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Score:
8
/10
Company of Origin:
Logitech
Type of Device:
Joystick
Minimum System Requirements:
PC with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP or Macintosh. It requires a USB port.
Test System:
Windows XP Home, 2 GHz Pentium 4, 256MB RAM, GeForce 4 Ti4200 w/64MB RAM,
SoundBlaster Live! Value, 32x DVD-ROM.
Function:
The Logitech 2.4 Cordless Joystick is a beautiful, well constructed
device. It has a triangular base, a nicely contoured twist handle, and is
finished in black and silver. The throttle, hat switch, trigger, and
remaining buttons all have a nice, solid feel to them. The handle has a
nice, not too stiff feel to it.
This is a cordless device, and as such, it includes the joystick, receiver
(which plugs into any available USB port), and the CD-ROM disc with the
drivers and profiler software. Installation was a breeze, and the joystick
worked great with a variety of simulation games, including Need for
Speed: Porsche Unleashed, Midtown Madness 2, IL-2
Sturmovik, and Mechwarrior 4.
Performance:
The Logitech 2.4 Cordless Joystick was always able to make a
connection to the receiver, and worked flawlessly with all of the tested
games. It didn't seem to matter how close or far away the joystick was from
the receiver, as it never seemed to falter.
Features:
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Twist Handle
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10 Programmable Buttons
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8-Way Hat Switch
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Throttle
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20 Foot Range
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Frequency-Hopping Technology
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Power Management
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Weighted Rubber Base
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Indicator Lights
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Profiler Software
Drawbacks & Problems:
The joystick is clearly built for right-handed people with big hands. My
small hands could use the joystick, but I was unable to comfortably hold the
handle and access the hat switch and other top mounted buttons. I had to
release the handle somewhat in order to reach all of them.
Although the Logitech 2.4 Cordless Joystick performed well with all
of the simulation games I tested it with, the profiler software sometimes
could not identify it. It would report that no Wingman devices were present.
This did not affect the games, but did mean that I could not create or use
profiles with them.
The base is cumbersome, as its triangular shape does not really fit
comfortably on your lap, which is where a cordless device is likely to sit.
It did work well on a flat surface though, and was comfortable to use
positioned in such a location.
This is a good joystick, and extremely well built. If you find the
shape comfortable, then it will likely serve you well for many years. It has
a very sexy, futuristic and rugged design. But if you pine for a more
conventional stick, or you have small hands like I do, then you might wish
to keep searching for the perfect joystick.
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