with the help and advice from all of the knowledgable people on this forum, i just ordered the swap magic 3.3 discs and a flip top cover for my ps2. i already received it in the mail today and i put it together. i love it!! it couldn't be easier, even for someone like me :c)
i haven't tried the slide card, but after using the flip top method, i cannot imagine the slide card being as user friendly.
but to answer your question, yes-you do need the discs as well as either the flip top or slide card to put a backup disc in without the ps2 knowing. if it knows it is a backup, it won't read or recognize it. that is why you have to use the swap magic boot discs... it tricks your machine into thinking the original game disc is in there.
i hope i wasn't too confusing!! let me know if this helped...
agree with sly, tried the slide card just out of interest... the fliptop is so much less hassle than the slide card. fliptop takes about 30 mins to install once you know what you're doing... first time round maybe takes an hour or so because you're generally a bit more careful.
btw, have installed a fliptop manymany times now for all my friends and family... go with the fliptop it'll be worth it in the end.
i agree with sly and paddymail... the flip top is sooooo easy and i don't find it to be a hassle at all. why would you want to mess around with a slide card, trying to get the technique "just right" when all you have to do is press a button to open up the flip top??
i went with the flip top and swap magic 3.3 and it couldn't be more simple. even someone like me could install the new cover easily too.
I also ordered the slide card at first for my V7 PS2, but just last week I switched to the flip top case. I loved it so much I ordered another one for my PSTWO slim. The only problem I encountered was with the V7 flip top case I had to "cut down" a small portion of plastic where the screw goes into in the area where the Reset and Eject buttons sit. It wasn't letting me close the case firmly. Other than that, piece of cake to install.
Yes, there is getting some used to the slide card and once you "master" it you shouldn't have any problem.
PS2 v7 with flip top ? PSTwo Slim with flip top ? SM 3.3 ? Sony DRU-720A ? Taiyo Yuden 4x DVD-R ? A seven year old and a 3 year old who thinks that PS2 disks are skateboards