Scarface
03-28-2008, 12:49 AM
Saitek may have been purchased by rival Mad Catz, but the company is still--for the time being, anyway--cranking out its own gaming accessories. Saitek's premium line of PC accessories has been rebranded "Cyborg," and in addition to the gaming-centric keyboard, mouse, gamepad, and headset, the line includes the Cyborg Command Unit, a controller that's essentially a mini keyboard based on the WASD keys used in most PC games. Except for the darker color scheme, the controller is nearly identical to its predecessor, the Pro Gamer Command Unit. It retails for $40.
http://www.planetmicro.co.uk/upload/product_images/100/M006303.jpg
Colorful lighting makes the Cyborg stand out and helps determine at a glance which mode it's using. The keys light up in green, yellow, or red, depending on the location of a handy mode slider that toggles between three different custom presets. You can set green for regular web browsing, yellow for massively multiplayer online games, and red or first person shooter games, or switch them around to fit your own favorite colors and game types. Besides the backlit keys, a lighted red accent gives the pad even more distinguishing flair.
The pad features 21 different keys, most of which are loosely laid out to reflect the left side of a standard QWERTY keyboard. The first 11 keys correspond to keyboards' Q-W-E-R-A-S-D-F-Z-X-C keys. The next three site on the left side of those keys, offering additional use to the otherwise idle pinky. The next two keys sit under the thumb, next to the pad's analog stick. Four more keys sit above the main key cluster, corresponding with the F1-F2-F3-F4 keys. Finally, a twenty-first key sits on the pad's wrist rest, just under the right side of where your palm rests.
The good: Flexible configuration for shooters, strategy, and role-playing games; handy analog thumb stick; colorful backlighting; adjustable ergonomics.
The bad: Command profiles must be reloaded every time the computer is restarted or the pad is plugged in; for right-handed users only.
The bottom line: Eminently configurable keys and a surprisingly useful analog stick make the Cyborg Command Unit one of the nicer gaming pads we've seen, but it's still a matter of personal taste whether it can or should replace your keyboard.
SOURCE
http://review.zdnet.com/game-controllers/saitek-cyborg-command-unit/4505-3146_16-31818303.html
http://www.planetmicro.co.uk/upload/product_images/100/M006303.jpg
Colorful lighting makes the Cyborg stand out and helps determine at a glance which mode it's using. The keys light up in green, yellow, or red, depending on the location of a handy mode slider that toggles between three different custom presets. You can set green for regular web browsing, yellow for massively multiplayer online games, and red or first person shooter games, or switch them around to fit your own favorite colors and game types. Besides the backlit keys, a lighted red accent gives the pad even more distinguishing flair.
The pad features 21 different keys, most of which are loosely laid out to reflect the left side of a standard QWERTY keyboard. The first 11 keys correspond to keyboards' Q-W-E-R-A-S-D-F-Z-X-C keys. The next three site on the left side of those keys, offering additional use to the otherwise idle pinky. The next two keys sit under the thumb, next to the pad's analog stick. Four more keys sit above the main key cluster, corresponding with the F1-F2-F3-F4 keys. Finally, a twenty-first key sits on the pad's wrist rest, just under the right side of where your palm rests.
The good: Flexible configuration for shooters, strategy, and role-playing games; handy analog thumb stick; colorful backlighting; adjustable ergonomics.
The bad: Command profiles must be reloaded every time the computer is restarted or the pad is plugged in; for right-handed users only.
The bottom line: Eminently configurable keys and a surprisingly useful analog stick make the Cyborg Command Unit one of the nicer gaming pads we've seen, but it's still a matter of personal taste whether it can or should replace your keyboard.
SOURCE
http://review.zdnet.com/game-controllers/saitek-cyborg-command-unit/4505-3146_16-31818303.html