Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad by Belkin Components
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Digital camera reviews of Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad
Digital camera Review: Was Blind...but now i SEE!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, first off...i wrote a review on the Logitech G13 ( which i returned)gamepad and was inclined to give props to this item that was recieving so much flack...that it actually made me want to try something other than this SpeedPad! And by the looks of what i had experienced...this thing is really a heck of a lot better than the G13...Honestly! (ok, in my opinion)
The ergonomics that seem to be the rage on the G13 is crazy!!! If u got a knub for a thumb GREAT!! but mines (thumb) has some bend to it so the location is really weird where they placed the Thumbstick! ( and dang that thing is sensitive (Diaganols on a FPS shooter...murder, dont have it enabled on my Belkin. The contour of the speedpad feels alot more comfortable too.
The Belkin N52 TE speedpad overall just seams like u have alot of control over the entire feel of what makes a Gamepad feel quick (less buttons) and manageable. For FPS genre...sweet ( Even Company of Heroes and World in Conflict have a nice place for this controller).
I just felt it neccesary to write this review after i had tried to go to a place where the grass seemed to be greener...boy was i shown the Light after taking my N52TE for granted ") Gotta try it to appreciate...no lie!
Digital camera Review: great product
Summary: 5 Stars
this was a great buy. works great and is very stylish. this is the first gamepad i have ever purchased and i have to say i am very impressed with the quality and the control it offers. would definitely recommend this to friends.Digital camera Review: Works as it Should
Summary: 4 Stars
I was a little disappointed, but it works as it should so I gave it a 4 star rating. The negative is that the thumb hat works, but is pretty useless, because it's not raised enough to give any grip, and the angle is such that it's too difficult to use in a game with any reliably...but it does work.Digital camera 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.
Digital camera Review: Logitech G13 vs. Belkin n52te
Summary: 3 Stars
I have used both the Logitech G13 and Belkin n52te extensively, so I thought it would be useful to write a review comparing the two products.
Usage
I have used both keypads to play World of Warcraft (WoW) extensively. Typically I use the mouse to steer my character, and the keypad to do the actions on my action bar. I use the joystick to move forward, back, and strafe left and right. My hand is average to small in size.
Keys
The Logitech G13 has more keys than the Belkin n52te. In fact the main reason I bought the G13 was because I ran out of keys on the n52te. The G13 has 22 keys plus a joystick button, and two extra buttons near the joystick for a total of 25 programable items. The n52te has 14 keys, a scroll wheel up-down-click button, and two buttons by the joystick for a total of 19 programmable items. When you get advanced in WoW, the more buttons you have, the better your game will be since you can quickly do an action by pressing a button.
The n52te keys are all pretty much the same shape, and the middle key has a bump on it to help you locate where you are. The G13 has the most common keys the same shape, but other keys near the edges have a different shape. I find this helpful since I can feel the key and know where I am due to its shape. The G13 all has four keys with a concave impression to help you locate where you are on the keypad. Again, I find this more useful than the one key the n52te uses with a bumb on it.
Joystick/D-Pad
The n52te has a D-Pad that allows you to control movement in 8 directions. It has an optional joystick insertion that makes it feel more like a joystick. When playing WoW, I actually only used 4 directions, and disabled the corner directionals, since it was too easy to go the wrong way by mistake. With just 4 directions (forward, back, strafe left, strafe right), it was easier to use.
The G13 has a small joystick which allows you to control 4 directions. Comparing the two, I think the G13 is much easier on the thumb than the n52te. After hours of play, and days of gaming, this makes a big difference. The G13 moves much easier and with less effort than the n52te. The G13 also pivots more naturally, so it is much easier to switch directions with less effort. The only thing I don't like about the joystick is the joystick button is very hard to press.
Ergonomics
I feel that the n52te actually promotes carpel tunnel syndrome in the way its designed. The problem is that it forces you to bend your wrist upward so that you are continually putting stress on those tendons. The palm rest does not help, as it simply forces this bad wrist orientation. In order to use the n52te without pain, I actually had to prop up my elbow on some books so that my wrist could be in a more natural position.
The ergonomics on the G13 are far superior than the n52te. The way its designed it allows you to keep your wrist in its natural position, as when you are typing, without having to bend it upward as in the n52te. I can use the G13 continuously for hours upon hours with no discomfort at all.
LCD
The G13 comes with a LCD display, which the n52te does not have. At first I thought I would not use it much, but now I find it to be a helpful addition. For WoW, it shows your characters stats as well as other things such as your equipment durability, so you know when it is time to repair. On battlegrounds it shows stats like how many players on each side, time elapsed, deaths, killing blows, and honorable kills. The LCD does other stuff too when you are not playing the game (time and date, cpu usage, stopwatch, rss feeds, music info, etc). So I think it is a nice bonus.
Programming
I found both units really easy to program. It is very easy to assign any keystroke or key combinations or macros to any key on the keypad.
Conclusion
Overall, I would say the Logitech G13 is superior than the Belkin n52te and would highly recommend you buy the G13 over the n52te. My feeling is that the G13 is the next generation of keypads with all the best features, while the n52te is the old generation of keypads which has now been surpassed.