Nostromo SpeedPad n52
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The Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad n52 is a USB computer gaming peripheral designed for gamers by Belkin. It is likely it is named after the fictional starship Nostromo from the 1979 film Alien, which was in turn named after the 1904 novel Nostromo.
It can be considered a keyboard/joystick/mouse hybrid, which allows for a more convenient control method for many video games. It can also be used outside of games. It is the followup to the older SpeedPad n50, and is also intended to replace the keyboard during gaming.
The device is currently supported under Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000, and XP but not under 64-bit Windows versions (although unofficial drivers can be found [1]). It is supported under Mac OS 9.04 or later and Mac OS X v10.1.2 up to 10.4.8. The programming software does not work on Intel-based Macs. As of 2/1/07 Intel Mac drivers can be found here (http://web.belkin.com/support/download/downloaddetails.asp?download=2100&lang=) The n52 requires a Pentium 233 MHz or equivalent with 32MB RAM, as well as 30MB free hard drive space. Currently there are no drivers in development to support Vista which has been confirmed by Belkin.
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[edit] Features
The n52 is made in a black and silver design with a few orange accents. It features a rubber-coated base, and is weighed down with a metal weight for stability. The user must place his left hand on the device to use it, as it was designed for right-handed people, who usually use a mouse with their right hands. The n52 has a removable hand rest which can be set to 2 different positions to better suit different hand sizes.
A large space is used for a keyboard-like section with 14 keyboard keys, numbered 1 through 14, often used to represent the WASD space on regular keyboards in the case of first-person shooters, a well-represented group of n52 users. In fact, by default these keys are programmed as that part of the regular keyboard. These keys can be controlled with the users second to fifth fingers. Below where the thumb rests, there is a slightly wider keyboard-style button, labeled 15, similar in use to the space bar on regular keyboards.
On the right side of the device, there is a scroll-wheel doubling as another, like those normally found on mice, which can be controlled with the thumb. To the right of that, there is a round button, as well as an 8-way D-pad normally found on gamepads, also intended to be used with the thumb.
[edit] Programming
All of these controls can be programmed with the included Nostromo Array Software to emulate any keyboard function or keyboard macro. they can also be programmed to change the device's "state". The n52 has 4 different, color-coded states, indicated by 3 LEDs below the fifteenth button. If a user changes the state of the device from the neutral one, the red, green, or blue LED lights up, and all other controls now represent a different function. The state-button can be set to toggle the state, or set it until it is pressed again. In total, this allows up to 104 different functions. The Array Software can recognise games by their filenames, and load the appropriate profile when the game is started, and profiles can be shared with other users as a single file.
