ends, I found Mame32 to be too small (text wise) and complicated looking for a cabinet to use.  Thats why I'm using Mamewah, although there are plenty of front ends, all of them have their pluses and minuses so find the one right for you. 

The way I shut my cabinet down is I hid a button on the back of the control panel, I then connected that button to the power switch on the PC.  I set the PC to automatically shut down when the power button is pressed, and with the use of the smartstrip power strip, that button now turns everything on the cabinet on and off (monitor, speakers, marquee light, computer, etc.) 

[Dervacumen]

Hi all!

I am making a MAME cabinet of my own. My preference is to Use MAME32 running on WinME.

My only problem to figure this out is how to shut down the computer? Like when I am done playing... how do I close the MAME32 front end and shut down windows?

Help me please.

I use Mame32 and Windows ME for my cabinet.  I use Windows ME because that's what I had available.  I'm running a very old processor, a PIII 933MHz monster.  I play mostly classic games so it's fine for my setup.

After I exit a game, I'm on the windows ME desktop.  I have a trackball so I just use that and the P1 buttons 1 and 2 to function as my mouse.

I just point my cursor to the start menu button and shot down normally.

Really straightforward since I have a trackball.

[Genrex]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

What about DOS Mame? Is it compatible enough for latest ROMS?

I have got an Intel P4 2.4GHz with an Intel PERL865 motherboard.

[Eric(Goddahavit)]

you mentioned usb, that is why no one mentioned dos, good luck getting usb stuff to work in dos..


I have a dos box using mame 59 and it works fine, it is a amd 500 but it play metal slug fine, but no trackball or anything usb.


it is verfy reliable, never hangs, but the kids do find a way to turn and change the screens on arcadeos frontend.

you could consider a differnet frontend that can run a shutdown command on exit.. I think mamewah does, and I am sure others do as well.
 

[CheffoJeffo]

As for front ends, I found Mame32 to be too small (text wise) and complicated looking for a cabinet to use.  Thats why I'm using Mamewah, although there are plenty of front ends, all of them have their pluses and minuses so find the one right for you. 

Last time I built a MAME cab, I used MAME32 with MAMEWah as the front end ... worked like a charm with the benefits of both worlds.

Cheers

[TOK]

If Windows ME is all you have available, I think it'll be fine. It always seemed to me the things that screwed up Windows 98/ME was net surfing and adding/removing programs.

If you get ME installed and just use it for MAME, I don't think you'll ever have problems with it.
My original cab is running the first edition of XP with no service packs, and all the unnecessary services stripped out of it. There aren't ay configuration changes made on it, I don't surf the net or download stuff on it, so there isn't much to break! 

I use the oldest version of MAME that has the features I need. Currently I'm using .99 because it has Robotron running at the correct speed (older versions ran it too fast), has the Golden Tee games and still has the Hiscore.dat support.

[GenreX]

Thank you all again.

 I have decided to go with MAME32 and WinMe.

I am using Win Me since 2000 and never had any major problems. Its only problematic when multiple threads are running. I am solely using this system for MAME.

I am going to go for Windows against DOS just to be able to use USB joysticks. Also, it will help a lot to be able to connect a trackball, lightgun, mouse, keyboard or whatever in future. Also transferring roms via a USB disk will be a breeze.

 I will try out MAMEWah front end tonight to give this plan a go ahead.