Questions for "Portabalizers"

So Many Kinds of Bagels · Post by **So Many Kinds of Bagels** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:40 pm

I've been going to this site/forum for about 3 months, and I've been itching to ask these questions...
Why? Why drain hundreds of dollars for a project like this?
Do you do it more for a sense of accomplishment, or do you actually find a use for a portable home console?
Is it a painstaking process? Before you started "portablizing", how long did you study electronics/make circuits?
Has anyone ever thought to "de-portabalize?" It would be cool if someone made an arcade-machine style system that had a bunch of systems hooked up to it...Just imagine 8 of your favorite systems in one kick-ass, old-school-looking machine.

If you can, answer as much as you can/give as much feedback as possible.

Thanks.

Chwoka · Post by **Chwoka** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:45 pm

Yeah. I thought of a Arcade Machine. For someone else to build.

So Many Kinds of Bagels · Post by **So Many Kinds of Bagels** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:47 pm

...Can any of the people who actually construct these things answer me?

Rekarp · Post by **Rekarp** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:56 pm

Why? Why drain hundreds of dollars for a project like this?
Do you do it more for a sense of accomplishment, or do you actually find a use for a portable home console?

For me its the challenge of making the said electronic portable and my love of video games. Plus, I enjoy working with electronics.

Is it a painstaking process? Before you started "portablizing", how long did you study electronics/make circuits?

I spend probably about a month or so reading up on schematics, designing the case, and getting parts. If you know what your doing and have a good understanding of electronics it shouldn't be to hard for simple portables like an NES.

Has anyone ever thought to "de-portabalize?" It would be cool if someone made an arcade-machine style system that had a bunch of systems hooked up to it...Just imagine 8 of your favorite systems in one kick-ass, old-school-looking machine.

I have thought of making a Arcade like machine that has a Windows 98 pc inside to run emulators and the like. I think a Contra Themed Arcade would be kickass. Problem is that I dont have room for an Arcade

.

Thanks.

No problem.

gamemasterAS · Post by **gamemasterAS** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:57 pm

Ewwwww a fanboy.

People make them so they can play a console on the go, and for the fun of making them.

wallydawg · Post by **wallydawg** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:45 am

All the new kids have super cool names. First ____ _______, now this. Amazing.

jeroen · Post by **jeroen** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:35 am

Well when I first joined. I got bens book. That really helped then I started reading around the forum leeching of other noobs questions. Then I learned a lot. It really dpends on you and the knowledge you already posses.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:02 am

I got half way through two projects (NOAC NES and PSone). They're not really that hard to do, easier if you have a some skill using a soldering iron. Beyond that, I was making an NESp because NES cartridges are cheap, the ports/emulated roms on say a GBA are expensive, in short if I'm going to invest money it's going to be for the long haul.

As for how long you have to be here.... That depends how much you want to know and how many problems you encounter. I'm sure that could be a person that can pick up Ben's book and make any of the projects, without having to come here, or someone could just come to the forum to get all that needed info. Again it's how much you want to know and/or how much trouble you run into.

So Many Kinds of Bagels · Post by **So Many Kinds of Bagels** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:08 pm

Thanks a lot. Has anyone ever thought of continuing with this for a full-time or part-time career? In electronics at least, not necessarily in the video game department.

gamemasterAS · Post by **gamemasterAS** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:56 pm

So Many Kinds of Bagels wrote:Thanks a lot. Has anyone ever thought of continuing with this for a full-time or part-time career? In electronics at least, not necessarily in the video game department.

I think I'm gonna become a network engineer.

Jongamer · Post by **Jongamer** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:59 pm

gamemasterAS wrote:
So Many Kinds of Bagels wrote:Thanks a lot. Has anyone ever thought of continuing with this for a full-time or part-time career? In electronics at least, not necessarily in the video game department.
I think I'm gonna become a network engineer.

I might be some kinda Computer Engineer, or a Computer Repair Person, because the Tech collage thing Im going to be going to has only one course that I really want to take.
And Im taking it.

Basically we learn how Computers work (Which I already know how they work so I will have an upper hand) and then I will get experiance in repairing computers.

So Many Kinds of Bagels · Post by **So Many Kinds of Bagels** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:49 pm

Cool, cool, cool. Thanks. Do you have to know how to program anything to make these portable consoles?

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:56 pm

wallydawg wrote:All the new kids have super cool names. First ____ _______, now this. Amazing.

Many people have unoriginal names, but the cool people have awesome names!

ShockSlayer
Electric Rain
Spark Fist

Shocking, isn't it?

SS

dj-spuddy · Post by **dj-spuddy** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:15 pm

I have an awesome name, Atleast I think So. Never seen anyone else online in this giant world with my name. If you are thinking about undertaking making a console portable definitely invest in Bens book. It's a great read!

lifeisbetterwithketchup · Post by **lifeisbetterwithketchup** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:31 pm

Hey, my name's cool! Who doesn't like ketchup?

If the only reason you're building a portable is for respect, then you're making it for the wrong reason. Making them isn't too hard, I'm working on a NOACp at the moment, been slow though, I've been busy with school/being lazy, etc. As far as money goes, you can make a portable for fairly cheap if you either use cheapish parts, scrounge around, and don't break stuff (

).