Mac OS Cab

[Txny Mxnrxe]

I have an iMac G3 sitting around and I would like to create a bartop out of it for my grandparents.  I have never really messed with OSX  before so I was wondering if there are ways to make it look arcade authentic like you can with Windows.

[Havok]

You are seriously limited by using a Mac in both hardware and software options, but it can be done. Check out this site for a front end:  http://www.emulaunch.com/

And just use a keyboard based encoder to interface your controls, and you should be all set...

[Blanka]

Emulaunch is slow on a Core2Duo 2x3Ghz.
I would not try it on a few hundred mhz iMac.
Just make it a MacMame only machine.

[Havok]

But that's not very arcade authentic looking. How about pyrecade?

http://pyrecade.sourceforge.net/

[retrometro]

Seriously.  Get a cheap pc instead.  I have a G4 imac and a dual G5 powermac and while the G5 is plenty fast even for games that would normally require a 3+ghz intel, you'll be disappointed however with G3 performance since the G4 is good only for the classics..

[loadman]

Dude,

I am a Mac fan/user.

We have nothing but Mac's at work including a Mac server.

MaLa development is often done on my Mac Laptop (using Parallels) as it runs so fast.

But I think you a much better off getting an old PC for a cab..

So many more options 

[Txny Mxnrxe]

I am already using a pc in my personal cab so i know that it's easier, i just like the fact that the imac has everything in one and all i would need is the control panel.  All i was planning on doing was about twenty games from the 70's and 80's

[Neverending Project]

FWIW, I made a mac-based bartop from a PowerBook G4 1GHz. It is not as arcade-authentic looking as you can make a PC to be - but for my Dad it is good enough.

I ended up using Mame OS X and emulauncher. I made a desktop to match my emulaunch background and set emulaunch to load at startup. At boot you see the Apple logo, then emulaunch launches. Once you select a game you see the menu bar for a few seconds while the game loads. Likewise when you exit a game. Other than that the experience is pretty seamless.

Another downside, though, is the G4 is not capable of playing everything through MAME OS X - even some of the classics. No Donkey Kong or Joust, among some others. You can configure emulaunch to use MacMame, like Blanks suggests, which I imagine will be better at some of the classics with the older romsets.

Here is my bartop.