Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)[ EDIT: I revised this review 12-17-03. See below for additions. ]
The Belkin n52 is the successor to the n50 Speedpad. Like the n50, the n52 is a mixed bag of plusses and minuses. Belkin has marketed the n52 as the n50 "remodeled by gamer feedback," with added buttons and functionality. They've also said that it'll give you "Faster and More Intuitive Frags!" or some other market-eze. I had wanted the original n50 for quite a while to help me out when playing MMOs and RPGs (AO, DAOC, NWN) and shooters (NOLF, Deus Ex). When I finally decided to buy one, I heard that Belkin was shortly releasing the improved n52. So I grabbed one, and here's the scoop.
Installing this thing was a snap, and using the profile software is also amazingly easy. In only a few minutes of use I was making my own custom profiles. Macros are easy to write. The profile software has a few bugs in it, which I won't get into here. Hopefully Belkin will fix this stuff in the next few weeks. The bugs I describe are really just inconvenient - they won't stop you from using the product.
Construction is a mixed bag on the n52. In it's favor, the n52 generally feels sturdy as hell and doesn't move a bit during heavy play. Despite this it's a compact little thing - I have a cramped desk and I managed to easily fit the n52 between my keyboard and the edge of the desk. I have big hands and the unit fits comfortably under my palm with my fingers resting on the buttons. The hand rest fits right into the curve of my palm and makes the whole thing feel very ergonomic and natural. The hand rest is supposed to be adjustable but I think some n00b at the factory glued mine down, because I can't make it move the slightest bit.
More strong points: Belkin expanded the n50 quite a bit by adding new buttons. The n52 has a total of six new buttons: four new keyboard-type buttons were added in a row under the original ten; a big orange button was added over the directional pad; and a "thumb bar" was added on a little extension that sticks out from the unit on the right side. The original n50 speedpad had a throttle wheel that a lot of people described as useless; this has been replaced with a very useful mouse wheel. In addition, Belkin has apparently heard gamer feedback that the directional pad on the n50 was junky and inaccurate; the n52 features a big, sturdy, and seemingly very accurate directional pad that I really like using.
But the drawbacks: Unlike the regular keyboard buttons you're used to, the action on all the buttons is a little stiff. I don't know if this is intentional design or what - maybe they were thinking that the control will get heavy wear, so some extra stickiness is actually good? The keyboard-style hotkeys are kind of sticky when I press them, and sometimes I have to press twice to get the button to register the keystroke. To push the new orange button by the directional pad, I have to grip the front of the controller with my fingers for leverage. Finally, the "thumb bar" also takes a bit of pressure to activate, and has sometimes not fired unless I push it very deliberately in the "right way."
Likewise the mouse wheel has a funny, cheap feel to it. Clicking the mouseclick action on the wheel is a little harder to do that I'd prefer, and the wheel itself rotates too easily and doesn't lock firmly into place like a normal mouse wheel does.
The stickiness of the buttons leaves me thinking that I won't be using it in shooter type games - I can't be pushing a key over and over in shooter games that require instant reactions. If the buttons loosen up a little over time, perhaps I'll change my mind.
Still, I'm very happy with the n52 despite the flaws I've described. Using it in AO, DAOC and NWN, the thing is nothing short of miraculous. Having all of your crucial commands literally "at your fingertips" without any fumbling, reaching, or looking at the keyboard is a very, very nice thing. Hitting a button and having a macro run a series of keystrokes, saving a lot of time and distraction, is also a godsend. My impression is that it would be great in any RPG / MMORPGs and RTS type games - ones that don't require much sensitivity and reactivity, and benefit a lot from short macros due to their complex command systems. After only using it for a few days, I can't imagine playing without it.
[ EDIT 12-17-03: This thing has been plenty responsive for shooters. I've bumped my rating up to 5 stars. Although sticky, the buttons work great, and my sense is that Belkin was trying to build this thing as tough as a brick - and they succeeded. A month and a half after buying it I cannot imagine playing ANY game without it. It's a truly phenomenal product. ]
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Product Description:
Built to conquer your enemy, the Nostromo SpeedPad n52 captures all the advantages of its critically acclaimed predecessor, the n50, and cranks up the juice with advanced options to dominate your game. It puts keyboard and gamepad functionality into one small and easy-to-use device, delivering more tools for customizing your game than ever. Using feedback from hundreds of gamers, Belkins engineers designed the n52s intuitive nature and stylish versatility to give you easy access to your arsenal of deadly maneuvers. So start programming up to 104 functions now and watch how dangerous you become.
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