Running MAME in a cab off a lappy?

[Dave9946]

Well seems like yet again after coming so close to selling the thing last year before my health went down hill a little that I might again get about to sorting my mame cabnet out lol.

The main issue upto now has been the cost of getting the pc parts to put in the cabnet. Something it's a little hard to justify the the gf let alone getting her to understand what we would be getting out of the cab once completed.

Anyways the gf got a new laptop before xmas and it dawned on me last week that the old laptop (the screen is kind of hanging off but still working lol) might just might be able to run the software.

As said the screen is hanging onto the lappy just but then I realised I dont need the screen. Just as long as it stays on long enough to setup etc.

The spec aint to bad for the old laptop, if only 512mb of memory. But just wandering if anyone has or does run mame of a laptop to know if there is any performance difference between running it on a desktop?.

[macker]

No reason at all why it shouldn't all run fine from a laptop mate. Has the lappy got an SVGA port on it?

PS: Can't believe you still aint finished that cab :bash

[Dave9946]

No reason at all why it shouldn't all run fine from a laptop mate. Has the lappy got an SVGA port on it?

PS: Can't believe you still aint finished that cab :bash

Yeah it has the outputs, 1 for a standard pc monitor which I've still the 21\22" to use or the SVHS output if ever I decide to move to the strangly better "original screen" looking effect crt tv.

Gonna try and find a few hours spare over the weekend to install some software for testing.

I cant believe I've still not got around to sorting it either m8. Problem is with a little un here they often take priority!!!. Then again I'd have to admit thats prob more of an excuse as much as anything lol.

[ImCal]

Yeah it has the outputs, 1 for a standard pc monitor which I've still the 21\22" to use or the SVHS output if ever I decide to move to the strangly better "original screen" looking effect crt tv.

Gonna try and find a few hours spare over the weekend to install some software for testing.

I cant believe I've still not got around to sorting it either m8. Problem is with a little un here they often take priority!!!. Then again I'd have to admit thats prob more of an excuse as much as anything lol.


Go for it m8, i used old pc parts and a 2nd hand touchscreen to make a touchscreen jukebox last year, just busy ripping my cd`s as i type (ive got 2 pc`s ripping for 4-6hrs aday from around 4am to 10am) time consuming but will be worth it i think.

And little un`s always come first so im lucky ive got a big un:evil: and he dont live with me lol...

[macker]

Well mine's still working fine mate ................ :biggrin :biggrin

(Posted for no good reason other than to rub Daves nose in it! :biggrin )

[Dave9946]

Mac, do you by any chance remember where to get that circuit board thing (whatever it's called) to interface the cabnets control panel to the pc?.

The gf having had a new jacket yesterday says I can treat myself to something so I'm looking at getting 1 before she changes her mind.

[macker]

http://www.ultimarc.com/

:ok

[Dave9946]

Thanks for that, I just could'nt for the sake of me recall what they were called lol.

Do you know if I need the USB lead thing to go with it like the site suggests?. As I cant work out what the 2 connectons on the side of the board are to see!.

By the way can you recall which sort of wire you used to wire the controls up?

Deffo ordering the board tomorrow while I have the chance and hopefully wire the control panel of the cab during the week ready for when the board arrives.

Just checked the lappy and at about 35gb free space should easily be enough for the standard latest MAME rom set.