I was away for a while, now I'm back and ready to review! When I'm not a work that is. But anyways, ...
I was away for a while, now I'm back and ready to review! When I'm not a work that is. But anyways, I'm back and I'm here to speak my mind and get to know anyone who cares to toss a note in my direction, so let's rock!!!
Member since:03.06.2004
Reviews:11
Generally speaking, anyone who dabbles in the world of flight simulators, be it of the civil or military variety, needs a good joystick with enough buttons to cover the basics (Gear up/down, flaps, change weapons, shoot, trim control surfaces, etc.) and some form of rudder and throttle control. The Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Twist meets these criteria and so seems like a good buy, but all is not as it seems...
Yes, it offers a total of twelve buttons. One trigger, four on the top, one thumb switch on the stick and six on the base. That is more than enough to cover the functions needed to get any budding pilot flying without too many moves to the keyboard. The last thing anyone needs it to have to look down at the keyboard when on final approach just to adjust the flaps so the Logitech scores full points there. The POV hat switch is a nice addition too, allowing you to easily glance out of any window you would like to choose, perfect for locating the airport or enemy.
The twist and throttle controls are also very responsive, or at least they used to be. Time has taken its toll and whereas I could perfectly control thrust to within a percent or two and "crab" my way through lighter crosswinds using the rudder alone I now find that the throttle is either on or off, there's no middle ground between 30% and 70% any more and the plane is now incapable of taxiing straight unless I apply a fair amount of right rudder. Sometimes nearer to full right than none. Why this has happened I'm not too sure, but it could be a similar problem with the internal wiring as my fellow reviewer encountered. The symptoms do appear to be very similar, although I'm not going to try a fix as my old electronics tutor advised me never to use a soldering iron again as I was a danger to humanity with one...
Price wise, I paid in excess of £30 when I bought it. Not a great deal of money for a good quality joystick, but this is not a good quality joystick. Not only does it no longer work as it used to, but my left-handed friend found it impossible to use for extended periods, and over 50% of the buttons were inconveniently placed for his alternate grip. It's as if Logitech have forgotten that there are left-handed people in the world, and that they might very well want to play a game using a joystick.
The name Logitech used to inspire confidence in me. A good quality product which will last a good few years. Not any more, however. Oh no. Now I think I'll be going for either a "cheap and cheerful" or "tried and tested" joystick as a replacement, and whatever I do pick you can all rest assured it won't be a Logitech.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Take control with Logitech's Extreme 3D Pro! This joystick is designed for hardcore gamers ... more
and includes a hostof customisable commands to suit your gaming style. System requirements: PC:- Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP or Windows Vist...
Postage & Packaging: £3.89 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Good design, lots of buttons, twist handle, good base, decent price Disadvantages: Small throttle, mostly for right handers, slightly loose
Advantages: Good design, lots of buttons, twist handle, good base, decent price Disadvantages: Small throttle, mostly for right handers, slightly loose
Jun 7th, 2005
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