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Gaming has evolved from the simplistic keyboard commanded games of the late 70s and early 80s. With the infusion of the console industry, new types of gaming equipment have been developed to give both novice and hardcore games ways to truly playing their games and interfacing with them. PC Gaming has always had the most revolutionary ways of interfacing with your games. From keyboards and mice to gamepads and joysticks anything that the console world presents, it will be emulated and advanced upon in the computer gaming industry. This feature article is a way for us here at ESCMAG to tell you about some of our chosen "Tools of the Trade" and what new innovations will carry our gaming experience in the next couple of years and beyond. So for part one of this three-part hardware article, ESCMAG is proud to present Gaming Goods: Tools of the Trade. The Mouse Apple Computer first introduced the mouse back when the personal computer industry was in its infant stages. Used to interface with the new GUI (Graphic User Interface), the mouse was an integral part of the Apple line of computers, and eventually would make its way to every other platform on the market. Mice have changed over the past couple of years. Moving from Serial to PS2 to USB, tracking speeds have been increased, the designs have become more aesthetic and easier to use. Early adopters of the one-buttoned mouse probably saw one with three and totally flipped out. God only knows what happen when someone first saw a scroll wheel. Last year a new trend entered the foray. Inferred Mice (humorously referred to as "neutered mice") came upon the scene and stole the show. Top Tool — Microsoft Intelimouse Explorer
The Microsoft Intelimouse
Explorer is hands down the best mouse to enter on the scene in the
last year.
Mouse pads are no
longer a real necessity with the new mice entering the market but
it is still nice to have a clean surface to use your mouse on.
Associated Mouse Tools — Mouse Skatez Buy Mouse Skatez at http://www.everglide.com/ "They're about
as slippery as a surface can get. Most mouse feet are not as slippery
as the stuff from which Mouse Skatez© are made."
The Keyboard The keyboard is older than I am. Since the first computer made its way into the hobbyist’s bedroom, a keyboard has been the primary source of inputting commands and making the computer do what you wanted it to do. The keyboard has gone through many changes over the years. Buttons have been added, some have been removed, and others have been moved. Gamers still widely depend on the keyboard to make things easier. Take Starcraft for instance, why would you want to use your mouse to point and click around to build a barracks when you can hit two simple keys and it does the same thing, leaving your mouse open to give orders to your marines or SCVs. The keyboard will always be the part of a computer that you can never do away with. Sure people have tried, and with the progression of the GUI it may not become such a big part of navigating windows, but lets see someone play Quake III Arena with a game pad, and then, and only then, can you appreciate the W, A, S, D keys with mouse look ON for what they are.
Microsoft’s
Natural Keyboard Pro is the best keyboard on the market for gamers
and businessmen alike. Part One seems to have gone pretty well. Looking in at the basic input devices for productivity and gaming put into perspective what these devices really do for us. This part wasn’t very full of much hardware specifically made for games, but that is where Part Two comes in. The second part in this series will focus in on gamepads and joysticks as several companies strive to be the best of the best. We will also see where some massive console influence comes into play with these handheld devices. Until next time, keep on gaming. |
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Awarded for its innovation, and the fact that it doesn’t need
cleaning left computer application wizards and hardcore gamers praising
the company they love to hate. The Explorer comes with two basic
buttons (left and right clicking) a scroll wheel that doubles as
a third programmable button, and two buttons on the left side that
are also programmable and default to the back and forward buttons
in Internet Explorer. The Explorer is ergonomically designed to
give right hand mouse users the greatest comfort and greatest productivity.
The added buttons make games (the ones that support it) much easier
to play because of the added control on one hand. Binding items
in First Person Shooters makes switching between your guns and items
flawless. For the great software, excellent design, and no cleaning
factor the Intelimouse Explorer earns the coveted 10 key rating.
Perfect Keys!
Since
receiving my computer I have been using the standard pad with the
Dell Computer logo pasted on the plastic coversheet. Recently fUnc
Industries sent me one of their sUrface1030 mouse pads. Coming with
an optional cord-clip and two different surfaces the 1030 is the
best mouse pad I have ever used. One side is very smooth and very
slick, the other is slightly grated to give more resistance, but
no matter what side you use moving your mouse is very easy. Fitting
nicely into the rubber base, the mouse pad holds in place very well,
although I wish the rubber base had some better grip for underside,
I found that my pad would seem to drift around my desktop a bit.
For those with the need for a cord clip the optional clip fits nicely
in one of six different slots on the underside of the rubber base.
I didn’t feel there was a need to use the clip, but there may
be some gamers who don’t want to deal with the cord in their
way during midnight fragging session. The fUnc sUrface1030 earns
a very respectable 9 out of 10 key rating.
out of 10 Keys
No
truer testimony can be given to these slick little wonder pads.
The Mouse Skatez are a great addition to any mouse, whether it is
optical or equipped with a ball (don’t even bother pointing
out how bad that sounds) your mouse does move better with the Mouse
Skatez. Unfortunately for me, my review copy came with a sealed
alcohol pad to clean the existing feet on my mouse. Well, lets just
say that the "sealed" pad didn’t stay sealed on its
trip into my mailbox because the instructions were so smeared I
can only hope I put the pads on the right way. Still, the Mouse
Skatez makes it easier to use your mouse, and they are slick stuff.
It really makes you wonder what they are made with. Making mouse
movement is always a welcomed edition to any gamer’s hardware
library.
The
software included with the keyboard can be used to assign the shortcut
keys to launch programs with the touch of a button. Great for launching
your favorite games, Internet browser, or a word processor. With
added CD functions (only configured to work with Windows Media Player,
here’s looking at a Winamp upgrade) and Internet hot keys keep
things moving along smoothly. If there is one current trend with
all of the upcoming computer components, the American consumer doesn’t
want to wait for things to happen. They don’t want to search
around on their hard drive for a game, or a file, they want it conveniently
located, and opened easily. Microsoft’s keyboard also acts
as a USB hub with two built in ports. This could come in handy when
you decide to pick up the USB gamepad or joystick (more in part
two on that). With the natural set up to the keys (split set-up
in Layman’s terms) typing commands or (game reviews) is no
longer a chore. If you didn’t learn the home row set up in
seventh grade typing class, you will now, because there is not cheating.
The only drawback to this keyboard is the placement of the arrow
keys. There are still some gamers that refuse to use the left side
of the keyboard for First Person Shooters, and still prefer to use
the arrow keys. Unfortunately on this keyboard the arrow keys are
the smallest ones, and the down key is located below the left and
right keys instead of between them. Aside from one glaring mistake
on Microsoft’s part with the size of these keys, this keyboard
goes above and beyond to be the best keyboard on the market. No
longer will you be stuck with some dingy old Compaq keyboard missing
half of the spacebar, pick up one of these for great comfort and
awesome productivity and gaming.
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(C) 1998-2002 ESC
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