Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander $2.52 AR

[sparks]

Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander $2.52 AR. Free shipping too. Don't know much about the product tho. At Buy.com

 

[BadThad]

WOW....this is a VERY hot deal. I've been watching these for over a year but refused to pay $59 for it. Thanks so much man! Just ordered two of them.

HOT HOT HOT Deal!

 

[Loqutious]

I picked one of these up at CrapUSA a few months ago for $30 - $30 rebate. Rebate came really fast. Unfortunately, it isn't very useful in my experience. I guess if you play a game with really complicated keystroke combinations you could program macros and bind it to one of the buttons instead of a keyboard key. Otherwise, it just lets you scroll the map in strategy games, while you select stuff with your mouse in the other hand.

 

[daddyo]

I own two, one for each computer.

I think they are the best thing since sliced bread, and I really have a hard time playing strategy games without one now.

 

[solarsx]

Originally posted by: daddy-o
I own two, one for each computer.

I think they are the best thing since sliced bread, and I really have a hard time playing strategy games without one now.

lol well said ... i got one of these and actually made couple bucks out of it while back when there was the $30 rebate
but still haven't used it so don't know if it's useful ... but beats getting it for free and dealing with M$ rebates is no problem ....

 

[wizz0bang]

I'm in on it $2.52 + tax for me... free shipping makes it sweet. Too bad I couldn't find a $5 off $30 coupon floating around to snag a book I've been wanting too

 

[fr]

Can you use this in anything other than games?

 

[tops2]

i got this back at compusa too..and i've only used it like a few times...
for me, it was a noviety item..
i figured if i got too used to using this..then i go over to my friends house to play, then i won't be able to...so i stuck with the keyboard..but otherwise, its a cool toy to have around...
good deal!

edit: yeah, u can use it for games other than stategy. if i'm not mistaken, any games that uses keyboard commands can be used with the strategic commander

 

[Xidus]

I got this a few months ago when it was free AR. Fits my hand very comfortably and is useful in some games. For instance I loved using it in Freedom Force but I don't like it for FPS games. It's marketed for RTS games and it works well in those. Basically it is a virtual keyboard macro'ing device with a swivel base (that's normally bound to arrow/movement keys). I don't like it for FPS because controlling movement with my arm instead of fingers isn't precise enough for fast action. You can macro any combination of keystrokes and mouseclicks to it. I've used it every now and then in windows when doing repetative tasks since it's very easy to reprogram the buttons on the fly.

Best part about it is that it comes with a perfectly fitting plastic cover that I use for a dust guard

 

[cavingjan]

I have an action pad from Saitek that is similar except it has a hat for movement rather than the moving base. And I love it but I'm just tired of waiting for Saitek to give us 2000 or XP drivers. Will this also work with other programs? I use the Saitek for Photoshop and a couple non game programs.

 

[fargus]

Can you use this in anything other than games?

Sure can.... anything you can do on the keyboard you can program into this puppy; I have stuff programmed in for IE, Excel, PShop, only game I use it for is SimCity. Very handy.

 

[mriches]

I got this thing a while back, and it is uttely useless, unless you are a nut for srategy games. This is a shame - if Microsoft had programmed more versatile drivers it would work well for FPS games.

Does anyone have the phone number for this rebate?

 

[Xidus]

I just realized a new use for it. Use it for the hotkeys winamp plugins have to control winamp while playing games. So instead of pressing Ctrl-X or whatever the hotkey is I can now just use MS SSC for it.

 

[mriches]

Originally posted by: Xidus
I just realized a new use for it. Use it for the hotkeys winamp plugins have to control winamp while playing games. So instead of pressing Ctrl-X or whatever the hotkey is I can now just use MS SSC for it.

That's a really good idea, Xidus. I know I'm gonna try it.

Here's an addition. Do you think that we could make the analog parts of the SSC be a jog control?

 

[XCLAN]

i know this may sound real sad...but can you use a mouse+keyboard+his at the same time? It may sound funny but i want to program a few things into for Unreal tourny. ...always wished i had a set of say 7 foot pedals for more button access.

 

[Tallgeese]

Originally posted by: cavingjan
I'm just tired of waiting for Saitek to give us 2000 or XP drivers.

 

[Omniprezent]

Originally posted by: mriches
I got this thing a while back, and it is uttely useless, unless you are a nut for srategy games. This is a shame - if Microsoft had programmed more versatile drivers it would work well for FPS games.

Does anyone have the phone number for this rebate?

Uttery useless? You sound like you didn't take time to get used to it. It's the best thing since the mouse, once you do. And as for the drivers, you can already program any key or key sequence to any button on the thing. With the slider, that is a possible 54 keys/key combos. How much more versatile do you want?

About the only thing you gotta do for FPS games it figure a way to keep if from sliding around when getting into heavy action.

 

[mriches]

Originally posted by: Omniprezent
Uttery useless? You sound like you didn't take time to get used to it. It's the best thing since the mouse, once you do. And as for the drivers, you can already program any key or key sequence to any button on the thing. With the slider, that is a possible 54 keys/key combos. How much more versatile do you want?

About the only thing you gotta do for FPS games it figure a way to keep if from sliding around when getting into heavy action.

Omniprezent:

My complaints are this:

1. You may only press one button at a time. (This eliminates the possibility of the Half-Life jump-crouch combo using the SSC. This also eliminates the capability to secondary fire while crouching in Counterstrike. Etc.)

2. You may not use the axes as analog devices in most games. (Microsoft games are the only games I have found that can use analog on the SSC.)

3. The slider cannot be reassigned from "shift" to something else. (This eliminates the capability of using it as a throttle in Mechwarrior games, etc.)

Omniprezent: If you can find acceptable solutions to these problems, you would not only win the argument that you started, I would enjoy my SSC a whole lot more.

 

[SLAYu]

hey, cool deal...........!!!! than-x man

 

[fargus]

possible 54 keys/key combos

Actually, it's 6 buttons X 4 shift settings (normal + 3 shift buttons) X 3 profile positions

6x4x3=72

So even more to play with.

Try it with other stuff too... just happened to move it today (the pan/scroll function)while my aquarium screensaver was on and found that it didn't stop the screensaver, it cycled through different settings! This was with the SereneScreen saver... neat, changed the light cycles. It's very easy to create your own profiles. They can be saved as a file and distributed to other folks, too. I think MS missed the boat by just advertising this as a gizmo for strategy games.

 

[becat]

I ordered on July 5th, this is what I got today:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are still working on shipping the following item(s) from
order #xxxxxxxx:


item sku #10255632 SIDEWINDER STRATEGIC COMMANDER 1.0 95/98/WME/NT


You'll receive an email from us once your item is on its way to you.


You will not be billed until your product actually ships.


If you wish to cancel your order for this item, or if you have any questions,
please visit customer support at https://www.buy.com/corp/support.


Thank you for your patience,


buy.com
http://www.buy.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After I got the email and I checked the product website, it still showed in stock. I wonder, may be it isn't instock and buy.com just dont' know at all.

 

[fr]

I got mine today. It was hell getting it to install and I can't get it to fully work. I installed the software first like it instructed me to. The setup program has two steps, 1. installation & 2. testing. After installing the profiler, it asks if I want to exit setup. If I click "yes" it just exits and dumps me to the desktop. if I click "no," I end up looking at the setup screen and nothing happens. It doesn't go to step 2.

So I plug in the SC and Windows can't find drivers for it. The profiler software detects it just fine and if I press a button, it will light up on my screen, but after programming it, it doesn't work in any programs or games!

 

[emjem]

Bump for this still hot deal = 22.59 - $20 MS rebate = $2.59. Free shipping from buy.com.

 

[Kookolobongo]

Talk about FAST shipping! I ordered this Monday night (was almost Tuesday morning, actually) and received it today! Looks like it's decent quality, and since it's a Microsoft product it should have a good replacement warranty. AWESOME deal to anyone interested.

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I'm saving so much money here I'm broke!

 

[Mday]

you dont have to use these devices just for games...