Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: dommer on March 28, 2004, 02:49:55 am
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3085992868&category=49230 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3085992868&category=49230)
This thing is just amazing... is this anyone on here's handywork?
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Yes it is beautiful, however, even though I'm incredibly anal-retentive about symmetry, I detest that kind of layout. Player 1s buttons are on the left of the joystick, player 2s are on the right. Ugh.
The one thing that caught my eye is the Targus port replicator they used. It allows 1 USB cable to take the place of potentially 5 cables that might be used in a normal mame control panel setup... 2 USB, 1 serial, PS/2 mouse, PS/2 keyboard (I-PAC). I've never seen that done in a control panel. I wonder if 1 USB port can handle all that (potential) traffic from all those devices at once.
(http://www.targus.com/us/product_images/PA070U_accessories_b.jpg)
http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=PA070U (http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=PA070U)
"The USB Mobile Expansion Hub features a self-powered stand alone USB hub with two USB ports, a serial port, a parallel printer port, a mouse (PS/2) port, a keyboard (PS/2) port and a power connection."
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Aside from the buttons, the tron, spinner and 4way are so far up the cp as to be annoying to use (I unfortunately have the same issue with my cp). But from an aesthetics point of view, this thing is just amazing.
I doubt usability was his primary concern, assuming this is true: "This controller is one of only two in the world like it (the other one was built and customized for a high profile NBA player, you may see it on MTV Cribs one day).", then the original probably has seen less play than most CP's suck up in an afternoon. Just a show piece I'd bet, bling bling.
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I think it sucks.
Who wants to be distracted by the inside of the CP when trying to play a game!?
Bah...seems cool at first, but realistically, I think it's crap.
Just my opinion, man.
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I think it sucks.
Who wants to be distracted by the inside of the CP when trying to play a game!?
Bah...seems cool at first, but realistically, I think it's crap.
Just my opinion, man.
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I'm with you on that one. I think it's pretty nasty looking.
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A buy it now of $2000???? Are people on crack? Don't think I could even justify $500 for a CP alone.....
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it looks like it has a little lcd tv set inside, so that is a little $$$ as well. he said parts ran $1500, which is a lot, but maybe i'm not seeing something inside. I kind of like the clear top, it's novel and gimmicky at least.
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I think it's a thing of beauty. If I could build something like it, I would. My wiring's a rat's nest and my MDF cabinetry is crude. But it all plays games well.
I think this thing is absolutely gorgeous. Like someone from Apple designed it or something. I could see it featured in Wired, a sky rag, or what-not.
I'm a parts scavenger. I wouldn't BUY IT NOW for $2000 if my life depended on it. But I like to watch.
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It cools kind of cool when you first look at it, until you see just how impractical this thing is
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Thinking of it more as a piece of art rather than as a practical CP, I think it's pretty cool.
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It looks kind of pretty, but the symetrical layout just kills it in my mind. The lcd screen is cool but since there isnt an acutal computer inside the thing its a little pointless. Also I dont see how you could play on it being that you pay 2 g's for it I would be worried as ---fudgesicle--- about scratching up that lexan/plexi.
And you could make an entire machine for that much!!! I built me cocktail for 300 bucks for christ sake.
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hulkster: your post was removed. If you want to know why, PM me.
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nah, i can guess why ;D point taken, lesson learned :)
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I was looking at it some more and from what I can see there is nothing on the sides so anybody can just reach in and grab wires and yank on stuff. Thats something to look forward to when the nephews come over and try to grab everything in sight!!
Also where would you put this thing? Unless you had a cabinet that was also made of similar materials it would just look silly. In his post he said he was selling this to make a cocktail cabinet in the same way that I might be interested in.
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Well, I think it would look pretty sharp on a cab that was painted black. It would get scratched, and the embedded tv screen is essentially useless, but it's got hella sex appeal. I agree that it maybe isn't practical, but at the same time, if there was a mame cab on MTV Cribs, I can completely see that being the CP. And new fabrication ideas are always a welcome addition. Plus, the wiring looks like a Falcon Northwest, more work than it's ultimately worth, but still a beautiful thing to behold. This of course is my opinion, and I often speak out of the small skinny hole.
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Whats so gorgeous about it ???
It would make more sense if you put some graphic under the plexi then a light or something since its all clear.
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.....The one thing that caught my eye is the Targus port replicator they used. It allows 1 USB cable to take the place of potentially 5 cables that might be used in a normal mame control panel setup... 2 USB, 1 serial, PS/2 mouse, PS/2 keyboard (I-PAC). I've never seen that done in a control panel. I wonder if 1 USB port can handle all that (potential) traffic from all those devices at once.
I agree with Krick....
I'm more interested in that port replicator...
actually.. I think it'll be able to handle all the traffic...
think of a USB network adaptor that can have a high transfer rate...
for a normal CP... we're talking about 4 people meshing 1 joystick each and like 3 buttons ??... that shouldn't be too much... (but just my guess...)
that thing looks pretty cool... (as a showcase...)
but doesn't look practical to me...
but if something like that can cut down all wires to just 1 usb... and it can handle the traffic... not bad at all...
(well... if I didn't remember wrong... 1ups cab is also all USB also... right ??...) so.. its been doen before.. in 1 way or another... right ??..
just this is a more "fancy" (or should be call it "pricey" ) way ??.... heeee hee...
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I am going to have to disagree with most of you guys. The craftsmanship on that thing is amazing! Yes, he has some layout issues (Player 1 joystick is on the wrong side...), but the wiring and control surface is amazing.
The TV screen is a nice touch. I can't figure out what I could use it for, but it is a nice touch.
I emailed him through eBay. I am interested in the type of material used to make the surface.
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I don't know.. I like it..
Sure the buttons are wrong (enough that I wouldn't buy it if I could afford it).
A little over populated... I don't like frankemame control panels... But having an all in one is a little easier (because you can say one day that its done)
And I don't like the TV.. .sure its neat... but come on... who wants to play a 1500 control panel on a 3" screen. If it was a secondary pc monitor and some frontends used it (not a bad idea... I'll look into it for jfront... full front end on one side... emulator always running something on the other... hum... I like it)...
Not a huge fan of the wingman hack... why? its the cheapest thing on the control panel.. But not what others are looking at... if you spend 1500 on a control panel... whats another 60 bucks for a good shape used 8way flight (or 150 for a new one).
But after all the complaints... It think it looks pretty cool
If I was going to do something like it... I would have to put the wiring completely below the silver I think... along with the ipac. Because just seeing electronics doesn't thrill me..
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Asking price aside I think it's really cool looking.
-S
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I think it's very impressive. Sure, it's expensive, and it might not have the layout most of us like, it might have some goofy things like the TV screen... etc. But the craftsmanship on this thing is amazing!!
It's clear (no pun intended) that there are a lot of custom machined parts on that panel. This is on a totally different level than anything seen on this web site (no offense, simply stating that very few people have the resources to have a custom acrylic top custom machined... probably by CNC). Where most of us measure with a ruler, make a mark, and drill a hole that is "about right", this panel is probably precise down to the thousandth of an inch. Just getting those joystick holes drilled properly would be a challenge for most of us.
Wade
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I think it is impressive but not to the tune of $2000.00.
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I would think you could use that little TV for showing an instruction card for the selected game. Or you could have some pr0n on it to distract your opponent. :-)
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I don't see it as being really any more impressive than many of the works I've seen showcased here. So it's clear? Yeah, and? Wouldn'ta been any more difficult for many of us to have made panels outta some sorta acrylic.
The port replicator is a neat idea and the LCD would be cool if it can be used to display instructions.
Sorta neat, but certainly not anything I'm gonna swoon over. $2,000? I don't think I even need to comment on that, it's so comical.
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I think it looks cool, but the price is a bit hefty.
The "TV" is in a bit of a stupid place...
I think it would have been better if the tv was in the middle so player1 & 2 could see it...
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It's clear (no pun intended) that there are a lot of custom machined parts on that panel. This is on a totally different level than anything seen on this web site (no offense, simply stating that very few people have the resources to have a custom acrylic top custom machined... probably by CNC). Where most of us measure with a ruler, make a mark, and drill a hole that is "about right", this panel is probably precise down to the thousandth of an inch. Just getting those joystick holes drilled properly would be a challenge for most of us.
Wade
This is not true
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Many peoples control panels and cabs blow this one away in both design and construction.
Huh??? Obviously there are many design flaws and you may or may not like the whole see-through idea, but in terms of physical construction that looks to be about perfect.
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I was looking at it some more and from what I can see there is nothing on the sides so anybody can just reach in and grab wires and yank on stuff. Thats something to look forward to when the nephews come over and try to grab everything in sight!!
I don't think the sides are exposed. At least the front must have material since the P1/P2 start buttons are mounted there.
It really is one of the nicest looking panels I've ever seen. The TV is just plain goofy, though. Even supposing you would want to play arcade games on the tiny little screen it's not even centered. Player 2 couldn't see what the hell was going on.
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I was looking at it some more and from what I can see there is nothing on the sides so anybody can just reach in and grab wires and yank on stuff. Thats something to look forward to when the nephews come over and try to grab everything in sight!!
I don't think the sides are exposed. At least the front must have material since the P1/P2 start buttons are mounted there.
It really is one of the nicest looking panels I've ever seen. The TV is just plain goofy, though. Even supposing you would want to play arcade games on the tiny little screen it's not even centered. Player 2 couldn't see what the hell was going on.
I think they are you can see that there is a litle piece of plexi to hold the start buttons but the rest of the front and side look open.
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It's clear (no pun intended) that there are a lot of custom machined parts on that panel. This is on a totally different level than anything seen on this web site (no offense, simply stating that very few people have the resources to have a custom acrylic top custom machined... probably by CNC). Where most of us measure with a ruler, make a mark, and drill a hole that is "about right", this panel is probably precise down to the thousandth of an inch. Just getting those joystick holes drilled properly would be a challenge for most of us.
Wade
This is not true
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i think its great.
perhaps a smoked or darker clear material might have detracted less from the nice SS sticks,and also the layout issues aside ,
i think its different and fresh,and a welcome site.
BUT......and this is giamungous BUT..
ultimately.
we ARE talking simply about a control panel...and no control panel is with that kind of money..NEVER
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Well, clearly this is a matter of opinion, but think that the build of this CP is more advanced than just about anything else I've seen that wasn't commercially produced. Making a top like this one is more difficult than just cutting a sheet of lexan.
In what way? Actually, with the right tools cutting this thickness of acrylic is easier than cutting the thin lexan and such that is typically used for CP overlays.
I think the proof is in the pudding. How many hundreds of CP's have been built and displayed on this site, and how many have looked this good?
In my opinion? Many. In fact, the majority.
I know a lot of people might not like the look, understandable, but I'm sure if it were "just as easy" to build as the standard stuff here, then it would have been done already.
Actually, it has been done already. I've seen at least a couple of CP's made out of clear acrylic sheet.
I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the custom trackball case too. It looks like they might have milled the top and bottom of the trackball case and replaced it with tinted lexan/plexi.
As with the LCD screen, it's pretty neat but no marvelous feat of engineering or great leap forward in CP design.
This isn't some magical project that no-one else can hope to equal. It looks to be a pretty well made standalone CP with neatly tied wires, a custom cover for a trackball, and an embedded LCD. The latter two points and the fact that it's made out of a non-standard material make it a little interesting but not particularly any better than many others from an actual construction standpoint.
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It looks to be a pretty well made standalone CP with neatly tied wires, a custom cover for a trackball, and an embedded LCD.
So, you're saying that other than the good construction, it wasn't constructed well. ;)
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It's clear (no pun intended) that there are a lot of custom machined parts on that panel. This is on a totally different level than anything seen on this web site (no offense, simply stating that very few people have the resources to have a custom acrylic top custom machined... probably by CNC). Where most of us measure with a ruler, make a mark, and drill a hole that is "about right", this panel is probably precise down to the thousandth of an inch. Just getting those joystick holes drilled properly would be a challenge for most of us.
Wade
This is not true
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For 2000 bucks you'd think they could throw in a REAL Tron stick. Not to mention polish the edges of the plexi....
Not my taste but it looks ok, theres still a few rough edges though and for that kind of money there shouldn't be ANY.
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Man, the control panel does look freakin awesome, if you don't care for it that's fine too, but I'm happy someone posted this so I could see it. I like when people take the effort to create something new and exciting with diffrent kinds of materials, and for the controls being screwy maybe the guy is a south paw, people didn't give any dirt to Stingray for his decision on his control panel layout! Sounds like he made the panel for himself and now has to sell it. And there is a ton of awesome of lookin cabinets out there, that are just as equal to this panel, but this does deserve some attention. By the way the asking price is kinda crazy :o
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I think it looks pretty cool but...waaay not ergonomic and its cluttered and....WHY does it have that stupid little TV in there?
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Like I said previously, this is the CP equivalent of a Falcon Northwest or Voodoo PC. You can build a functional equivalent for 1/3rd the price, but you simply cannot approach the workmanship or style. This is subjective, but plywood with holes cut in it and some t-molding may work just fine, but this thing has style. Look at the way the light shines through the joints joining the top and center pieces. Just beautiful. But yeah, if you want to argue apples, I'll stay here talking about oranges. I hadn't realized when I posted this that there was going to be such a negative response. It may not be your cup of tea, but I can't get my head around how you can't appreciate the innovative touches.
About the little TV... you could just play TV on it, while you're playing Mame. That would be pretty sweet. It's of the style of custom automotive fabrication, where you stick a TV wherever it'll fit. Once again, maybe not your cup of tea, but style-wise, it's innovative on many levels.
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Like I said previously, this is the CP equivalent of a Falcon Northwest or Voodoo PC. You can build a functional equivalent for 1/3rd the price, but you simply cannot approach the workmanship or style. This is subjective, but plywood with holes cut in it and some t-molding may work just fine, but this thing has style. Look at the way the light shines through the joints joining the top and center pieces. Just beautiful. But yeah, if you want to argue apples, I'll stay here talking about oranges. I hadn't realized when I posted this that there was going to be such a negative response. It may not be your cup of tea, but I can't get my head around how you can't appreciate the innovative touches.
About the little TV... you could just play TV on it, while you're playing Mame. That would be pretty sweet. It's of the style of custom automotive fabrication, where you stick a TV wherever it'll fit. Once again, maybe not your cup of tea, but style-wise, it's innovative on many levels.
Take a pill dude...most people thought it looked pretty good...some didn't. Few if any liked the layout...this is a fourm for people who BUILD these things...but opinions vary. No one liked the asking price. And as far as the TV...I still gotta ask why? ;D
People are pretty civil on this board and nobody was attacking you. But you seem to be taking this all pretty personally...almost as if you built it? Hmmm...
Like I said it looks good but I wouldn't want it...opinions vary! :)
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but style-wise, it's innovative on many levels.
Hardly. "Clear" is soooooooo 90's tech. Yeah it's not been done much on CP's, but I'd wager to say that's because honestly, it's sorta ugly. Distracting. Cluttered.
Name me one way it's innovatively stylish, other than being made from clear plastic? Sticking a TV in every available orifice isn't particularly "innovative," now is it? Seems a little deriviative.
Now, the port replicator seems to be pretty innovative for a CP, I'll give you that. That's the high point of this piece.
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Overall it looks nice, IMHO. Not sure about the monitor, but if it displays game info, rules, control setups,ect... it'd be ultra useful on a MAME CP.
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people didn't give any dirt to Stingray for his decision on his control panel layout!
Well not much anyway, and it was all good natured. ;) After seing this CP I kind of wish I'd layed out my two player panel the same, two sticks one with buttons on the left, one with buttons on the right. That way guests who don't like my layout have another option. Hmmm. Maybe I should build another panel.
Once again, I think this is a really cool looking and well built panel if way overpriced.
-S
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Spaced, I never thought anyone was attacking me. I'm just stating my opinion, like everyone else. Isn't that how discussions generally work?
About what is innovative or stylish:
1)The trackball mounting shows the bottom of the trackball through a darkly tinted translucent panel, I've never seen that before, and I think it's fantastic.
2)The thing is not just plexy, it's a metal base where all of the ugly wiring are hidden, so that wires dont travel from microswitches to the keyboard encoder directly, they go through grommeted holes into the box, and back up to the encoder. That would require a lot of work to do, and to make it look as clean as it does, I don't know if I'd have 1/10th the patience to get that done. Anyone can make a cp box out of plexi instead of plywood, but this is more than that. It's got 2 chambers... the wiring that you see is clean and intended as decorative.
3)Black buttons with colored sleeves. I've never seen it done, it's a new look. Doubles your button budget though. :) Not a big deal ultimately, but a nice touch.
I don't understand why people are making a stink about the port replicator. The port replicator is something anybody could do, it's a commodity part, and doesn't require much extra work. It's not aesthetically pleasing, it doesn't suggest excellent workmanship.
The plexi will scratch, and maybe the look is too flashy for you. I agree that the layout sucks, especially that analog stick, which not only is way too deep but has no buttons near it other than the ones on it. I generally don't criticize works of art for being impractical, that's not the point, in my opinion. Think of this as a concept car. Maybe the placement of the glovebox wasn't too well planned, but the thing is suggestive of possible fabrication avenues that few people seem to be going down. This guy examined things we take for granted, and found a new way of going about them. At the end of the day, people who try new things, whether you like them or not, I think should be lauded.
Thats my 2 cents. If you have any extras, I'll take one of those pills now Spaced.
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[quote author=DougHillman link=board=1;threadid=17592;start=0#msg140057 In what way? Actually, with the right tools cutting this thickness of acrylic is easier than cutting the thin lexan and such that is typically used for CP overlays.
You can't be serious! "With the right tools..." Yeah, for example, with the right tools, machining an entire CP from a solid piece of aluminum is "easy". All you need is a piece of hundred thousand dollar equipment, and the skills to program the machine to cut it out. Then, it's just a matter of sitting back, enjoying a beer, and waiting a few hours for the machine to cut it out. But how many people have the right tools, or the skills to do this? Very, very few on this forum.
Maybe you have access to all the skills, materials, and equipment needed to make a panel like this, and you feel you could do it easily. But you just haven't, because you don't like it, or because it's so easy it's not even a challenge. Good for you, you are in a very small minority on this forum, I assure you!
I'll submit that the average person on this forum, like myself, is lucky to have a jigsaw, a circular saw, and a drill. We're even luckier when we actually get the cut straight, or don't chip the wood/plexi when we drill, get the holes perfectly straight, etc. I can tell you that my cabinet has lots of "slop" built in, otherwise it wouldn't even fit together. That doesn't make it a leaning tower of junk, but to say my cabinet is comparable to this panel is just ridiculous, I wouldn't say that because I give respect when it is due.
Most of us spend an afternoon with a saw and some MDF or plywood, and with some hard work and lots of mistakes, end up with an acceptable finished product. This panel appears to be virtually *perfect* in construction though, the cuts of the top and the holes drilled look to be machined or laser cut. On top of that, a material is used which is very uncommon and absolutely harder to work with for the average person on this site. This is a totally different level than almost all projects on this site. Like it or not, you can argue this all you want, but you'll still be wrong.
In my opinion? Many. In fact, the majority.
Fine, you're entitled to an opinion.
Actually, it has been done already. I've seen at least a couple of CP's made out of clear acrylic sheet.
I stand corrected, perhaps there have been a handful of other projects made from this material and/or made to this high level of construction. But it is certainly very rare and worthy of some praise.
>>>I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the custom trackball case too. It looks like they might have milled the top and bottom of the trackball case and replaced it with tinted lexan/plexi.
As with the LCD screen, it's pretty neat but no marvelous feat of engineering or great leap forward in CP design.
This may not be addressed to me specifically... I'm not claiming there are any great leaps or particularly innovative aspects to this panel. I'm simply asserting that the level of quality/construction of this panel is above and beyond the norm here, with unusual materials and a precise build. How can you just dismiss this?
This isn't some magical project that no-one else can hope to equal. It looks to be a pretty well made standalone CP with neatly tied wires, a custom cover for a trackball, and an embedded LCD. The latter two points and the fact that it's made out of a non-standard material make it a little interesting but not particularly any better than many others from an actual construction standpoint.
I agree, it's certainly not unachievable to every last person on this site. It would just take a very long time, would be very expensive, and very difficult for the vast majority of us.
I'm not trying to take away from anyone else's work here, I built my own cab and I'm proud of it just like most of us here. But I know it isn't perfect, and it's obvious that this panel is a cut above the rest.
It's not surprising at all that something this good is so disliked.
Wade
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Wade, I don't think that any of the posters in this thread really dislike this CP. Even I don't. It's not my bag, but it's still a nice piece of work.
I think the point that some of the detractors have been making is that it's not really worthy of the shameless gushing that it's received and certainly not worth the $$$ being asked.
And I'll repeat again for the umpteenth time in this thread, the physical construction details aren't any more impressive than much of the work I've seen done in wood here. We've seen exact cuts & nicely tied wires before. It's just more visible under clear plastic. From a layout design standpoint, it's actually inferior to many of the CP's posted on this site.
D
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I personally think it's pretty sexy. Not that I would want it as my primary panel or anything.
It's sort of the Britney Spears of CPs. Nice eye candy, so-so functionality! ;)
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LOL! Well put Santoro.
-S
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I think it's cool as well. Layout does suck. Monitor is useless.
Someone was wondering about the material used on the top... Here you go --- chemcastacrylics , I wasn't sure if I could post a link, but they do have a web site.
This stuff will scratch way to easily.
Although I love the look... I don't think I build one for myself.
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Wade, I don't think that any of the posters in this thread really dislike this CP. Even I don't. It's not my bag, but it's still a nice piece of work.
I think the point that some of the detractors have been making is that it's not really worthy of the shameless gushing that it's received and certainly not worth the $$$ being asked.
And I'll repeat again for the umpteenth time in this thread, the physical construction details aren't any more impressive than much of the work I've seen done in wood here. We've seen exact cuts & nicely tied wires before. It's just more visible under clear plastic. From a layout design standpoint, it's actually inferior to many of the CP's posted on this site.
D
I think it's more impressive, you think it's less impressive. Fair enough. :)
Wade
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The most upsetting thing in this whole thread is someone's suggestion that Britney Spears has so-so functionality. I'm convinced I could get some good use out of her.
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I think this thing is jaw-dropping! A bit impractical and overpriced, but jaw-dropping nonetheless. The port replicator is way overkill. I understand the need for a PS2 connector, but what on earth do you need the printer port for? A simple USB hub and a PS2 to USB adapter would do the job.
Lose the LCD and the trigger stick, flip the controls on the left side, and center the 4-way, and this thing would be kickass on the right cabinet. As far as the "unfinished" edges, I kind of like it. In fact, the whole thing might look good with a frosted finish. Definitely not for the budget minded, but I'm sure you could find someone who'd buy it.
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The most upsetting thing in this whole thread is someone's suggestion that Britney Spears has so-so functionality. I'm convinced I could get some good use out of her.
You need to follow the analagy through to the end. Would you marry her and have her as your "primary woman?" I am sure that any of us might find 3 or 4 useful and attractive aspects about her :-* ;D, but somehow I don't see her as the one many would want to settle down with. Ask yourself,
Think she'd be happy with one man forever?
Think you could have a stimulating intellectual conversation with her? Or a technical one?
Think she'd stay home on Saturday nights with a sick kid?
Think she'd love you if you put on a few pounds?
Think she'd put up with a zillion arcade machines around the mansion that were created before she was born?
I may be wrong, but probably not. ;D
{edit - sorry to hijack the thread. back to topic.
If I hit the lottery I would surely buy that CP just for the cool factor. Until then I will build practical ones!}
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sorry... but even if I hit lotto....
I'd rather buy Frosty's rotating cab.....
and a mercedes.... (ohh... and probably a lexus...)
but nope.... not that CP....