Pro Gamer Command Pad

[Xzin]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/pro_gamer_pad.jpg

I question the utility of this and why you would want to get it over a $25 Nostromo N52 but hey - it's your call.

It's USB though so you can't multicast it to multiple machines through hardware without some serious engineering work to decode the USB signal, route it to a PS/2 signal..... or simply replace the board with a PS/2 board (like the X-Keys Matrix PS/2 board).

Anyway,

Product Features

* Pro Gamer Command Pad combines the controls essential to First Person Shooter and Strategy games in one unit making them fast and easy to reach in the heat of battle.
* Backlit keypad with choice of three glowing colors
* Ergonomic keypad with laser etched keys so characters are visible in any lighting environment; ideal for late night gaming session and LAN parties.
* 4-way analog hat switch
* 20 buttons including space, shift function and 3 mode states for up to 144 programmable commands.
* Adjustable thumb control area has 2 way tilt mechanism, slides forwards and backwards, pivots up and down.
* Standard USB Connector
* Works with virtually an OS including Windows, Mac and Linux

[Finges]

I'm pretty new to this whole dual boxing thing... actually so new that I've yet to do it.... but I've been using this controller to control my WOW characters for a while now. I moved to this from the belkin Nostromo n52.

They are exactly the same... I do like the tophat directional more than the regular directional pad on the Nostromo. Also there are a few buttons on the nostromo that I never used due to inconvenience... IE... the Mwheel and the Orange button.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/pro_gamer_pad.jpg

My Binding setup is as follows:

Tophat directional bound to movement... WASD... FPS style.. IE 'A', 'D' = strafe not turn. I use mouse click turn.

Buttons 1-10 bound to Keys 1-0 --- Keybindings
Button 11 bound to Key 'End' --- Macro'd to Oh crap/Die button (NS+Heal/NS+Chain Lightning)
Button 12 bound to 'Shift'
Button 13 Bound to 'Ctrl'
Button 14 bound to 'Alt'
Button 15 Bound to 'delete' --- Bound to Mount Macro
Button 16 bound to 'pagedown' --- Bound to Bandage macro
Buttons 17-20 bound to F1-F4 --- Party selection

Buttons 15/16 require me to remove my thumb from movement... so I have these bound to 2 functions that require me to be standing still... Bandage and Mounting.

This binding setup allows me to have 40 hotkeys available. All useable without losing movement.... a + for PVP.

My Main is a elemental shaman...
buttons 1-0 are offensive spells...
shift + 1-0 are heals....
ctrl+1-0 = totems....
I have the ability for alt+1-0 but haven't figured a use for them (Most likely will be used to control my second character)



I had a very similar binding setup with my belkin.

[Lost Ninja]

My Belkin (actually both of them) are begining to be a little worn out, some of the buttons no longer respond as they did originally...

Is this a useful upgrade?

What's the control software like?

[Jezebel]

a point on ergonomics.. if those buttons are keyboard standard size.. i think theres a few too many buttons for it to be comfotable to press the buttons closer to your palm. i have big hands and trying to use WSAD(QE) FPS controls on a standard 101 keyboard gives me horrible RSI type cramps after a while. just something to consider.

if the point of a unit like this is to concentrate keys you use most often to be accessable without moving your palm. great.. but if you just want extra programmable keys i think i prefer the look of the x-keys for its flatter, easier to navigate design.. more like an extension of the keyboard rather than an attempt at an ergonomic palm rest.