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D|cKspL@sh
n00b
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2005
- Messages
- 2
My gaming peripheral mod and pre-mod thoughts and opinions.
I look around all the forums and see allot of case mods and helpful hints and tips but rarely do you see peripherals being modded. So to start off with I would like to fill you in on some of my concerns and opinions about what we as consumers are being dealt up.
First of I would like to make a few comments towards those companies that think they are doing us a favour by making all those useless gadgets and eye candy which in my opinion is poor design/waste of money for what you get and never seem to be tested before production. Like most of you I'm guessing your interested in gaming and like me I fall into the hardcore gaming group.
Some might agree with me and others may not but I will try and do my best to explain. Allot of the companies say they listen to what you and I want in there products and I believe in most cases they do listen but how much of an effort do they really go too making there products what we want and even more on design that fits the purpose?
As an example just recently I saw and read the review of Logitech's new G5 Laser Gaming Mouse. (Link below)The feed back from the customers Logitech took in and redesigned from it's predecessor because of the two side buttons being some what useless in there placement.
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
http://techgage.com/review.php?id=2270
Ok to be fare yes this new mouse comes with awesome specs with what they have placed into it and now a whopping 2000 dpi. Not only that but they relocated the side buttons for better reach and ease of use. Well done I hear you say but they give with one hand and take from the other. That's right they listened and shifted the buttons but in doing so only replaced one side button not the second which when it comes to gaming is very important.
This is what I mean by companies listening to us but not going far enough to ensure that what they give us is truly what we want or only going half way. I'm not a design engineer but truly I'm beginning to think with all there collage education this hillbilly hick with no education could really out preform some of them.
There is no way that I would purchase the new Logitech G5 Laser Mouse when I could have the below which also has similar specs and then go and mod it to preform better. Least it has the two side buttons which also was re-positioned in this model from feed back Razer got.
Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse
http://www.hardwarezone.com/news/view.php?cid=2&id=2231
I must point out I'm not a rep or have any connection with any companies here but just a frustrated consumer and gamer who is sick of being treated like a noob. When it comes to companies wanting my money and what they offer me in the way of poor testing and designs I figure I'm not alone here.
G15 Gaming Keyboard
http://techgage.com/review.php?id=2270&page=3
Sorry Logitech for getting on your case of late but when you fail in a new keyboard and mouse at the same time I think it's about time you really listened to gamers.
Everyone is wooing and gasping at nothing more than gadgets and eyecandy again when we would pay allot more if you delivered. I have not used this product nor have I touched it by I have already see where I could mod it for better performance and speed. They have failed to deliver in both practical use and design so once again I have seen 15 improvements from just a picture.
To be fair to Logitech Saitek has failed too and with just a quick example.
Saitek X52 Flight Control System
http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/x52.htm
If you look at the throttle control on the base unit it has a digital window. I know and I think you would agree that if it was tilted to 30 degrees up and 10 degrees to the right it would stop glare and be allot easy to read during use? Another example of not going far enough in design.
So this brings me too my mod I have done to improve performance,speed and positioning of buttons on an already existing market product. I mean even Belkin has listened to there gamers and made improvements over it's predecessor but truly falls short of design in so many ways. I speak of Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad which in it's roar form is good but not good enough.
I guess we all like to get value for money and products at fair prices but I think I'm not alone here when I say I would pay a little extra to get the extra's. By that I mean design features and a product that works for the purpose it was meant for in the way of comfort,easy of use,speed and leave of all the eye candy bullshit giving us what we want with awesome performance with technology being stretched to the limit.
Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad in it's roar form
Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad after I re-modded and made changes to positioning of buttons and there use.
What I did was make a thumb mould that is the correct shape for my thumb and gives me precise control over the hat switch without allot of movement required. I also raised the button below the hat switch that controls the macro's so I don't have to take my thumb of the hat switch but make a slight sideways movement to push it down less than a 1/16 of an inch to activate.
The orange button above the hat switch requires you to push your thumb too far forward and apply way to much pressure to operate the button in a fast and easy manner. So as you can see by the pictures I made a rocker with an extended arm that now allows my thumb to travel little distance and use no force to keep the button pushed.
Over on the far left of the device are three buttons which I operate with my little finger but now as you can see by the picture I no longer have to shift my finger. I do this because what I have designed is my little finger can now operate all three buttons simultaneously. How? by using different pressure points along the entire length of my little finger hence not having to shift it. You will also notice that those three buttons are also a little bigger and wider to better fit your hand for comfort and ease of use.
Just to the left of the hat switch you will see in the original picture what looks like a mouse wheel and that's exactly what it is. Trouble is the position in which it is located sucks and for many but mainly for me it's useless and in the wrong spot. To over come that once again I have applied the same thought as the buttons for the little finger and made it useful. I can now operate it using the redesigned button once again a pressure point on my pointer finger. My pointer finger can now operate the mouse wheel while still pushing other 5 buttons simultaneously with my pointer finger.
In the middle of the keys and closest to the palm rest is another button I have added to once again make good use of my index finger. Once again using a pressure point on my index finger I can now operate two keys simultaneously with out shifting finger positions.
I believe what I have done is taken a product and made tremendous improvements on a very good item but made it fit what I think gamers are looking for. It's simple to use with no effort plus the speed of which you now have plus positioning of buttons to be better fit for what they were designed to do.
I have already seen in my own work where improvements can be made but I think only having N52 for three weeks I haven't done bad. If a dumb ass hillbilly hick like me can do it then the likes of Belkin and all other big organizations have no excuse for delivering substandard designs and performance in items.
Sorry for the long post but while I wanted to show a peripheral mod I also wanted to view some of my opinions and concerns to which many of you would agree.
Hope you like it and the only way gamers are going to get true gaming products is to stop all the wooing and drooling at substandard peripherals. Think about what short falls it has and make your voice heard. Seeing the latest new gadget then running out and buying it doesn't force these products to truly fit the purpose they were intended for.
I look around all the forums and see allot of case mods and helpful hints and tips but rarely do you see peripherals being modded. So to start off with I would like to fill you in on some of my concerns and opinions about what we as consumers are being dealt up.
First of I would like to make a few comments towards those companies that think they are doing us a favour by making all those useless gadgets and eye candy which in my opinion is poor design/waste of money for what you get and never seem to be tested before production. Like most of you I'm guessing your interested in gaming and like me I fall into the hardcore gaming group.
Some might agree with me and others may not but I will try and do my best to explain. Allot of the companies say they listen to what you and I want in there products and I believe in most cases they do listen but how much of an effort do they really go too making there products what we want and even more on design that fits the purpose?
As an example just recently I saw and read the review of Logitech's new G5 Laser Gaming Mouse. (Link below)The feed back from the customers Logitech took in and redesigned from it's predecessor because of the two side buttons being some what useless in there placement.
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
http://techgage.com/review.php?id=2270
Ok to be fare yes this new mouse comes with awesome specs with what they have placed into it and now a whopping 2000 dpi. Not only that but they relocated the side buttons for better reach and ease of use. Well done I hear you say but they give with one hand and take from the other. That's right they listened and shifted the buttons but in doing so only replaced one side button not the second which when it comes to gaming is very important.
This is what I mean by companies listening to us but not going far enough to ensure that what they give us is truly what we want or only going half way. I'm not a design engineer but truly I'm beginning to think with all there collage education this hillbilly hick with no education could really out preform some of them.
There is no way that I would purchase the new Logitech G5 Laser Mouse when I could have the below which also has similar specs and then go and mod it to preform better. Least it has the two side buttons which also was re-positioned in this model from feed back Razer got.
Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse
http://www.hardwarezone.com/news/view.php?cid=2&id=2231
I must point out I'm not a rep or have any connection with any companies here but just a frustrated consumer and gamer who is sick of being treated like a noob. When it comes to companies wanting my money and what they offer me in the way of poor testing and designs I figure I'm not alone here.
G15 Gaming Keyboard
http://techgage.com/review.php?id=2270&page=3
Sorry Logitech for getting on your case of late but when you fail in a new keyboard and mouse at the same time I think it's about time you really listened to gamers.
Everyone is wooing and gasping at nothing more than gadgets and eyecandy again when we would pay allot more if you delivered. I have not used this product nor have I touched it by I have already see where I could mod it for better performance and speed. They have failed to deliver in both practical use and design so once again I have seen 15 improvements from just a picture.
To be fair to Logitech Saitek has failed too and with just a quick example.
Saitek X52 Flight Control System
http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/x52.htm
If you look at the throttle control on the base unit it has a digital window. I know and I think you would agree that if it was tilted to 30 degrees up and 10 degrees to the right it would stop glare and be allot easy to read during use? Another example of not going far enough in design.
So this brings me too my mod I have done to improve performance,speed and positioning of buttons on an already existing market product. I mean even Belkin has listened to there gamers and made improvements over it's predecessor but truly falls short of design in so many ways. I speak of Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad which in it's roar form is good but not good enough.
I guess we all like to get value for money and products at fair prices but I think I'm not alone here when I say I would pay a little extra to get the extra's. By that I mean design features and a product that works for the purpose it was meant for in the way of comfort,easy of use,speed and leave of all the eye candy bullshit giving us what we want with awesome performance with technology being stretched to the limit.
Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad in it's roar form
Belkin's Nostromo N52 Speedpad after I re-modded and made changes to positioning of buttons and there use.
What I did was make a thumb mould that is the correct shape for my thumb and gives me precise control over the hat switch without allot of movement required. I also raised the button below the hat switch that controls the macro's so I don't have to take my thumb of the hat switch but make a slight sideways movement to push it down less than a 1/16 of an inch to activate.
The orange button above the hat switch requires you to push your thumb too far forward and apply way to much pressure to operate the button in a fast and easy manner. So as you can see by the pictures I made a rocker with an extended arm that now allows my thumb to travel little distance and use no force to keep the button pushed.
Over on the far left of the device are three buttons which I operate with my little finger but now as you can see by the picture I no longer have to shift my finger. I do this because what I have designed is my little finger can now operate all three buttons simultaneously. How? by using different pressure points along the entire length of my little finger hence not having to shift it. You will also notice that those three buttons are also a little bigger and wider to better fit your hand for comfort and ease of use.
Just to the left of the hat switch you will see in the original picture what looks like a mouse wheel and that's exactly what it is. Trouble is the position in which it is located sucks and for many but mainly for me it's useless and in the wrong spot. To over come that once again I have applied the same thought as the buttons for the little finger and made it useful. I can now operate it using the redesigned button once again a pressure point on my pointer finger. My pointer finger can now operate the mouse wheel while still pushing other 5 buttons simultaneously with my pointer finger.
In the middle of the keys and closest to the palm rest is another button I have added to once again make good use of my index finger. Once again using a pressure point on my index finger I can now operate two keys simultaneously with out shifting finger positions.
I believe what I have done is taken a product and made tremendous improvements on a very good item but made it fit what I think gamers are looking for. It's simple to use with no effort plus the speed of which you now have plus positioning of buttons to be better fit for what they were designed to do.
I have already seen in my own work where improvements can be made but I think only having N52 for three weeks I haven't done bad. If a dumb ass hillbilly hick like me can do it then the likes of Belkin and all other big organizations have no excuse for delivering substandard designs and performance in items.
Sorry for the long post but while I wanted to show a peripheral mod I also wanted to view some of my opinions and concerns to which many of you would agree.
Hope you like it and the only way gamers are going to get true gaming products is to stop all the wooing and drooling at substandard peripherals. Think about what short falls it has and make your voice heard. Seeing the latest new gadget then running out and buying it doesn't force these products to truly fit the purpose they were intended for.