The Spam Thread!

[cpd2009]

Pearl definitely smoked Greta by a notch or two, eh?

I knew it would happen, but I ran the tests for fun anyway. Only way to get high performance from a laptop is buying a dedicated gaming laptop, which can cost over $1,000.

Despite her shortcomings, Greta can still run 720p 60fps video from YouTube. Google Chrome works the best, though other Chromium-based browsers probably would also run well. Her 8gb RAM upgrade has added some more years to her life and startup times have decreased since installing Win8.1.

If I ever have to replace her, I would probably go a similar full feature laptop with more modern specs.

[cpd2009]

It's a shame that Microsoft Works 8 doesn't want to install on Win10. I had to type up a document for someone today, and I went to Greta since Works 8 runs fine on Win8.1. It's no MS Office, but it's blazing fast and perfect for basic word processing or spreadsheets. Yes, there is WordPad, but that is very limited compared to Works and Office.

I could just install LibreOffice, but I may just go and find a copy of the last MS Works release, version 9 on eBay. Since it was apparently made to run on Windows Vista, perhaps it will have no trouble installing on Win10 and above. Or just get Office XP, which I have managed to install on Win10 before without issue. I left the install discs back at my old home though.

[huckleberrypie]

It's a shame that Microsoft Works 8 doesn't want to install on Win10. I had to type up a document for someone today, and I went to Greta since Works 8 runs fine on Win8.1. It's no MS Office, but it's blazing fast and perfect for basic word processing or spreadsheets. Yes, there is WordPad, but that is very limited compared to Works and Office.

I could just install LibreOffice, but I may just go and find a copy of the last MS Works release, version 9 on eBay. Since it was apparently made to run on Windows Vista, perhaps it will have no trouble installing on Win10 and above. Or just get Office XP, which I have managed to install on Win10 before without issue. I left the install discs back at my old home though.

Would LibreOffice suffice for your needs? I could just get away with using it, but the problem is documents made with MS Office tend to get formatted somewhat differently on LibreOffice and perhaps vice versa.

[cpd2009]

It's a shame that Microsoft Works 8 doesn't want to install on Win10. I had to type up a document for someone today, and I went to Greta since Works 8 runs fine on Win8.1. It's no MS Office, but it's blazing fast and perfect for basic word processing or spreadsheets. Yes, there is WordPad, but that is very limited compared to Works and Office.

I could just install LibreOffice, but I may just go and find a copy of the last MS Works release, version 9 on eBay. Since it was apparently made to run on Windows Vista, perhaps it will have no trouble installing on Win10 and above. Or just get Office XP, which I have managed to install on Win10 before without issue. I left the install discs back at my old home though.

Would LibreOffice suffice for your needs? I could just get away with using it, but the problem is documents made with MS Office tend to get formatted somewhat differently on LibreOffice and perhaps vice versa.

Well, that, and also because whenever I am finished with a document and ready to publish, I always use the Windows built in PDF virtual printer. LibreOffice also has a built in save to PDF option, but the Windows virtual printer makes that redundant.

This weekend, I return to my usual stomping grounds when it comes to knockoff game consoles... the big city mall. As you recall, I ended up getting one of those NES classic knockoffs... the oddly named "CoolBaby" box. Thing is, at the time I bought it, the mall kiosk only had the older 500 game version which lacks most of the popular games that I was expecting. When I went back to said kiosk during the Christmas season, they got a new stock of the 600 game CoolBaby units. These units are the more desirable, at the cost of losing the famed "Little Samson" which isn't included in that revision from what I seen.

Who knows if that mall kiosk still has these things in stock? China has also started producing knockoff SNES classics, which are just the NOAC-clones packed inside a replica SNES classic shell. It's possible they have stocked those, but I won't know until tomorrow when I go to the mall.

[cpd2009]

It seems that my Sansui 40'' HDTV doesn't have bad input lag as I once thought it did. I was randomly testing my old FC Twin console on the TV and I was able to play Mario (via a pirate multicart no less ) rather well. A quick session of Gyruss also went well. The picture is actually rather good for composite video and I'm getting used to lack of scanlines thanks to my experience with the Wii VC.

If this setup is good to go, then I don't need to invest in a HD upscaling retro console, though I will need to find a replacement Sega Genesis. I would like the AtGames HD Genesis Flashback, but after seeing some more recent reviews, it appears the emulation still isn't quite up to par despite the sound issues being fixed. There is the standard non-HD AtGames clones with the off-key sound, and generic Genesis clones. I might have to go with the actual clones.

I also discovered a bad thing about my 40'' Sansui set. It doesn't like 240i over component video. I tested a random PS1 game via my PS2, and I got the dreaded "Unusable Signal" message while still hearing the sound play. PS1 games over component is a sight to behold if you have a LCD TV or a CRT that supports such signal, and component is preferred for PS2 games in general. I could downgrade to composite video from the PS2, but there will be slight quality loss with PS2 visuals. PS1 won't really matter.

My TV also has a shared component/composite video input like nearly every TV made currently. The composite video goes through the Y connector. :/

[huckleberrypie]

It seems that my Sansui 40'' HDTV doesn't have bad input lag as I once thought it did. I was randomly testing my old FC Twin console on the TV and I was able to play Mario (via a pirate multicart no less ) rather well. A quick session of Gyruss also went well. The picture is actually rather good for composite video and I'm getting used to lack of scanlines thanks to my experience with the Wii VC.

If this setup is good to go, then I don't need to invest in a HD upscaling retro console, though I will need to find a replacement Sega Genesis. I would like the AtGames HD Genesis Flashback, but after seeing some more recent reviews, it appears the emulation still isn't quite up to par despite the sound issues being fixed. There is the standard non-HD AtGames clones with the off-key sound, and generic Genesis clones. I might have to go with the actual clones.

I also discovered a bad thing about my 40'' Sansui set. It doesn't like 240i over component video. I tested a random PS1 game via my PS2, and I got the dreaded "Unusable Signal" message while still hearing the sound play. PS1 games over component is a sight to behold if you have a LCD TV or a CRT that supports such signal, and component is preferred for PS2 games in general. I could downgrade to composite video from the PS2, but there will be slight quality loss with PS2 visuals. PS1 won't really matter.

My TV also has a shared component/composite video input like nearly every TV made currently. The composite video goes through the Y connector. :/

I don't mind getting a clone console myself, as long as it is able to faithfully recreate the original's inner workings than be a quick cash-grab, e.g. some globtop system-on-chip. NES clones are a lot more common here than those of other systems, which is why I was kinda' surprised that there are also a mother lode of Mega Drive analogues over the years, the earlier ones being a close approximation of the real deal, so much so that you could use a Sega CD and/or 32X in it. Later Genesis clones used a cheap SOC like the TCT-6803 or a globtop version of it which of course had issues running certain games unless you modify it. Not to mention that they don't have support for the aforementioned peripherals (though I presume the expansion port is still present at least logically, but that's just conjecture on my part) and they're so cheaply built one could tear it apart with his/her bare hands.

[cpd2009]

It seems that my Sansui 40'' HDTV doesn't have bad input lag as I once thought it did. I was randomly testing my old FC Twin console on the TV and I was able to play Mario (via a pirate multicart no less ) rather well. A quick session of Gyruss also went well. The picture is actually rather good for composite video and I'm getting used to lack of scanlines thanks to my experience with the Wii VC.

If this setup is good to go, then I don't need to invest in a HD upscaling retro console, though I will need to find a replacement Sega Genesis. I would like the AtGames HD Genesis Flashback, but after seeing some more recent reviews, it appears the emulation still isn't quite up to par despite the sound issues being fixed. There is the standard non-HD AtGames clones with the off-key sound, and generic Genesis clones. I might have to go with the actual clones.

I also discovered a bad thing about my 40'' Sansui set. It doesn't like 240i over component video. I tested a random PS1 game via my PS2, and I got the dreaded "Unusable Signal" message while still hearing the sound play. PS1 games over component is a sight to behold if you have a LCD TV or a CRT that supports such signal, and component is preferred for PS2 games in general. I could downgrade to composite video from the PS2, but there will be slight quality loss with PS2 visuals. PS1 won't really matter.

My TV also has a shared component/composite video input like nearly every TV made currently. The composite video goes through the Y connector. :/

I don't mind getting a clone console myself, as long as it is able to faithfully recreate the original's inner workings than be a quick cash-grab, e.g. some globtop system-on-chip. NES clones are a lot more common here than those of other systems, which is why I was kinda' surprised that there are also a mother lode of Mega Drive analogues over the years, the earlier ones being a close approximation of the real deal, so much so that you could use a Sega CD and/or 32X in it. Later Genesis clones used a cheap SOC like the TCT-6803 or a globtop version of it which of course had issues running certain games unless you modify it. Not to mention that they don't have support for the aforementioned peripherals (though I presume the expansion port is still present at least logically, but that's just conjecture on my part) and they're so cheaply built one could tear it apart with his/her bare hands.

My FC Twin has decent build quality, and has actual SNES controller ports. Plus, when playing NES games, the B and A buttons are mapped to the Y and B buttons which makes playing games a breeze. The FC Twin's sister console, the GN Twin, isn't built as well, and my particular unit must have a shorted pin. Games that use battery backup either don't save, or crash when trying to read the save data.

American Genesis clones vary. Retro-Bit's "Gen X" resembles a model 3 design, while others like the GN Twin have a rather futuristic design at the expense of build quality. The current trend is 3 in 1 clones such as the Super Retro Trio Plus from Retro-Bit, which contains a built in HDMI upscaler. There is the Retron5, but it's an Android console that rips the ROM from your physical carts and runs them via emulation. The emulation is very good, though the noticeable input lag on the SNES emulator is what made me dump the Retron5.

In an odd twist, RetroBit also makes cartridge adapters for official SNES consoles or clones, which means you can technically play Sega Genesis games on the SNES! The catch? The cartridge only passes through the controller inputs to the GOAC inside the adapter. Actual SNES video is just a black screen with the Genesis sound playing. You have to use a separate AV cable, included, to see the game. The same goes for their RetroPort and Super RetroAdvance adapters.

[cpd2009]

I got my 600 game CoolBaby NES classic knockoff and I also decided to get the HD Genesis Flashback from Best Buy.

No complaints about the CoolBaby 600 Game.

The AtGames Genesis HD is a mixed bag. The sound emulation is greatly improved, sounding lot more like the original Genesis/MD, though there are minor differences here and there. The picture quality is also great with optional scanlines. The negative things are the UI navigation and gameplay speed. The UI is rather confusing at first, and has a learning curve. The games also don't play 100% smoothly. There doesn't seem to be any skipping or slowdown as the sound is good, but the framerate isn't as smooth as it should be. It's playable for casual gamers, but it would definitely anger hardcore retro gamers.

Oh, and to change the game cartridge, you have to turn off the console, swap the cart, and turn back on. No hot swapping.

[huckleberrypie]

I presume you're referring to the Rockchip-powered Genesis clone, right?

[cpd2009]

I presume you're referring to the Rockchip-powered Genesis clone, right?

Yep. Retron5 allowed hot swapping of carts as long as you exited the game first. The Genesis HD doesn't let you do that despite also being based on Android.