Need help building a MAME cabinet. Software Issues

[AmericanMuffin]

I added it up for the heck of it and I learned something I didn't know, arcade trackballs are EXPENSIVE. The parts would come out to be around the same price as a X-Arcade because a freaking trackball cost $100.
However I think it's worth it for the little bit of extra time and money. You get better quality parts, whatever sort of layout you want, and it just looks better.

I don't want the trackball, but I also did the math, and I got the same result. I completely agree with you on everything else.

[t0yrobo]

I added it up for the heck of it and I learned something I didn't know, arcade trackballs are EXPENSIVE. The parts would come out to be around the same price as a X-Arcade because a freaking trackball cost $100.
However I think it's worth it for the little bit of extra time and money. You get better quality parts, whatever sort of layout you want, and it just looks better.

I may look into this in the future for my own project...but the nettop I am using has no PCI slots, just USB (which leaves out the easiest solution). Is there an easy way to wire a custom CP to a USB plug?

I've never used one myself, but I see I-Pacs get suggested a lot. I think trackballs usually have their own usb plugs, but I don't know much about using those either. Otherwise it's pretty easy to solder right onto a old usb controller. You've probably seen the site before but slagcoin has a pretty complete guide on everything that goes into it. I managed to hack a 360 and ps2 controller with very little experience soldering, it's a little tricky but not very hard.

Edit: I spent a another 5 minutes looking around the ultimarc site and the minipac does both trackballs and buttons/joysticks.

[dsheinem]

I added it up for the heck of it and I learned something I didn't know, arcade trackballs are EXPENSIVE. The parts would come out to be around the same price as a X-Arcade because a freaking trackball cost $100.
However I think it's worth it for the little bit of extra time and money. You get better quality parts, whatever sort of layout you want, and it just looks better.

I don't want the trackball, but I also did the math, and I got the same result. I completely agree with you on everything else.

You do want the trackball, you just don't know it yet.

Half of what I have played with it have been trackball games. A whole world has opened up to me

[AmericanMuffin]

I added it up for the heck of it and I learned something I didn't know, arcade trackballs are EXPENSIVE. The parts would come out to be around the same price as a X-Arcade because a freaking trackball cost $100.
However I think it's worth it for the little bit of extra time and money. You get better quality parts, whatever sort of layout you want, and it just looks better.

I don't want the trackball, but I also did the math, and I got the same result. I completely agree with you on everything else.

You do want the trackball, you just don't know it yet.

Half of what I have played with it have been trackball games. A whole world has opened up to me

Can I play with a joystick, I don't know if we should use a trackball, but I see what you mean, is it even POSSIBLE to play Centipede/Millipede with a joystick? I looked at a list of trackball games, and now I see what you mean.