The Sidewinder Dual Strike

The Sidewinder Dual Strike is a gamepad released by Microsoft in 1999. What sets it apart (and above) from most other gamepads is its ability to control the mouse. The right handle of the gamepad pivots up to down and left to right. This eliminates the need to use both the mouse and the keyboard in almost all first person shooter games. It has 8 prgrammable buttons plus a shift button (which gives the user 16 programmable buttons). The buttons can be programmed for keys on the keyboard or set as macros. This gamepad can make the difference between an avarage multiplayer gamer and an effective fragger.

Attributes:

a xy axis D-pad

2 triggers (one for each index finger)

4 thumb buttons for the right hand

3 thumb buttons for the left hand (one is the shift button)

USB connection to the computer.

Pros:

It fits the user's hands comfortably

Eliminates the need for two different input devices for most first person shooters.

18 programmable buttons for keys or macros.

20 presets for the most popular games in 1999.

The ability to program and save settings for all the user's games.

Cons:

Not compatible with Windows 95 or earlier OS's.

The shift, x, and y buttons are positioned next to the D-Pad. The user cannot effectivly move in the game and use those three buttons simultaneously.

The gamepad is not longer on the market.

The design of the D-pad is poor and it can break easily (however, this can be fixed inexpensivly).

Most users have found the game presets are poor and need to be modified.

Although the fact that the Sidewinder Dual Strike is off the market, I believe the gamepad is the best out there. If you have one, you are one of the lucky few. However, a few thousand emails to http://www.microsoft.com may intice Microsoft to resurrect (which would be advantageous to all gamers!) the gamepad. To find out more information on the Sidewinder Dual Strike go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/sidewinder/devices/DualS/default.asp

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