Emulation on the cheap using original XBox – Part 1 – What it can do As some of you may know I am not only a big fan of gaming on original systems but also like to dabble in the dark art of emulation. Yes, I know many purists will be hitting the back button in disgust – but I am of the opinion that emulation has a place in every retro gamer’s life. Emulation lets you experience games in near pixel-perfection that you may not ever be able to afford or find and from a historical perspective it is a great way to archive and catalogue titles that would otherwise disappear. My choice of emulation tool is a self-modded original (some call it ‘classic’ now) Microsoft XBox. I have been asked on numerous occasions about how to mod an XBox and what a modded XBox is, so in this series of posts I will show you the capabilities of my 2 units and show you how to go about getting your own. I chose to use this particular hardware after stumbling across websites run by enthusiasts and finding just how big the XBox mod scene still is and what a capable machine they are for emulation purposes.

Almost every emulator ever made has been ported to XBox and in most instances has been enhanced still further by enthusiasts with the addition of video sets and artwork. Many of you will have already heard of or use XBMC on other hardware (Apple TV etc.), well it all started on the humble XBox hence it’s name (XBox Media Center). sutro backpack reviewOf course you can use an XBox as a great networked Media Centre and it does many more things besides but as this is RGC I will concentrate on the subject of retro computer and console emulation.chanel graffiti backpack sbn A modded Xbox is my choice over PC/Mac emulation for the following 6 reasons:teton 3400 backpack reviews 1.  The XBox is relatively easy to mod yourself (soft-modding a standard 8gb XBox takes minutes once you know how and have the tools/software)

2.  The unit fits under your telly, unlike a PC 3.  A classic XBox is cheap, I saw them being sold with a controller for £14.99 recently at my local GameStation. eBay is another good source of cheap XBoxes. 4.  I use Macs, have done since 1988 (Mac Plus, SE-30, IIx) and as Mac users will know we are the poor relation to PC users when it comes to emulation. 5.  Unlike an Xbox 360, the original Xbox is very reliable – almost bombproof. 6.  The developer scene is still going strong and new versions of popular emulators are released weekly A modded XBox also has the following advantages: 1.  Region free games and DVD 2.  Ability to run in HD (720p and even 1080p) 3.  You can upgrade your HDD to something larger 4.  You can save your DVD movies and games to your HDD and play from there (faster loading times) 5.  Ability to use a mouse and keyboard (great for all those point and click adventure titles) 6.  Massive development scene resulting in hundreds of ported emulators and utilities

7.  Fully networkable over LAN with any other devices you have 8.  Good alternative to a PC in a home arcade cabinet setup 9.  Once the HDD is upgraded they make decent Network Media Centres (XBMC) XBox 1 – Crystal Edition v1.6 Boots to XBMC, internet connected 2 x Crystal controllers DVD Remote and sensor A7800X – Atari 7800 full ROM set AtariXLBox – Atari XL / 5200 full ROM set BlueMSXBox – MSX full ROM set Capcom System 3 771.6 mb AdamX – Colecovision full ROM set CoinOPS 5 complete (over 3,800 games) + full video set Final Burn Consoles 4.06 gb Final Burn Legends 12.20 gb + full video set BlissX Intellivision emulator full ROM set MednafenX Lynx emulator and full ROM set 334.3 mb + full video set MekaX full Game Gear ROM set, full Master System ROM set, Sega SG 1000 full ROM set + full video sets 1.9 gb NeoGeo CD 420 mb full ROM set NeoPopX 272.3 mb Neo Geo Pocket full rom set, Neo Geo Pocket Colour full ROM set + full video set

MednafenX NES emulator 5.62 gb full ROM set + full video set Odyssey 2 / G7000 full ROM set + full video set Mednafen Pce – PC Engine 14.39 gb full ROM set + 99% video set PlayStation emulator with 10 games ScummVM 6.91 gb full ROM set Sinclair Spectrum 276.6 mb full ROM set Snes9XBox – Super Nintendo 7.21 gb full ROM set + full video set Surreal 64 CE – Nintendo 64 5.77 gb 268 ROMs + 95% videos WinSTonX – Atari ST 1.18 gb full ROM set WinUAEX – Amiga 500/1200/CD32 emulator 5.29 gb full ROM set + full video set for hd roms XboyAdvance – Game Boy 13.97 gb full ROM set for Game Boy/Game Boy Colour/Game Boy Advance + full video set for all Z26X – Atari 2600 full ROM set XBox 2 – Black v1.4 Hard-modded with Team Xecuter X3 Chip, plus Team Xecuter X3IR and serial port 2 x Black controllers DVD remote (for X3IR) CoinOPS 3 with 3077 Arcade, C64, Game Boy, Master System, Mega CD, Megadrive, NES, N64, PC Engine, PC Engine CD, Playstation and SNES games

Otherwise used primarily for DVD movies/net based movies Video of XBox 1 (Crystal v1.6) in action (CoinOPS 5) Video of XBox 2 (Black v1.4) in action (CoinOPS 3) Click here for Part 2 – Modding your own XBox Shop by PriceShop by Price Currency - All prices are in AUD BuyPrimeval Labs supplements at Legendary Supplements. Alphabetical: A to Z Alphabetical: Z to A "Second To None" Round Gym BagJerry Ward Signature Series Primeval Labs T-Shirt GIFD Jerry Ward Shirt KC Mitchell Limited Edition "Crushed" T-Shirt Primeval Labs "Logo" Dual Blend Primeval Labs Custom IsoBag - 3 Meal Primeval Labs Custom IsoPack Backpack - 6 meal Primeval Labs Gym Bag Primeval Labs Logo Poly-Tech Zip Hoodie w/ Removable Hood Primeval Labs Murda Branded Lifting Straps Primeval Labs Red Logo Tank Primeval Labs Shaker Bottle Savage As F*ck Shirt Black Savage As F*ck Shirt BlueThis section discusses several common keyboard form factors, including full size, tenkeyless, 60%, and 75%.

Subsequently it discusses keyboard layout, including the definition of a standard layout. Make sure you understand the difference between form factor and layout before going on. Form factor is the overall shape and size of the keyboard as a whole, e.g., full size, tenkeyless, 60%, or 75%. In contrast, layout is the placement of the keys within the constraints of the form factor. A form factor can have different layouts, such as winkey or winkeyless, ANSI or ISO. There is also a second meaning of “layout” which I call the “logical layout” — meaning QWERTY, Dvorak, QWERTZ, etc. A form factor can come with different layouts, and layouts can be configured for different logical layouts. The most common keyboard form factor is “full size.” If you’re using a PC keyboard now, it probably looks a lot like this: The key features of a full size keyboard are: A main alphanumeric cluster Function Keys + Print Screen/Scroll Lock/Pause above alphanumerics

Standard navigation cluster with arrow keys + PgUp/PgDn etc. Numpad to the right of nav cluster Most modern full size keyboards, including the Filco pictured above, have a standard layout, with a rectangular alphanumeric cluster, 6.25x spacebar and 1.25x bottom-row winkey modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Win, Menu), and placement/size of keys exactly as depicted above. However, as I noted above, a keyboard does not have to have a standard layout to be considered full size (or any other form factor, for that matter). In general, it only has to meet the bulleted requirements listed above. In fact, prior to about 1995, most full size keyboards were 101-key rather than 104, because Windows and menu keys had not yet become a standard. In 1995, 101-key keyboards would have been said to have a standard layout. Today, that’s no longer the case. The full-size form factor is a classic because it’s highly functional. However, by no means it is the only form factor available — something you might not have realized if you haven’t had past exposure to mechanical keyboards. U

nlike rubber dome keyboards, mechanical keyboards are readily available in other form factors such as tenkeyless, 60%, 75%, and more. Read on for the details. Tenkeyless keyboards are full-size keyboards minus the numpad. (“Tenkey” = 0 through 9.) There are many potential advantages to the tenkeyless design: Occupies less space on your desk Allows you to better center your keyboard relative to your body Allows you to place your mouse closer to your body, which many people find more comfortable Appeals more to the minimalist aesthetic Retains normal function key row If you don’t regularly use the numpad on your keyboard, you may find that the benefits of a tenkeyless keyboard are very compelling. 60% keyboards* are even more minimalistic than tenkeyless keyboards: *The term 60 percent refers to the number of keys. Most keyboards with this form factor have approximately 60 keys, or 60% of a full-size keyboard. 60% keyboards offer significant space and weight savings — they’re easy to carry back and forth to the office, or in conjunction with a proper carrying case, to carry in a backpack. Y

ou can center them relative to your body even better than tenkeyless keyboards. You can even place them directly over your laptop keyboard 🙂 Of course, using a 60% keyboard necessarily involves some compromises. Unlike a tenkeyless keyboard, which is the same as a full-size keyboard minus the numpad, 60% keyboards have no arrow keys, nav cluster, or function keys. Instead, they rely heavily on secondary key layers — to access missing keys, you have to hold down a modifier key in combination with another key. For example, on the Poker II pictured above, the arrow keys are accessed with Fn + WASD. You can see that the Fn layer legends are printed on the front of the keys. 75% keyboards are much less popular than 60% keyboards, but are an interesting compromise between 60% and tenkeyless: They add dedicated arrow keys, a function row, and a few extra keys that can be mapped as a navigation cluster (PgUp/PgDn etc.) in the rightmost column. Thus, they mitigate some of the greatest potential weaknesses of a 60% keyboard while saving more space than a tenkeyless keyboard. If

you want a board more compact than a tenkeyless, but you need dedicated arrow keys or function keys, for typing or gaming, check out 75%… but keep in mind there are very few models readily available. Unlike tenkeyless and 60% boards, which often come with a standard layout (including those pictured above), no 75% boards have a standard layout. The 75% form factor, due to placement of the arrow keys and the rightmost column, is inherently incompatible with a standard layout. The above form factors are not the only ones in existence, but they are the major ones. There are variations, such as the Leopold FC660C/M’s 66% design, the Quickfire TK’s unique navclusterless design, and the Happy Hacking Keyboard’s signature design with a short right shift and pinky-activated Fn key. Chances are, your perfect form factor exists somewhere out there. As I mentioned earlier, layout is the placement of the keys within the constraints of a form factor. There are a few important things to know about layouts:

Modern keyboards with an American English layout use what’s called the ANSI standard. In contrast, European language keyboards use the ISO layout, which features a different shaped enter, additional keys, a short left shift, and some other minor differences. The image below shows a full-size ISO keyboard. Compare to the Filco at the top of this page, which is a full-size ANSI keyboard. Almost all keyboards manufactured after 1995 feature a “winkey” layout, which has a 6.25x spacebar, three 1.25x modifiers to the left of the spacebar, and four 1.25x modifiers to the right of the spacebar. (Where 1x is the width of a regular alphanumeric key, and “modifier” refers to Ctrl, Alt, Win, and Menu keys.) The ISO keyboard pictured above has a winkey layout. In contrast, winkeyless layouts, which are typically only found on vintage or custom keyboards, have a 7x spacebar and two 1.5x modifiers on each side — Ctrl and Alt. See below for an example. Winkeyless layouts add the functionality of Windows and Menu keys at the expense of simplicity and symmetry. Yo

u will probably never encounter a winkeyless keyboard for sale unless you are buying a vintage keyboard, as winkey layouts are almost ubiquitous today. Winkey vs. winkeyless is also a concern when buying replacement keycap sets. Note that only winkey keyboards are said to have standard layouts. Winkeyless was standard prior to about 1995, but today’s standard is winkey. Drawing on the concepts we have discussed, we can now fully define a standard layout (sometimes also called a “Filco” or “OEM” layout). A keyboard is said to have a “standard” layout if it has a normal, winkey ANSI layout. The Filco pictured above is a 100% standard full size keyboard — use it as a visual reference. A standard full-size board has 104 keys; a standard TKL board has 87 keys; and a standard 60% board has 61 keys. As mentioned, because of the way the 75% form factor lumps arrow keys on, 75% boards are fundamentally incompatible with the standard layout. Logical Layout: Keyboards can also have varying logical layouts, meaning QWERTY, Dvorak, Colemak, etc. Wi

th the right keycaps, it is generally possible to configure a keyboard for any logical layout, regardless of its form factor and layout. Unusual Key Placement: Some mechanical keyboards have standard layouts and basically normal logical layouts, but nevertheless swap around a few keys. Most commonly, Caps Lock and left Control are swapped. When shopping for keyboards, keep your eyes open for nonstandard key placement. For example, the Happy Hacking Keyboard, in addition to a home-row Ctrl, has Del/Backspace where the \| key normally is located. Make sure you carefully examine the layout of any keyboard before you purchase it — it can be easy to gloss over unusual key placement if you’re not expecting it. Read this post for more information on determining keycap compatibility: HOW TO: Easily tell if a keycap set will fit your Cherry MX mechanical keyboard Here’s something else you should know: Mechanical keyboards with individual switches are either PCB-mounted or plate-mounted. In