06-21-2005, 09:37 PM
Munkay,Jun 19 2005, 10:40 PM Wrote:I understand the urge Roland, and it would be really cool to have something entirely different. But I have a question, why a 160gig HD? I thought ROMs were a few megs?
Simple. It was the only size available by Hitachi with IDE connection, aside from the 400GB one. I thought that a tad excessive, although I wouldn't think twice about putting it in either way. ;) I was trying to keep the costs reasonable while keeping the speed high. NewEgg had NO IDE 10k RPM Raptors, so I had to settle for a 7200 by Hitachi (faster seek times than any other HD maker). RAM speed is also an issue, but not nearly as much as HD speed. Most ROMs don't use much memory, save for the big ones like N64 and Playstation, etc.
I was going to just put in the smaller Raptor, but as I said above, they don't have it in IDE at NewEgg. Maybe if I get my wholesale dealer, they'll have it. Who knows? It's just a dream right now. I have bigger priorities before building a computer right now, and a fast, small laptop is among those. :)
Quote:Isn't the target of both PS3 and the XBox360 to create in some form a multimedia center (wireless, large HD, interconnectivity w/ computers)? The idea seems great, but something with similar (or arguably better specs) is due to come out before the end of this year, and it seems it will be half the cost of your system.
Why not wait a few months and have a XBox360 with all the newest games, old Xbox games, ROMS, movies and the like? With the money you save you could buy a PS3 or even a Revolution (which is supposed to support all the old NES games).
From my point of view its not an issue of hassle, but an issue of wasted money! Why spend 1000$ on something that could be done for less? The advantage of a logitech (or other computer) controler over an xbox controller doesnt appear to be worth the money, but then again its not my hard earned money on the line. Do what your heart desires Roland, and I wish you luck with it :).
Cheers,
Munk
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As has been said already: it's not a money issue, it's a geek issue. :D I'm a hardware guy (I don't program worth a damn, but I can solve lots of hw/sw issues), so building a computer for me is like restoring a vintage race car to other people, or building a dining room set. It's just like any other hobby that involves building. You take your idea, and you build it all yourself, with your own two hands. A great feeling when accomplished, and all the way through. Besides, how cool would it be to show up to my weekly Halo gaming session with a mini PC tucked under my arm, and plug it into their bigscreen projection TV to play Contra or something? ;) Would be awesome for a change of pace when we're bored with Halo (or enjoying a late-night dinner, etc.).
I don't expect most anyone to understand the passion behind the idea. It IS rather nuts, spending that much dough on such a niche item. But, hey, that's why they call it a passion: you do it because you love it. :) I call the people who sink tens of thousands of dollars into their Hondas to turn them into "rice rockets" nuts (the people who drop a couple hundred on a spoiler and fancy exhaust are another story - they're just plain stupid :P), but I can at least understand the idea behind their passion, if not their ultimate goal. Personally, if I wanted a race car like that, I'd start with a genuine one and work my way up. ;)
Like I said, it's just a crazy hobbyist's idea. A great project for a rainy day, and for when I get a bit more financially settled. :) If I end up creating one, I'll take some pics of it in action and drop some links here. :) Don't expect anything for awhile though! ;)
Roland *The Gunslinger*