Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad by Belkin Components
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Digital camera reviews of Belkin n52te Tournament Edition SpeedPad
Digital camera Review: Generally pleased
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall the n52te is proving its worth. It is certainly nice not to be pounding the keyboard all the time. The programability is very easy and the ergonomics of it are awesome. The blue backlight looks great with my PC and keyboard lighting. It is a bit too expensive for what it does, but the ergonomics and saving my keyboard makes up for it.
A few quirks/issues:
- There is no good replacement for the space bar and L-Alt keys. You have to use the thumb button and/or D-Pad.
- The wheel is completely unusable in game play since it is unreachable by either the thumb or index fingers. Also, the profile switch key (15) is too low to easily reach with the thumb.
- There is minimal ability to distinguish the top bank of 8 keys from each other so I find I hit the wrong keys on the outer edge. They need a little more space between them and more bumps (like braille) to better detect which you are on without looking.
- The keys are large, which prevents adding more keys. I really miss the replacement for the G key and have to use the 06 key where the Caps Lock is on the main keyboard. I'm still getting use to this.
Digital camera Review: Good Buy
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great speedpad. I upgraded from a Logitech Speedpad and this one is much more sturdy and easier to use. It has decent software but the only drawback is that Belkin no longer ownes it. Razer is now the owner and it is called the Razer Nostromo Gaming Keypad. If you are looking to buy the Belkin, to save a few bucks like me then go ahead. I would recommend getting the Nostromos though just for the fact that Razer is a great company and the drivers/firmware will be updated regularly. With the Belkin, you get what you get, with no more driver/firmware upgrades. That is, until Razer decides to upgrade the n52te with its own software.Digital camera Review: Good PC gaming control
Summary: 5 Stars
I specifically bought this contol for gaming with the game Battlefield 2142. At first I had difficulties setting the keys. I am not sure if it is the Razor software that made it difficult to set the keys, but I was able to set keys through the software on settings BF2142 provided in game.The Belkin forum was not much help, niether was the Razor Forum. But over all this contoller has helped me respond better than a normal keyboard. I will admit that it is comfortable with the hand rest. I never have any cramping of my fingers, definitely a plus, because I play the game for hours. Amazon 2 day shipping was execellent, received product before expect delivery time! I definitely recommend to other MMRPG and FPS players!Digital camera Review: Good. Not great.
Summary: 4 Stars
Ok. My biggest gripe about this keyboard is that it lacks the number keys that are usually about qwerty. Those keys are vital to playing first person shooters seriously because they allow your to pin point exactly what weapon you want to use. The mouse wheel should not be a substitute to select your weapons. I do have a Razer Naga, so this feature isn't that much of a problem. I could see it being a huge problem for anyone who doesn't have a mouse with seventeen buttons. Afterall, this mouse is designed for "extreme" gaming. It should be optimized for whatever you use it for.
My second gripe is the space bar. I have to shift my hand awkwardly to press it and with my asian hands, its very hard to get my thumb over the spacebar to press it. The only way I can fix this is by removing the palm rest. The N52te feel much better without the palm rest for me; I have relatively small hands so this could be the issue. I have completely solved this spacebar problem by moving the space bar up to the button thats located above the d-pad. Now I use that for spacebar and the old spacebar is now "t" which I use to activate my microphone. I'm really glad with the change and I can now use the palm rest without straining my hand awkwardly.
Third and final is the D-Pad. Although I don't really use the D-Pad, I have to say that it's pretty uncomfortable to use. I can move the joystick anywhere I like except to the left. I have to push awkwardly up toward my pointer finger, creating a lot of strain in my fingers and in my hand. This could easily be fixed by putting less tension in the D-Pad or moving it closer to your thumb.
Some other things that I wish they would have put in are: A full sized shift key. An escape button. Two more keys past "05" and "10" (which are represented as "t" and "g" on a conventional keyboard). A row of numbers above qwerty to at least 5. A specific button to toggle between profiles. Less clunky d-pad. The numbers on the keys do not light up very much (very dim). Space bar is located too far down and can be strenuous to hit with your thumb.
Final thoughts:
The only reason why these three gripes do not effect the n52te's rating that much is that I have found ways around the flaws that bother me the most. Other than those, I must say that the software that comes with the product is exceptional and it is very very useful for travelling gamers. If you can find a way to get accustomed to the layout, it will be a very useful accessory when travelling. Instead of hauling a huge desktop with you, you can just take a laptop, n52te, and mouse and you'll be set to start gaming. I really like that the n52te can store your data directly onto it so that you can plug it into any computer and immediately start using it. The build quality is pretty nice. Some may claim that the lack of support near the back of the unit is a problem but I have not had any issues with it. Ergonomics of it can be easily fixed by taking off the palm rest. Honestly, I would not pay over $50 for this product. I found this product on woot for $35 shipped and decided to test it out. For the price, I would say that it's worth it. But at $80 I would steer clear of this product. I would recommend going for the G13, but I have not personally tried it. All that I can say is that it looks like it would fix all the problems that I have with the n52te and it would provide more features. Specifically the LCD panel which shows game stats.
Digital camera Review: Great
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great product. I had the n50 before this till my cats got a hold of the cable. But this one is what I wanted in a game pad. I do not use it to the full functionality(even has everyday windows commands so you can use it with a program other than a game) thats why I gave it 4 out 5 stars. So far this device has proven itself a leader for other game pads.