Well I got mine in... Installed the 5.09 drivers.. did NOT install the updated firmware. Total cost from Amazon.com $199.99 BRAND NEW with free shipping.
I just got done flying offline for about 15 minutes to check assignments, etc... so far so good... I still have programming to do. All I can say so far is... WOW! This this is pretty sweet. I have to admit, the precision is twenty times better than I expected, as is the force feedback.
OK.. my last stick was an X52, so most of my analysis will be compared to that stick. This is also running Win7 64bit, and I have the joystick setup, my track IR, and my USB headphones all running through an externally powered USB 2.0 hub.
PROS:
-Very precise.
-Rudders operate very smoothly and flawlessly (no spiking at all thus far)
-Pedals and Stick assemblies feel very solid and well made
-Force Feedback is top notch... WAY better than an old FF stick I had back in the day.
-Dual Throttle seems like it will be nice to have, although haven't tinkered with it much so far
CONS:
-Throttle feels CHEAP and notchy. I need to play with the adjustment some, but so far I'm not at all impressed with how it feels, although it works fine
-Backlit throttle "P" buttons also feel cheap.
-Stick is not as comfortable as my X52.
-Buttons on stick and throttle are a bit harder to reach.
-Programming software is a bit cumbersome, but not really that much worse than the saitek stuff.
If this was a normal springy stick, I'd probably give it a 5
rating, but since the FF works so well, I'm giving it an 8
rating... based purely on what I've experienced so far. Like I said, no rudder spiking at all, and I'm not noticing the reversal bugs at all. We'll see how I feel after I get into some combat though.
As far as durability, well... only time will tell.
