GGG Keyboard Encoder Question

[markronz]

Can someone please clarify the difference between the KeyWiz40-ST, link here:
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_80&products_id=303
and the GP-Wiz40 Max USB, link here:
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_81&products_id=235

I realize that one is PS/2 and the other is USB, but beyond that, what is the difference.   Is it that the KeyWiz is recognized by Windows as a keyboard, and the GP-Wiz is recognized as a joystick?  Or is that not it at all?

Are there benefits to using one option over the other?

I don't have any plans to get a rotary joystick, so I am leaning towards getting the KeyWiz.  I just wanted to check first to make sure there wasn't some benefit that I was missing.   I will just be making a normal control panel, 1 happ competition joystick and 6 buttons per player, and maybe 4 admin buttons.

Let me know what the deal is.  Thanks!

[Havok]

That's the main difference - gamepad (gpwiz) vs. keyboard (keywiz).

For what you are using it for, either would suffice. However, I would go with the Keywiz for two reasons: one being that some motherboards require a keyboard to be plugged in on boot. Some will stop at the BIOS screen and beep waiting for you to press F1 to continue. This is only an issue with some motherboards, so that might not be a problem for you. If it is, you will need a keyboard plugged in if you have the GPWiz.

However, the second reason is the most compelling; some games will not let you map different controls than their standard, and will only take keyboard strokes. (Daphne comes to mind, it only somewhat supports joysticks and allowing control re-mapping).

In my opinion, the KeyWiz is the way to go...

[markronz]

Awesome!  Thanks so much for your reply.   KeyWiz it is!

[bkenobi]

You can use XPadder (for example) to convert gamepad input into key strokes.  If you need to remap a keyboard, you can use AHK or AI or remap the encoder itself.  There is a solution to every problem you can come up with, so don't worry about getting the wrong one.

[Havok]

If you are buying, don't trust the software workarounds - they never work 100% for all situations. Been there, done that. I have a KeyWiz and GPWiz...

[markronz]

If you are buying, don't trust the software workarounds - they never work 100% for all situations.

What do you mean by this?    I'm not terribly familiar with the KeyWiz yet.  (That's the one that I ordered.)  I do see that they have their own software though, and that the keys are mappable.  Are you just saying that I shouldn't remap them, and I should just leave them set to the default MAME keys? Or what?

[Havok]

Just replying to bkenobi about using a gamepad and 3rd party software to re-map the controls - Nothing to worry about...

[RandyT]

If you are buying, don't trust the software workarounds - they never work 100% for all situations. Been there, done that. I have a KeyWiz and GPWiz...

A lot depends on a person's configuration and intents.  If one is primarily looking at using MAME, then the GP-Wiz will work perfectly for them, without any more fuss than if one were using a keyboard based controller.  The only real issue anyone could run into is an emulator where the author still stubbornly refuses to add proper, native gaming control support for their application which, oddly enough, is made to play games.  Fortunately the list of these apps is very short, and for the most part, the 3rd party keymapper applications seem to work with the majority of this small group.  

It's hard to go too far wrong, regardless of the model one decides to purchase.  The GP-Wiz also has the additional benefit of supporting rotary sticks for those who might be considering them in the future, and is a good choice for systems with only USB ports available.

RandyT