Buying swap magic and flip top cover in US

[essily]

Hi, I live in the US and I'm interested in getting the swap magic discs and flip top for my old fat PS2 to play games off the hard drive. This will be my first time doing this, but if I've got things right, I'll use the swap discs to install HD Loader and later on the independence exploit, so I don't have to use the swap discs every time I want to play off the hard drive.

Important question first, is buying/owning the swap magic discs and flip top illegal in the US? Wikipedia says it might violate the DMCA, but after a lot of searching I can't get any real answer on that. Is it safe for me to buy this stuff?

Assuming it's not illegal, where should I buy these things? Hopefully a good, reliable place that won't rip me off. Preferably they should sell both the SM discs and the flip top so I can get them in one package, but if they have to be bought at separate sites, that's okay too.

Last question, is there a good place to buy the network adapter except on amazon/ebay?

Thanks for any help.

[Yeloazn]

Its not really illegal if it was a lot of places online wouldn't even sell fliptops or swap magic. There was a time where it was hard to find SM discs during those FBI raids last year. Seems a lot of places are selling it again, been awhile since I've last looked. Not really many reliable places for SM, I would google swap magic and click where to buy at the swap magic site. Then I would get a pre-paid debit card if you want to be safe. I found a few ps2 network adpaters at toys r us, I dont know if any of them still have any.

[windrider42]

modchip.ca will sell to the states, and I have known quite a few to buy from them in the U.S and recieve it quickly.

[Ex-Cyber]

Originally Posted by essily

Important question first, is buying/owning the swap magic discs and flip top illegal in the US? Wikipedia says it might violate the DMCA, but after a lot of searching I can't get any real answer on that. Is it safe for me to buy this stuff?

They're technically illegal until the courts say otherwise (there were a bunch of FBI raids last year; look up "Operation Tangled Web"), but to my knowledge only manufacturers and sellers have ever been targeted, so the odds are in your favor.

[urbigbro]

Now that Free MC Boot and ESR are around I see no reason for you to mess with a flip top and swap magic if you plan to use HD Loader. HDL is compatible with 95 % of games. ESR lets you boot properly patched disc based backups without swapping !
The other benefits of using FMCB are no DVD laser wear on your PS2 if you are using HDL. In fact your DVD laser doesn't even need to work at all! After you learn how to launch files you can run any homebrew including emulators, homebrew games, SMS media player, cheat devices, and more. You can also keep updating the programs as they keep developing. Swap magic is likely dead, ESR is still in very active development, as is FMCB (newest version just released yesterday!)
ESR, and HDL also support dual layer DVD 9 games. Swap magic, must have all games rebuilt to single layer. There are many other reasons I don't have time to go into now.

There are two inexpensive options you can use to get FMCB on a mem card.

1) *recommended*- You can have a member of this forum install FMCB on you memory card for you if you don't mind waiting a few days. Dangwoot and aar36095 are currently offering to do this just for the shipping involved. ~ $3
Once FMCB is installed you can get ESR and HDL copied to your MC or booted from your USB device. These programs are available here free of charge. If you have a compatible USB drive then you are in luck if not there are threads here to help you find one. aar36095 also has cheap memcards and guaranteed compatible USB drives if you check his signature.

2)If you want to be more adventurous you can try to install the Independence exploit yourself, then install FMCB after the PS2 is exploited. The tools you would need for that are, ARmax and a compatible USB drive. If your laser is starting to get weak this method also may not work, due to the PS2 not wanting to read the ARmax CD. If you need an ARmax CD I have an extra. If you PM me I can sell it to you cheap.

So you are left with two choices.
1) Swap magic- limited functionality No free updatability ~ $40-$60
2) FMCB and other homebrew- works with all known consoles, free updatability, can run any homebrew~ $3-$15 dollars.

You make the call

[essily]

Thanks for the responses guys. Over the past week I've been doing some research into Free McBoot and HD Loader. I have some questions, but they don't have anything to do with the this thread's title so I'll make a new one for them. Thanks again!

[ant171]

I just bought my smc3.8 from here they are cheaper than any other sites i've seen cost about $30(+shipping which cost me $11 but i live in florida) for smc3.8 and a fliptop is included (altho they one they gave me i cant install its not exactly a perfect fit but im fine with my homemade slide card) only thing is with coder i cant find action replay codes that work