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Who wants to build a micro bartop?

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patrickl:

--- Quote from: ark_ader on January 01, 2008, 09:40:38 pm ---Whats wrong with using a cheap old laptop?

--- End quote ---
That it's not really "micro".


--- Quote from: ark_ader on January 01, 2008, 09:40:38 pm ---MAMECE is a joke (pocket cult is much better)
--- End quote ---
I tried both and they both kinda suck. MAMECE seemed to actually suck slightly less for me. For PocketGalaga I use a PocketSNES emulator. Works much smoother (especially with sound)

Grasshopper:

--- Quote from: ark_ader on January 01, 2008, 09:40:38 pm ---
So I see we are spending $100 on a ITX mobo and $40 for PSU which a cheap laptop for $60 could do better...hmm


--- End quote ---

Yes, but where do you get a half decent $60 laptop from? I've been on the lookout for a cheap second hand laptop for ages and I've never seen one with a reasonable specification for anywhere near that price.

The price of new laptops is plummeting but for some reason the second hand ones are still holding their values pretty well.

govee:
How bout these?

http://gumstix.com/

pmc:

--- Quote from: govee on January 05, 2008, 07:45:07 pm ---How bout these?

http://gumstix.com/

--- End quote ---

Never seen these before. Very cool. I'd love to see some arcade projects using these.

-pmc

ark_ader:

--- Quote from: Grasshopper on January 05, 2008, 04:07:06 pm ---
--- Quote from: ark_ader on January 01, 2008, 09:40:38 pm ---
So I see we are spending $100 on a ITX mobo and $40 for PSU which a cheap laptop for $60 could do better...hmm


--- End quote ---

Yes, but where do you get a half decent $60 laptop from? I've been on the lookout for a cheap second hand laptop for ages and I've never seen one with a reasonable specification for anywhere near that price.

The price of new laptops is plummeting but for some reason the second hand ones are still holding their values pretty well.

--- End quote ---

Ebay is my place for cheap laptops.  I get the IBM 365X for change from a tenner, then cruise your local computer show (micromart has them in the back of its rag) for the power brick, £5 for the CF card and reader - no HDD no Floppy google for the maintenance manual showing you all the parts to remove the screen (leave the plastics alone - trust me  ;D) and you have a working platform.

I did this with a bit of fuss and Im looking towards installing my IBM 240 (real small lappy) which I got for a £10.  IBM lappies are so easy to fix, most of the time its a battery for CMOS that needs replacing.

Scoot over to Randy's Groovygamegear for the encoder for your controls and buttons etc.  He is far cheaper than Ultimarc as Andy still uses DHL (HOK why...).

Anyway I made one submini and its smaller than that Galaga and it played 1000 games and old Skool games too.

Here it is in all its fuzzines.  I'm waiting to get a new place (just moved back to Las Vegas from the UK) and a workshop to complete my other sub-mini projects, but this worked:

http://www.geocities.com/ark_ader/Finished.jpg

I don't see the point making micro bartops if you cannot see the screen.  Or buy parts for it when you have plenty of old  :censored: floating around ebay and craiglist that can be used with a nice 12-14" vertical display for a fraction of the cash.

I don't know about those gumstix - they look like controllers for industrial machinery, and they don't look like they cost £10.  :laugh2:

But if you are rich and can afford to splash out - let us see your creation.  :applaud:

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