Buying a S2000 machine

[swantzilla]

Well I finally decided on a round top S2000 machine. I was torn between an S+ (which is cheaper) and a S2000. I hope by buying the S2000 that I made the correct decision. This forum seems to contain a wealth of information with very knowledgeable contributors.

Now Question #1 Did I make the correct decision buying the S2000?
#2 Since the games seem to be EPROM based, shall I buy an EPROM burner?

More questions to come I am sure. Thank you for reading.

Note: This machine will be used for home entertainment.

[rickhunter]

I would have made the same choice you made buying the S2000 over an S+ based on prices today.  When I purchased my S+ the S2000's were in the couple grand range, so it was too much.

The eprom burner is not as big an asset on the S2000 as it is in an S+, since you can typically change the payback percentages with just the use of a key chip.   That being said, it is never a bad idea to have one, if anything, just to make backup copies of you own chips.

If you are going to use S+ titles on the S2000, then it makes more sense to get the burner.
If you are going to stick to S2000 native titles, then it makes less sense to get the burner.  At this point, it would only be used for backing up your current chips.  Most of the time, you get the chips when you buy the S2000 kits.

[Foster]

Get a Burner
I have a EasyPRO 90B available from www.mcumall.com it handles the chips used in the S2000 and S+.

If you didnt get a Multi Media Lite Board II and Back Lit Reels you will probably want them soon.
Both are nice upgrades.

[dpalmi]

Hello and welcome!

So it begins - congratulations on your new slot machine!  Slots are kind of like tattoo's - once you get one, you just want more.  This is a hobby that can bring great joy and sometimes lots of frustration.  Luckily you've made a great step and found a wealth of information and knowledgeable people by finding this forum.  The members here are some of the best members I've found of any forum on the net.

Now Question #1 Did I make the correct decision buying the S2000?

Yes!  I believe the difference in the price from a S+ to a S2000 machine is definitely worth it.  I used to own S+ machines but have since switched to all S2000 machines and don't regret making the switch at all.  The VFD display makes troubleshooting much easier, some have Ticket printers (not even available on S+), are compatible with most S+ games, and have multiple add-on options like Multimedia sound boards, BIG progressive displays, backlight reels, etc...

#2 Since the games seem to be EPROM based, shall I buy an EPROM burner?

This is a good question.  Some of our members here have them and some don't.  I don't have one myself but have really been thinking about getting one.  In the past, I could have saved money if I had owned one.  So, if your willing to lay out the cash - it's not a bad thing to own.  I would suggest getting one that is not the cheapest one you can get - or you may run into issues with getting it to work with Vista or XP or not being able to burn every chip you run into.  Seems like $100-$120 is the price range these would be in...

Dan #2

[StatFreak]

Welcome to NLG swantzilla.

I would have to agree with everyone else here. I own only S+ machines because the S2000 was far too new and expensive when I bought them and there were very few games for them as well, but today things have changed. Besides, you'll end up buying more machines, and you can always pick up an S+ later if you still want one.

I also second dpalmi's warning about purchasing a cheap burner. I made that mistake and it turned out that the model that I bought could actually damage chips during a passive read of them. I lost two original chips to that burner! I'm not saying that you will have such a problem, but you get what you pay for. There are some models in the $100-$130 range that are OK, but I would rather spend $200-$300+ for a quality product that is well supported by its manufacturer than buy another pig in a poke. I haven't pulled the trigger on one yet, but it's on my priority list of things to buy. My experience with other tools has been the same, whether they be wrenches (like Snap On) or oscilloscopes. It's usually worth it to get the best tools you can afford; you can always sell them down the road and recoup part of your cost. Just my 2 cents.

If I were you I'd take a wait and see approach to buying the burner. If you start buying kits for your machine and find that you are changing chips often then I'd buy one, since every manipulation of a chip is a risk (broken pins, static discharge, etc.). Once you build a larger collection of games and machines    you will probably want to back up your collection as by that time they will represent a significant investment.