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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: Mario on January 10, 2005, 01:17:24 pm

Title: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Mario on January 10, 2005, 01:17:24 pm
I need help choosing a frontend (FE) for a slow PC (I think it's a P1 at ~300MHz with 32MB memory). I planned to use GameLauncher, but it runs much too slow (it's constantly trashing the hard drive, even when paging thru the game list). I tried MameMenu and MameWah, but those didn't work out. Rather than try to install, configure, and then run many of the various FEs out there, I thought I'd ask for others' opinions.

Minimally, the FE must:

- run fast
- run in DOS (a DOS rip from Win 98SE)
- support reconfigurable keys (I'm using a keyboard hack)

Ideally, I'd like it to show screenshots while browsing the game list. That's about it. It doesn't have to be fancy.

Thanks.

Mario
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Minwah on January 10, 2005, 01:49:15 pm
I'd normally recommend GameLauncher....were you running it from pure DOS or DOS mode in Win98?  Make sure you do the former...

Alternatively, try ArcadeOS (again run in pure DOS).
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: jcrouse on January 10, 2005, 03:16:37 pm
I used this one for over a year and really liked it and he still seemd to answer questions via email, although that was over a year ago.

http://edsfamily.com/ed/mamemenu/

John
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Mario on January 10, 2005, 06:20:12 pm
I'd normally recommend GameLauncher....were you running it from pure DOS or DOS mode in Win98?
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Mario on January 10, 2005, 06:21:19 pm
I used this one for over a year and really liked it and he still seemd to answer questions via email, although that was over a year ago.

http://edsfamily.com/ed/mamemenu/

John

Thanks, but as I stated in my original post, I tried MameMenu and it didn't work out. Maybe I'll give it another go if there are no other suggestions.

Mario
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Chris on January 10, 2005, 06:37:51 pm
I'll bet the problem is in your PC configuration; you're probably not loading Smartdrv.  What does your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS look like?

--Chris
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Mario on January 10, 2005, 09:59:01 pm
I'll bet the problem is in your PC configuration; you're probably not loading Smartdrv.
Title: Re: Need help picking MAME FE for slow PC
Post by: Mario on January 11, 2005, 01:37:19 pm
I'll bet the problem is in your PC configuration; you're probably not loading Smartdrv.