Has anyone tried using a joystick to play before? I would think that with the right kind (like a saitek x52) you could almost drop the use of a keyboard all together, and maybe just play with that and an n52 and a mouse.

I've been using a Logitech g5 mouse for a long while now, but I can feel it starting to give. Logitech no longer makes this, the pinnacle of mousing technology. Does anyone have an experience with the g500 or know of another mouse that is as comfortable, configurable and affordable as the g5?

I picked up a G500 during the holiday season, and I'm happy with it. From playing with it, the buttons can all be assigned keystrokes allowing you to bind them to whatever you'd like. I did have some issue doing this with the two sensitivity swapping buttons but I don't care for their positioning and as a result never tried to resolve the issue.

While I'm not familiar with the form factor of the G5, the G500 has taken some getting used to, mainly since with all my previous mice, I've tended to keep my pinky on the outside edge of the rmb, and the G500 is formed such that the pinky lies better along the side of the mouse underneath its angled edge.

The G500 is the best mouse I've ever used.

It's a MX518 with one more thumb button and two more buttons for your index finger. You can alternate between a frictionless and regular mouse wheel by pushing the button behind the wheel, not by pushing the wheel itself like other Logitech mice. This means you can actually use mousewheel as a button.

All of the buttons feel good, easy to press and distinct feel to when they are pressed, even the mousewheel tilt. I've never been a fan of mousewheel side tilt but the G500 might change that.

I've bound sensitivity+, sensitivity- and the middle thumb button to regular keys which are bound in WoW. I might try using the mousewheel tilt too if I can find a better place for push-to-talk than mousewheel click.

Highly recommended!

For reference I've (recently) used several MX518, two MX Revolution and a Razer Death Adder.

Isn't the G500 just a fancied up version of the G5?

The G5 is just a fancied up version of the MX518. It's the same shape, has the same mousewheel and the same thumb buttons. Only the button placement by the scroll wheel differs really. Besides the innards with hyper lazor tracking and detachable weights or whatever it's the same thing as far as I'm concerned.



The G500 is much different, as seen in the picture. The shape is basically the same, although not exactly the same, but the scroll wheel and it's placement is new along with the button to toggle non-frictionless scrolling. The three thumb buttons are very different from the MX518/G5 because of the added third thumb button.

-deleted-

If you decide to go with the G9 be sure you pick up the G9x instead of the regular G9. It's got the same shape and all but much better tracking.

I seem to be having a problem with my Logitech MX Revolution: since I've upgraded to Windows 7 (from Vista), it won't stop freezing, making the game basically unplayable (and making even trivial things such as navigating a PITA).

I've obviously installed SetPoint 4.80, plugged it on various USB ports, and scanned google far and wide for drivers that could help me, but I can't for the life of me find something to fix this. I've found reports of other people having this problem, so if anyone here has been there, any help would be appreciated.

Someone asked about foot pedals some time ago.
I use a x-keys footpedal in combination with the xkeys-macro works software and am quite happy with it.
It comes with three switches on the pedal, a big one and two smaller ones which I mostly use for push-to-talk activation.
The pedal does not easily skid on the floor so no special chairs must be used.

I recently picked up a Sandio 3D mouse. Here's a quick review of what I've found in a couple days. It's a good mouse, especially for left handed players, but requires AutoHotkey or high frame rates to work perfectly.

Standard Info

• Wired USB
• 400, 800, 1600, 2000 on the fly DPI
• 3 hat switches, 5 buttons, and 2 scrolling directions, for 23 possible input binds.

Pros

• Close enough to symmetrical that left handed players will like it.
• Large, 5.5" x 3.5" on the base without the tail.
• Decent binding software. (no hitches in Vista 64)

Cons

• Input hiccups for the sticks at under 40 fps. (buttons work fine)
• Unable to do executable specific bindings. No dynamic swaps.
• Backlighting is very bright. It doubles as a nightlight.

Fixes I've applied to Cons

• The bug seems to occur when the processor is overloaded somehow. If you are always over 40 fps, you may never see this, but it's as high as 35% stick input dropped even at 20-25 fps. I never see this in normal applications. AutoHotkey can work around the bugs as it appears that the issue is that the bind is sent to WoW, it's just not picked up and acted on, and it's discarded. The following code will cause the Up arrow bound to a stick function to work 100% of the time.
  
  

  #IfWinActive World of Warcraft
      ~*Up::
          Send {WheelLeft}
      return
  #IfWinActive

  I don't have Wheel Left tilt bound to anything, so it's a good safe key to send as an extra.
  
• Binding application specific functions can be done by using AutoHotkey. Bind each button to something obscure and then have AutoHotkey Send the real bind for each the application.
  
• No fix

Overall I'm liking it, a lot. I have a call to tech support to try and fix things without AutoHotkey, hopefully they have some suggestions. Pictured next to my prior mouse, a Microsoft Wireless Laser 5000.

I have had zero problems with my MX Revolution and I upgraded to 7 from Vista. Is there perhaps another common factor with other users? I have driver version 4.82.11 and control center version 4.80.103.

I'm considering getting either a Das or a Steelseries G7 keyboard. Both look nice, have n key rollover, and mechanical keys. Das looks a bit nicer though. I miss the clackity feel of old IBM keys. Does anybody have any insight on either keyboard, they seem pretty similar in quality and function. I do like the blank key option on Das.

The place I go for mechanical keyboard information is geekhack forums - Powered by vBulletin A good starting point is Default:Mechanical Switch Keyboards Sorted By Switch - geekhack forums

Some specific comments,

The Das uses blue Cherry switches (50g activation force that has a bump you can feel and makes a noise)

The Steelseries 7G uses black Cherry switches (60g activation force, no bump, no click)


I'd use the following question list, I'm ignoring switch options other than Cherry and Topre

• Do you want a click sound while typing? yes -> go blue (Das + others) This is a bit noisy for a cubicle/shared office, and if you get used to it you might decide that you want a matching keyboard for work.
  
• Do you want your keys to be harder to press and maybe be better for gaming? -> go black (Steelseries + others) Personally, I'd want a different keyboard for regular typing.
  
• Are you willing to spend twice as much on a keyboard? -> go Topre
  
• Default, you want to be able to type a lot without fingers tiring -> go brown (games just fine, what I'm using)

I'm tying this on a Filco with browns (45g activation, bump, and no click), see Majestouch Tenkeyless Tactile Touch "Otaku" - elitekeyboards.com - Products. They have versions with/without the numpad and with/without blank keys for all the black/blue/brown/Topre choices. Dropping the numpad will bring the mouse closer if you're right handed. I'm happy with my keyboard, and would opt for browns over blues and blacks again if I was buying another keyboard, although I'd debate the Topre options.


PS I'd be wary of used Das III models as they have had issues with their controller and also NKRO (I think) in the earlier revisions of this product. See das iii typos at higher speeds - geekhack forums

I just spent roughly 4 hours total today looking for a decent keyboard other than my Logitech G15. I dont use the features and quite honestly it feels weird to type on ive noticed. And holy cow those guys over at geekhack are insane for knowing so much about just a keyboard. So i think im going to try and find one of these two, And pickup the QSENN anyway.

Das Keyboard Professional Model S
Das Keyboard Professional Model S silent

The Das keyboard seem to be the easiest to pickup. Man i spent quite a bit of time looking for some of the cherry branded Keyboards and came up with nothing.

Also going to pickup one of these just to try out. QSENN SEM-DT35 Super Weapon SEM-DT35 COMBO
A bunch of the Starcraft players use this keyboard. Not sure what switches it uses.

edit: What a massive link to the SEM-DT35
edit 2: elitekeyboards.com - Home For Filco keyboards. Looking at these as well. Also the QSENN SEM-DT35 from above link is utter crap. I just read up some more from teamliquid's Starcraft website.

I did some research and a lot of the issues the Das III had seemed to be hammered out in the new S series. I got a Das S Ultimate because 1) it looks nicer 2) to confuse anyone that comes over (not like anyone ever comes over). My typing increased from 100 to around 120-125 after getting use to it, and errors have reduced quite significantly. It feels a bit weird, and sounded really annoying in raids at first (from clack spamming abilities), but I'm a bit more use to it. The sound is quite satisfying, I can't stand the way dome switches feel and I always found myself making typos from misjudging key presses.

Das isn't necessarily a gaming keyboard, but it is a fine quality keyboard. One problem I've had is rollover. Using USB, it appears to be a 6 key rollover, though I've heard of instances that place it at 3 key, I doubt average use would produce this limitation. I can hold any combination of modifiers with run/strafe and still press abilities, which is good enough for most games. Mechanical switches also generally last a while, as per IBM M series keyboards.

There are other keyboards that are quality, but I'm satisfied with my Das and the price I paid. 130$ is a bit on the higher end of pricing, but my mouse cost 100$ and my speakers 150$ and they've proven worth the cost. Filco seems popular as well, and I may have bought one had I heard about them before Das. From all threads I'm able to find, it seems the main beef with Das now is the left windows key being gone, which is mostly an issue for mac users needing the option key or users who very frequently use windows key shortcuts.

Does the G15 have dome or mechanical switches BTW? I could never find this information and the keyboard would seem frivolous without solid keystrokes.

The mouse wheel only accepts down clicks, no tilt, unfortunately, but I still recommend it highly. I've been using these mice (mouses?) since 2005 and it's been the only thing that's kept my CTS at a manageable level.

Standard USB HID driver is the reason for the 6KRO limit. It sends "keys currently down" in it's state packet each clock cycle, and it has 6 slots for keys and a bunch of modifier bitflags. It's really "as many modifiers as you'd like and 6 other keys", assuming that the keyboard hardware doesn't have limits. PS/2 in contrast sends a signal on key down and key up, which has no protocol based limit.

I'm not a fan boy by any means, but out of all the hardware I've used, I find that Razer products seems to get the job done for me the most effectively.

The first product of theirs I picked up was the Lachesis mouse. Probably the smartest investment into gaming hardware I have made. I used to my main keys to 1-4 along with all the surrounding keys of WASD. I decided to change my keybindings for my main attacks and finishers (I'm a rogue =P) to the 2 DPI buttons on the top behind the mouse wheel and the finishers to the two left thumb buttons. I know a lot of people do that now but back than I didn't know that was really even an option, probably the best idea I decided to go with =P. My effectiveness in my play really shined in PVP and fights that required a lot of moving. I also use the Razer Lycosa keyboard, I like the feel of it but I definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you need a bare bones keyboard. Razer is launching some new hardware in 2010 with the launch of Starcraft II so hopefully they will also effectively accommodate other games and not be dressed up with logos. I hate that...

Recently, I decided to upgrade my keyboard and mouse and went through a couple of different devices. I tried out the Logitech G9x, G500, G13 Gamepad, and the G110 Keyboard. I really liked the feel of the G500 however the biggest issue for me that killed it was the DPI buttons on the front-left of the mouse. They are terrible buttons that pick up and scrape the chassis on the inside when you use them. I tried two different ones and they both had the same problem. I was pretty surprised because of how gentle I am with my gear and It wasn't even a possibility to use them on a consistent basis unless you modded the buttons somehow. The G9x I picked up and I really enjoyed the performance of the mouse. The weights are awesome, You don't really think it would make a big difference but once you play with them, they are actually an extremely nice perk. The DPI buttons are responsive and very comfortable to use. The thumb buttons on the left I felt were a little to "cheap". I didn't "feel" the buttons working when I used them, they are very fluid and quiet which some people might like, but I don't like using pillows as buttons. The last mouse I decided to try was the Razer Naga. I was pretty hesitant in even trying it because of how different It is from other mice. I play a lot of different games and I didn't know if this was really something I would want to get to used to considering most games don't really have the availability of actions to necessitate all the buttons on the mouse as well as the keyboard. But so far, It's actually been worth it to invest the extra time to configure the games to utilize both. As far as WoW goes, and I'm sure anyone who is interested in the Naga has read reviews, it takes a little getting used to. It's not hard remembering where I put my abilities but its more the fact of comfort and having your right hand be so much more in control of the game rather than your left. It took probably about a week for me to come to the conclusion that this is definitely, without a doubt, the best mouse I have ever owned. Back to my earlier statement of how much my game improved when I bound my main actions to my mouse instead of the standard 1-4 on the keyboard, ten fold. My in game macros, abilities, cooldowns, items, all right where I need them when I need them. If you're thinking about the Naga, pick it up, give it a little time, and within 2 weeks I'm pretty positive that you will find the perfect mouse for you or as close to it if these are the kind of features you're looking for. All the buttons on the mouse work perfectly, including the 2 DPI buttons on the mouse which I use for my main abilities. Very sturdy and built to last.

I hadn't ever used a gamepad before I picked up the G13 so I wasn't really expecting anything. I tried using the standard WASD and than binding/macroing all the other keys and joystick for my other abilities but I found that the joystick and the two thumb buttons were useless. Difficult to reach and difficult to use. After 2 weeks, I returned it and went with the G110 keyboard. The g110 is a great mid-range keyboard. It has the macro keys a lot of fans of the G15 are familiar with, as well as some minor features. I just found that after using the Lycosa for so long, the standard size of the G110's buttons were too uncomfortable for me and I didn't really find a use with the macro keys considering I was also using the Naga. So for now, I'm sticking with the Lycosa.

The most recent device I picked up was the N52te by Razer and I really didn't think I was going to like it to be honest but I wanted to give it a try anyways. The n52te with the Naga is a match made in heaven. While the N52te only has 14 main "standard" like keys on it, it also has a 3 button mouse scroll wheel, a 4 way d-pad (with 4 offset directional buttons as well that you can't really use), a single button above that ( the perfect vent button ), and a "space bar" like key below the d-pad. After hours of re-keybinding and macroing as well as UI editing I had found that these 2 pieces of hardware are perfect for what I need. You can still have the shift/ctrl/alt modifiers with the n52te, as well as basically your f1-f4, 1-4 keys so much more comfortably in reach. I would strongly suggest checking into either if you haven't and are looking for those kinds of hardware.

I definitely think these are the best matches for me personally right now, but I can definitely see myself finding something to upgrade to, but after hours of research I haven't found anything else worth trying. Roccet makes some awesome gear too and I probably would have ended up going with their newest mouse which is the Kova I believe? might have that mixed up, but it didn't have the DPI buttons which I think should be standard on any gaming grade mice these days.

The N52te is actually a bad remake of the Belkin N52. As someone who used the original and migrated to the te once the classic one was worn out, i would have preferred to have bought a classic as backup and use that. The software of the classic is alot better and it had an additional shift state for more buttons. Not intending to badmouth the te, you have to work with what you get, and its working well. Just personally i think the classic one was the better device.

Does anyone own the Roccat Arvo? It's unique it that it has three extra buttons under the thumb - 'thumbster' keys. I think it might be killer if these could be bound to CTRL, ALT and Shift. You could then use an ESDF based layout and use the thumb instead of the left pinky to hit the modifier keys.

It's not clear to me from searching around though if you can use them directly as modifier keys - at least through the software they provide. Still might be possible though using some external keyboard remapper such as keytweak.

I'm not familliar with that specific mouse but I use a mouse with two thumb buttons and have one bound to Alt through the windows mouse options interface, works find for Alt+Keystroke in WoW.

The device asked about is a keyboard, not a mouse, looks interesting, if i ever stop using my n52te I'd definitely look at buying one.