What about this idea instead of a trackball?

[hellothere123]

I am not making my cabinet so it can play trackball gaems, the trackball is only for mouse operation.  What about mounting this mini keyboard on your control panel, inbetween the 2 U360 joysticks and buttons?


http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2751522&sku=A68-1168


Is that nutts?

[severdhed]

you plan to mount the keyboard on the control panel?  doesnt that defeat the purpose of having a cabinet?

[Green Giant]

Is that nutts?

Yes. 

You will not need a keyboard after you do the initial setup.

[vidmouse]

Looked at the site hellothere linked to and found this:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1085687&CatId=540

can't REALLY take the place of an arcade trackball in my opinion but it's better than that keyboard...

seems like we have a lot of trackball posts lately -- are a lot of people trackball adverse or what?

[ARTIFACT]

Do you want to play PC games on your cab, is that why you want a keyboard?

As Green Giant said, once you have your menus setup, you won't need a keyboard...

I went for a bluetooth wireless keyboard+mouse for my cab... I just reach for it IF I need to dive in Windows to grab some files, etc... But that's RARE really.

[DaOld Man]

Looked at the site hellothere linked to and found this:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1085687&CatId=540

can't REALLY take the place of an arcade trackball in my opinion but it's better than that keyboard...

seems like we have a lot of trackball posts lately -- are a lot of people trackball adverse or what?

Hey Vidmouse, that looks pretty neat. I would like to hear from someone who has tried this on a control panel. It might save some real esate on a small or crowded control panel. I'd just like some opinions from people who have tried it, before I loose nearly enough money to buy a good happs off ebay.
As for replacing a trackball with a small keyboard that has a touch pad... let's dont even go there!

[severdhed]

that would be a nice unit to put on a keyboard tray under your control panel, that you could pull out and use when you needed to do windows stuff, but mounting a keyboard on your control panel just isnt a good idea.

[xmenxmen]

If I ever need access to the keyboard or mouse, I just lift up the control panel.  I say go wireless if you really need to.

[DarkBubble]

Unless you're a Typing of the Dead fanatic, a keyboard on the panel is a no-no.

[(+_+)]

that would be a nice unit to put on a keyboard tray under your control panel, that you could pull out and use when you needed to do windows stuff, but mounting a keyboard on your control panel just isnt a good idea.

I agree. I'm using the exact same keyboard on my keyboard tray. I like it and it's got a small footprint.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=62244.0;attach=80344;image

[DaveMMR]

I'll have the unpopular opinion and say that not only do you not need a keyboard wedged in between two joysticks, but also that you don't need to build a keyboard tray and you don't need to spend money on a bluetooth/wireless keyboard.  Also, you do not need mouse operation (unless you're using it for game playing).  All the setup and administration can be handled outside of play time, and a simple frontend handles joystick input, so no need to incorporate it into the design.

Granted, you may want one if you're playing PC games with controls you can't remap (though the computer desk is better for this, IMO) or you have some other reason you really, really need one (I can see You Don't Know Jack being fun on cabs).  But for the most part, I'd opt for a cheap $5 or $10 USB keyboard tucked away inside somewhere instead of spending $60 for something that's really a non-essential part of a working arcade cabinet.

[BobA]

Keyboard must be hidden or the arcade cab feel  is lost.  Go for a real trackball there is no better replacement.  They are not expensive if you use a used (but good) trackball and an optiwiz, optipac or (cheapest) mouse hack.

Trackballs rule. Accept no substitute.