Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad
by Belkin Components
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad
Customer Review: Ergonomic and very useful
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm very fond of this device. It's more comfortable than using the keyboard because I can keep my arm at my side with a natural angle, like using a mouse. It fits my smallish hand very well and I have more keys within easy reach. I use it with a WASD type arrangement and don't use the thumb pad for movement. I removed the hat and just use it as four more keys I can map.
The software UI isn't very good but it gets the job done. If you are a novice computer use you may find it confusing but I doubt anyone buying a dedicated gaming peripheral will have much of a problem figuring it out. A very nice feature is that the configuration is stored on the device. You can bring it to another computer or reinstall your OS and not have to reconfigure it.
My complaints are minor. I'd like the keys to have more of a positive indent. They are kind of mushy. The bright LED is ridiculous. I taped over it.
I also have a Logitech G13 but the Belkin is the one I prefer. The Logitech has more keys but they are a stretch for my hand. The Logitech's thumb stick is better for movement but not to map as individual keys like I prefer. Most importantly, the Belkin is more comfortable. It supports all the weight of my hand and just my fingers extend. The Logitech requires me to support the weight of my hand.
In the Logitech's favor the software is much better and the LCD screen is very cool.
My first recommendation is to get some sort of gamepad. They're great. It'll be personal preference which one you find more comfortable.
Customer Review: Excellent Gaming Peripheral
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using n52te for about 2 years now and i love it. For both WoW and TF2, it's a great aid, though you really do have to take the time to map it correctly and to get accustomed to it.
For WoW i use the d-pad (minus the pop-off mushroom stick) for movement and all of the buttons are mapped to abilities. The thumb button is a shift modifier so i can quickly use twice as many keys. I use the scroll wheel for tab targeting and quick cancels.
For TF2 (and other shooters) i stick with wasd movement on the keys (thumb button for jump) themselves and use the d-pad to pick weapons.
Setting it up was easy. The hardware worked at base level as soon as it was plugged in. The latest version of the software and drivers improves the mapping and macro writing, but even the original worked fine for basic stuff. I followed the instructions precisely and the upgrade went smooth and easy.
When setting it up for different games, first bind all your keys in-game the way you want them for regular keyboard play and then map the n52te keys to those settings. That way if you have to play without it you won't be totally hosed.
After 2 years of pretty heavy use, my original has the paint worn off of some of the keys and the palm rest won't stay attached. All the keys still register just fine and feel like new. I could probably glue the palm rest back on, but it's not too bad without it and I just caught a deal and bought 2 more of these for $29 each. I'll be set for years to come.
Customer Review: Gamepads are new to me but this was worth the purchase
Summary: 4 Stars
I'll start off that I am not an avid gamer. I play MMORPG's, mainly WoW. What caught my attention for this keypad is that it stores settings inside the device, so my key assignments are portable. Overall, I liked the design and 'coolness' factor (it really impresses teens). I saw some of the reviews and they have some merit, but I don't think the n52te needs to be totally removed from ones options when looking for another input device for gaming.
Specific positives:
Backlit keypad is is useful in dim or no light conditions.
The pad has responsive keys.
The software allows any combination of keystrokes to be assigned to any button and multiple key assignment sets.
The support site is pretty detailed and includes forums.
Specific negatives:
Not enough adjustment options for fit
During play, sometimes a key will repeat unexpectedly (may be a setting but hasn't been a real issue for me yet)
I think the backlight colors should change with a change of key sets instead of just a single LED.
The software was not real intuitive, but manageable.
Not for lefties (just an observation)
The forum sites seem to be less monitored so sometimes tips are misleading.
Long story short: it does what the box says. What it doesn't do is turn you into a L33T gamer if you have limited skill to start with. It is a very effective tool if you are looking for a different, customizable way to get data into your game. I liked it.
Customer Review: This Thing Rocks
Summary: 4 Stars
I use this for FPS exclusively, especially FPS+Z, as in Fallen Empires:Legions. I also have small hands.
By utilizing/remapping the D-pad alone I have eliminated the need for several keys(8), thus freeing my fingers. Far less need to move my hand.
Traditional WASD puts the forward key (W) slightly offset from the rest - not on the Speedpad.
And the keys are distinct and separate, no need to take your eyes from the monitor, ever. The action of the keys is crisp an clean.
The last row of keys is set back and lower; so far unusable for me save for the far left key. (My pinkie likes it)
The space bar is also too low for my tastes with the hand rest in place.
The thumb wheel is to the left of the D-pad and button section, so to use it you must lift your thuumb, move left and set your thumb down. No thank you.
Perhaps I will remove the hand rest to utilize the last row of keys and the space bar. At least the unit is versatile enough for that.
I had absolutely no trouble installing the drivers (2.12), nor updating the firmware from 1.02 (1.04). The updates rectify timing/pause issue with macros not registering as well as duration.
It is rather expensive.
It works as advertised. It fits my hand rather well. The complaints I have read in other reviews have not been borne out by my observation.
Customer Review: Not just for gaming
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly - I am not a gamer, never have been, I also never owned the n52. I am a professional photographer who uses Photoshop as part of my job and this makes short work of my shortcuts.
I have always been dependent on my keyboard while using PS. Sometimes even with a lot of reprogramming I end up needing to put the Wacom pen down and use my dominant hand or both hands to active a particular shortcut. Since my keyboard slides out it only adds to the annoyance. But those days have largely come to an end. Using the 3 unique key maps per application and the ability to program macros and single key pushes this has been a great addition to my Wacom tablet.
It also can auto switch between applications, so one set of short cuts is active for PS, another set for Illustrator, yet another for Acrobat, and so on. I've even programmed it to conveniently control my media player, and make web browsing easier.
I spent a few hours setting it up, and created illustrated key maps until I get thoroughly initiated. Creating those illustrated maps in PS helped me remember the best short cuts (I found that some of the shortcuts I use most often had become so automatic that I didn't even remember them) and trained my hands to use the keys.
You will still need the keyboard for text of course, but that is certainly not my dominant need anyway.