Hi Everyone,
Sorry about the flood of sale items. Hopefully people find these interesting! (^_^);
Zhong Shan Subor brand Famiclone keyboards - Deluxe Package ($39.99 - 1 Units Left)
Each unit comes with 8 software cartridges, 1 mouse, and 2 game pads. Of the 8 cartridges, each unit comes with Subor Windows 2000 OS cassette and pre-loaded applications. Subor's custom OS can run in both GUI (Window) mode and MS-DOS command-line mode. The OS uses BASIC as it's programming language. The other cartridges range from multi-carts which contain copied, hacked, or totally Chinese original games. These units output a PAL video signal. However, if your TV is capable of synchronizing with 50 Hz (many HDTV's have the ability to sync with multiple frequencies - especially if it's PC ready) the console will output in black and white. Naturally, if you have a proper PAL to NTSC converter box or a DVD Player/Recorder capable of accepting PAL input and outputting NTSC, you shouldn't have any issues.
GENERAL CAUTION: All stock was purchased directly from store(s) or suppliers as new. However, we are talking China (Black/Gray market) new. That means each unit was probably assembled in part by hand and imperfections or defects on the box and/or product should be expected. In many cases this just means a slightly torn box or wrapping, but could range all the way up differing product performance (Ie. Some keys don't respond as accurately as others, etc). Unfortunately due to the nature of these items, they must be sold as-is.
Given the extremely large and fragile nature of game consoles, each unit has been professionally packed by UPS. Given the heavy cost of shipping, I recommend this only US / Canadian buyers.
Payment can be made by PayPal.
Thanks!
Some general Q &A I've received on the product that might be useful to others:
Q: I know many of these were reserved ahead of time. Will you be getting any more?
A: I eventually got 5 units in. As of this posting, there are only 2 left. I don't plan to restock more at this time.
Q: How big is the unit?
A: The unit is pretty big. It's a full sized keyboard. Each game pad is approximately the size of a PS2 game pad so you can judge the scale given that point of reference. The whole box is pretty large, and with all the protective packing, even larger.
Q: Can you tell me more about Subor's custom OS?
A: It was a while ago since I booted it up before packing, so please forgive me if I'm mistaken. (^_^); Subor's OS attempts to look like Windows 2000. It has a working Desktop, Start Menu, and pre-installed applications. You can use the Desktop to navigate, or access tools via the Start Menu. In addition, if your a command-line junky like myself, you can launch an MS-DOS window and access your files that way. I didn't check out all the applications it came with, but I did launch an instance of BASIC from the command-line and wrote a small application. The experience was rather nifty. But again, this was all from memory. It might be slightly different than I recal.
Q: Can you tell me about the other software it came with?
A: Again, it was a while ago, but I did try out one of the cassettes and it was a multi-cart filled with games. The one game I tried ended up being a Contra clone. I don't know if it was a hack or a total remake but it looked pretty original to me.
Q: How did you hook up your unit?
A: My HDTV can sync at various frequencies, so the unit displays fine for me except for being in black and white. It's a shame I gave away my DVD recorder. It was able to accept PAL so I was interested to see what it looked like in color.
Q: Tell us more about the OS and MS-DOS prompt. Can the DOS prompt execute proper commands, or is it just a still picture like in the Windows 98 version?
A: From what I recall, the DOS prompt is fully (I guess to pirate standards) interactive. That is, once you are dropped to command-line, you are expected to know DOS syntax to operate it. In order to launch BASIC, I was required to do a listing (DIR) to find my executable and launch it by typing it's name. I didn't try other commands, but that's what I experienced when I used it.
Q: Do these keyboards work with other keyboards?
A: To be honest I have no idea. Many of the keyboards I see for sale are usually un-boxed and missing stuff (Usually from Russia, or the middle east). If I had to hazard a safe guess, I'd say maybe but there would never be a guarantee of full compatibility. Subor is a major original manufacture for Famiclone keyboards, so at least I know all their stuff is original and compatible. They actually make around 5 to 10+ different versions/SKU's of Famiclone consoles and edutainment keyboards and all of their software and hardware is interchangeable. That's why it's easier to find software or hardware for them if you get an incomplete package. But of course, you can always get a fully loaded one and save yourself the trouble. I forget who she is (I think she's Taiwanese) but this keyboard is endorsed by the girl on the box, which goes to how well Subor is known for their products. Usually if you get a smaller package, you can get extra mice, controller, and software separately from vendors.
