Re: Instead of a laptop...


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Posted by Tom loukotka on September 13, 1999 at 14:10:04:

In Reply to: Re: Instead of a laptop... posted by Radioman on September 12, 1999 at 14:03:07:

: : : A long time ago I wrote a little doc on how to convert a 5" CGA monitor to work with arcade machines. (The article can be seen at http://www.spies.com/arcade/conversion/SamtronCGAtoArcade )

: : Cool :0 That doc helped alot when I was seeing if I could use my old CGA mon with arcade boards easilly.

: : : After seeing that counter-top MAME cabinet on the Arcade@Home site, I got to thinking that I could probably one-up that by using this 5" monitor and maybe the guts of a laptop. The 5" monitor uses a 12v DC power supply, so I wouldn't even need a bulky supply and isolation transformer (ack!). Has anyone used a laptop for their cabinet? Pros and cons?? I could probably pick one up cheap that had a bad LCD display, since I'd be connecting it to a monitor anyway. Do most laptops have regular VGA ports?

: : Instead of buying a laptop to gut, A micro-ATX motherboard is about the same size a laptop Mobo.
: : You'll need to get a mobo with video and sound, and whatever else you need, integrated on the mobo.
: : You can get a socket 7 board with video and sound for about $55.
: : The motherboard will be less than 2" tall with the proc. and ram installed, a regular AT PS (most micro-ATX have AT and ATX power connector) is 2"x4"x4" (hieghtxwidthxdepth).
: : One thing about laptops, is that they usually have an external PS that gets hotter than a desktop PS.

: This is exactly where I am headed. Have a k62-450 that needs a home and have been in contact with the guy that built that minicab. He advises to be careful of the room for the controls and he is working on another one. The monitor seems to be my biggest problem. 5" too small and I would like one about 12" or so that has digital autoadjust like my desktop 17. Any ideas or help is appreciated!

: Tom


I agree, scrapping a laptop is ludicrous. If its old enough not to care about then its probably not powerfull enough for MAME. I built the "Micro-Cade" seen on Arcadeathome. I used an off the shelf AT motherboard. it is a Matsonic. i basically used the motherboard as a starting point for the system. I built the cainet to fit around the board. If small size it what your after, Imight suggest you use the happ controlls competetion joystick. they mount a little higher then some others. Stay away from the miniture joysticks available from happ. They have simply terribale action. I think you will be disapointed in the video if you do not run at least 640X480. How fun is a 5" CGA going to be. If you plan on gamming you NEED and active display. Try a passive and you will get lost in motion blur.


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