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New Product: GP-Wiz - 32-input Fast USB Controls Interface

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Howard_Casto:
I love new hardware.... but i've got to be honest I don't know why anyone would choose to use this. 

First off, it's essentially a gamepad. The whole reason eveyone uses keyboard encoders is that not every emulator, pc game or application has gamepad support.  Mind you this isn't as big of a problem as it used to be by any means, but still. 

Secondly, you are billing it as a modular solution. How exactly? It has 32 inputs, but only two axis... so unless you want to use some of the buttons as 2 player axis (which imho is very hacky and you shouldn't have to do), it can't even handle 2 players, despite the enormous amount of button inputs.  It doesn't handle sub-panels well either, because of the cost. 20 bucks seems cheap until you realize that you have 5 panels.  I know some of you are saying.... "Well you can just make a harness and keep the pcb in the cp box, thus only switching out the controls."  Yes, yes you can.... you can also double wire your keywiz/ipac inputs to a custom harness and do the exact same thing, thus eliminating the need for this product.

While we are on the matter of cost...  I'll admit 20 bucks is a decent price for a gamepad with that many inputs, however, I can get a pc pro pad 8 usb joystick for 6 bucks at any local store.  It's easy to hack and although it only has 8 button inputs, I save not only 10 bucks on the initial cost, but also the cost of shipping.  I woldn't mention this, because a non-hacked solution is obvioulsy better for the slight cost increase except:

No analog inputs?  Why?  It's the one thing that nobody has... a non-hacked, cheap, analog interface solution.  As is the usb pcb that you've made doesn't offer any features worth using it over a keyboard encoder.  If anything it's limitations would put some people off from buying it. 

I want you to succeed, it's just that this doesn't seem like a good idea to me.  If it had analog inputs and some additional axis for the same price then I'd be all over it... but as is, it merely limits what you can do with your inputs, as opposed to a keyboard encoder, which potentially can offer just as many inputs, without the hinderance of requiring joystick support or usb support. 

Howard_Casto:
the server burped  ???

Howard_Casto:
*personal note* 


Pointing out that this product is built from a usb kit is just lame.   It doesn't matter.... the tools to properly program the eproms cost about 200 bucks (and I'm being conservative)  so unless you are running a business and already have the tools, this route is unaccessable to the average consumer. 

Hoagie_one:
1 keywiz eco2 + 1 GPkeywiz = 4 player mame machine at 1/2 the price of an ipac4

Reason enough to me.

Tiger-Heli:

--- Quote from: Howard_Casto on February 08, 2005, 10:22:10 am ---Pointing out that this product is built from a usb kit is just lame.   It doesn't matter.... the tools to properly program the eproms cost about 200 bucks (and I'm being conservative)  so unless you are running a business and already have the tools, this route is unaccessable to the average consumer. 

--- End quote ---
Huh?  Who said anything about a USB kit besides HC?  I don't follow you.  More comments coming . . .

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