December 17, 2004
 Nostromo™ SpeedPad n52 Every time I start playing a new game, I keep telling myself that I will pick up a Nostromo™ SpeedPad n52 to see if it will make my gaming better. After getting my copy of World of Warcraft and having played it for days on end, I broke down
and decided to get it.
Why would you want one if it is really only half the keyboard? Well... after playing a game for any length of time, my hands kill me. I also have a very hard time hitting all the keys for some of the newer games (whatever happened to one stick and one button, anyway? Ooooh, Atari, you had it right all along).
Installing:
I always just plug in a device to see what will happen. The Nostromo—prior to installing all its drives—worked like the left side of a keyboard, only with extras such as a thumb movement pad and scroll wheel. Once I installed the drives, the app allowed me to configure every button, as you may have guessed.
Game play:
World of Warcraft:
Dont give up your keyboard! In a game like WoW, you have to type in order to talk to other players. However, when in battle or running around doing all the quests, I found using the Nostromo to be better. I set up the thumb pad to do all the walking and running and the finger key to cast the spells. This set up worked well, but I took some time to adjust. The only thing that I did not like was that I now have three things to use: a mouse, a keyboard, and the Nostromo, so my desk feels cluttered.
First person shooters (FPS)
I think this is what the Nostromo was made for: no typing, just fast killing. Having all the buttons in one hand makes changing weapons and reloading simpler. After two hours of playing Unreal 2004, my hands and wrists felt great, which was unlike how they felt after using a standard keyboard.
Thoughts:
I like it, but just don't dump the keyboard yet. The Nostromo is well worth the money, and I also see myself setting up some way to use it with Photoshop and all the macros I have set up. The only down side is desk space. It will take up the same space as a mouse pad. This is space most of us do not have.
Belkin Nostromo Speedpad n52 Price $23 - $40
Posted by macomadmin at 11:50 AM
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For the people in your life who love to make their own music, get them something that will assist them. Once Apple came out with iLife (which comes with GarageBand), they gave people with very little training a way to make great—and not so great—music. This has encouraged a lot of cool products to be made compatible for the Mac. I have made a list of some that you should consider getting for the music maker in your life.
iLife '04 (comes with GarageBand) $49.00
M-Audio Keystation 49e USB Midi Keyboard $99.55
Edirol PCR-30 MIDI Keyboard Controller $199.00
Jam Pack 1: Instruments, Loops, and Effects $99.00
Jam Pack 2: Remix Tools $99.00
Jam Pack 3: Rhythm Section $99.00
For the ultimate music maker: Logic Pro 7 $999.00
Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones
Sony MDR-V700DJ Monitor Series Headphones with 3000 mW Power Capacity
Sony MDR-RF960RK 900 MHz RF Wireless Headphones with Auto Tuning
Panasonic RPHV298S Bud Headphone with Winding Case & Volume Control
