Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: DrSoya on October 17, 2001, 05:21:00 PM

Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 17, 2001, 05:21:00 PM
I asked Saitek USA when to expect a Windows XP compatible version of their software. Here is the answer.

 
Quote
We will have compatible software for XP by the beggining of next year.

Best Regards
Carol
Technical Support http://www.saitekusa.com (http://www.saitekusa.com)
support@saitekusa.com

Since you really need the SGE to have access to all the X36/X45 functions, think twice before upgrading to Windows XP.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Rendar on October 18, 2001, 02:47:00 AM
Ack!!!...I was on the verge of ordering the X45.  Luckily I read this.:P

[ 10-18-2001: Message edited by: Rendar ]
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: JimBear on October 18, 2001, 09:21:00 AM
They said the same thing 2 years ago about W2K support....still isnt here yet. I wouldnt hold my breath on the XP either. That is the #1 reason I will be switching to the Cougars when they come out.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: straffo on October 18, 2001, 09:25:00 AM
Hé Cousin !

Tu vole toujours ?
Ca fait un bail que je ne t'ais pas vu dans la MA ...
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Animal on October 18, 2001, 10:04:00 AM
My Saitek joystick is pretty cool and reliable but this toejamheads dont get their act together with win2k software.
i cant wait for the TM COUGAR HOTAS even if I have to pay $300
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: humble on October 18, 2001, 09:12:00 PM
hmmmm....just built out a new system with XP pro....my saitek X36 USB combo fired right up....has issues with AH ...but think thats becuase I forgot to download a dir x ...seems like it has dirx 5 on it. I downloaded the win2000 sge beta....seems to work fine.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: JimBear on October 19, 2001, 07:49:00 AM
Humble,  the saiteks will work in XP what doesnt work is the SGE software. DX buttons can be programmed but thats it right now. And I sorta like the programing abilty of SGE after all I need all the help I can git.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Kieran on October 19, 2001, 08:25:00 AM
Jimbear-

It's the same deal with CH Fighterstick and Pro Throttle (analog). You can use them, you can't program them.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: 2Late4U on October 19, 2001, 09:22:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by JimBear:
They said the same thing 2 years ago about W2K support....still isnt here yet. I wouldnt hold my breath on the XP either. That is the #1 reason I will be switching to the Cougars when they come out.

Being that Windows 2000 isnt considered a gaming O/S or a popular O/S for the general public, its not very surprising that they didnt spend a lot of time developing software for it.  XP gives them no choice, it will be the evil O/S for almost every PC made after OCT.  

I do not understand how they can be so stupid as to not have the drivers done already.  Has anyone tried running the software in 98 emulation mode?   Saitek is a company of 2 faces, many people there are brilliant, helpful and answer with as much cander as possible, others in the orginazation however are complete idiots, disorganized cluster shrecks, with no clue about customer service.

EXAMPLE:

||| THE GOOD |||

When my 1st x36 rudder rocker broke, they replaced it no questions asked, took less than 2 weeks round trip.  When it broke again (they have since improved the design and I was using it in a rather harsh way playing Tanarus withthe rudder to stear my tank), I asked if they could just send me the part, as I had temporarily fixed the problem with some great feat of engineering brilliance.  2 weeks later TWO of the parts came in the mail, again no charge.

||| THE BAD |||
Some times you can ask tech support a question (like win2000 support), and if they dont know or are not sure, they will say its being worked on, but no progress ever occurs.

Their webpage has the x45 listed as "usually ships in 2-3 days" under availability.  Its said that for several weeks (I checked every day), but you CAN NOT ORDER ONE.  I tried sending a query to the online store (hosted by yahoo) and all I got back was a generic request for the order number I was referencing....and order number it would not give me because you cannot order it.   After a while I dug out the email directly to saitek, and they said:


" We apologize that we are out of stock, as we had unexpected demand. More will be arriving at the end of the month. The 2-3 day message is a standard
shipping message for all our products.  
We cannot change the message...Please check with the site after 10/27 for stock update"


Well isn't that just lovely.  So let me get this straight....the site ALWAYS says 2-3 days.....that cannot be changed (Im still pondering that one, must be some great webmaster).....but you want me to check the site at the end of the month so I can what....see the same 2-3 days message?    :confused:


||| THE UGLY |||

By far my favorite issue with the evil half of Saitek is their contests.  Anyone remember 2 years or so ago (and possibly still going on), they offered "discount coupons on saitek merchandise" if a PC DASH thingy you sent in was put up on their site.  Sounded like a great deal, they get lots of good templates, we get discounts on our next purchase.  They have used at least 2, possibly more (I haven't checked) or my submissions, and I never got anything, I asked politely a few times, and always got the same e-mail saing "we are so sorry, whats you name, and address"....lets just say Im not holding my breath.  Its not that I really give a crap about a $5 or $10 discount, its just exemplifies their customer service, half the time its amazing, half the time its pathetic.   Just checked...and my submissions are still the LOL.


Love the products, have real issues with the support HALF the time.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Phantom121 on October 19, 2001, 10:48:00 AM
While SGE did not install or work on WIN2K, I am using it on WIN XP with no problems.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: AKSWulfe on October 19, 2001, 11:01:00 AM
Dunno why you would "upgrade" to ScriptKiddiesXP....

Anyway, do they sell the X45 in stores yet? Like BestBuy or something...

I don't like to "order" things.
-SW
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 19, 2001, 04:59:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by straffo:
Hé Cousin !

Tu vole toujours ?
Ca fait un bail que je ne t'ais pas vu dans la MA ...

Non justement, j'ai arrêté en mars dernier. Manque d'intérêt, et puis j'avais besoin du fric pour un nouveau budget "moto" (ma première, que j'ai finalement achetée en mai).

Mais la saison de moto achève dans une couple de semaines, et j'ai à nouveau le goût de voler... seulement, je suis en XP maintenant! Et j'arrive même plus à installer Windows 98...  ça fait une semaine que je me bats avec ma machine...  :(
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 19, 2001, 05:02:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Phantom121:
While SGE did not install or work on WIN2K, I am using it on WIN XP with no problems.

Come again?

You installed the SGE in Win XP and it works?   :eek:

Dang, I didn't even think it worth my time to try! I'll check immediately.   :)
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 19, 2001, 05:11:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by SWulfe:
Dunno why you would "upgrade" to ScriptKiddiesXP....

Because it's a lot more robust OS (NT). Its memory/resources management scheme is far better.

I agree that Win9x is sufficient for most people, but not for me. Even with 192MB of memory, "Resources are low" messages are frequent in my case, when I'm using development suites, because the Win9x family manages memory resources very badly. In fact, after 128MB adding more memory makes almost no difference.

The XP "activation" crap stinks to high heaven, though, but there are... ways.   ;)
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 20, 2001, 10:32:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Phantom121:
While SGE did not install or work on WIN2K, I am using it on WIN XP with no problems.

I don't know what you did, but in my case it doesn't work, as I expected.

The WinXP version released to OEM makers last August (build 2600) does include drivers for the X36, and when I try to install SGE v.3 it doesn't see the X36 when I plug it as instructed. I've tried it with two fresh installs of Windows XP. Doesn't work.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: straffo on October 22, 2001, 01:20:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by DrSoya:


Non justement, j'ai arrêté en mars dernier. Manque d'intérêt, et puis j'avais besoin du fric pour un nouveau budget "moto" (ma première, que j'ai finalement achetée en mai).

Mais la saison de moto achève dans une couple de semaines, et j'ai à nouveau le goût de voler... seulement, je suis en XP maintenant! Et j'arrive même plus à installer Windows 98...  ça fait une semaine que je me bats avec ma machine...   :(

Fait gaffe a toi ,j'ai 50 cm de cicatrices issuses de ma 1ere et derniere moto  :( ...
Faut pas conduire moins vite quelle  :)

Quand a W98 c'est quoi ton pb ?
Je peux peut être t'aider...
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on October 22, 2001, 05:16:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by straffo:


Fait gaffe a toi ,j'ai 50 cm de cicatrices issuses de ma 1ere et derniere moto   :( ...
Faut pas conduire moins vite quelle   :)

Ouille.  :(  Ouais, je suis extrêmement prudent, et j'ai acheté une vieille moto de promenade, une Suzuki GS850GL 1982, pas une petite bombe. C'est gros, c'est lourd, et ça ne va pas très vite, et c'est très bien comme ça.  ;)

 
Quote
Quand a W98 c'est quoi ton pb ?
Je peux peut être t'aider...

J'ai réglé en fin de semaine finalement. J'ai l'impression que le problème, c'est mon pilote de carte de son. C'est une Diamond MonsterSound MX300, et le pilote est nul à chier. J'ai dû désactiver l'émulation SoundBlaster et le port de jeu, sinon mon pc redémarrait inopinément en pleine séquence de démarrage de Windows 98.

Pourtant, initialement c'était le pilote graphique qui causait problème (NVidia TNT2 M64 ou "Value"); je me suis aperçu qu'il partageait son IRQ avec le ACPI.

J'ai donc préalablement désactivé le ACPI dans la gestion d'énergie du BIOS, et j'ai enlevé ma carte SCSI, inutile depuis que j'ai remplacé mon graveur SCSI externe par un modèle IDE interne. Puis j'ai suivi les conseils de Skuzzy et j'ai placé mes deux cartes PCI restantes (son et réseau) dans les bonnes fentes PCI pour qu'elles aient leur propre IRQ non partagé.

Tout semble maintenant fonctionner correctement.

Je ne comprends pas, je n'avais jamais eu de tels problèmes avec mon système auparavant...
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on November 01, 2001, 05:40:00 PM
<punt>
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on November 03, 2001, 09:26:00 AM
A recent addition to the Windows 2000/XP Drivers download page on Saitek USA (http://www.saitekusa.com/download/2000xpfaq.htm):

 
Quote
(...) this software is still in development for Windows 2000 and XP. The programming software will hopefully be available in early/mid 2002.

Ha!  I knew it. So what that means is, let's not hold our breaths!    :mad:

When is Thrustmaster's Cougar due?

[ 11-03-2001: Message edited by: DrSoya ]
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Hobodog on November 04, 2001, 07:27:00 PM
Boot it up under WIN2k
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: Jekyll on November 12, 2001, 06:08:00 AM
Is it possible to run the SGE software in Win ME compatibility mode under XP?
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: SkyKing on November 12, 2001, 08:12:00 AM
I have not been able to get sge to work in windows ME  but perhaps its just my system.
Title: Saitek: No XP Compatible Software Before Next Year
Post by: DrSoya on November 12, 2001, 09:38:00 PM
The SGE works all right under WinXP, the problem is that it does not see the X36, so you can't program it.

You can't use X36's Win9x drivers in WinXP, and SGE doesn't recognize the X36 with XP drivers.

We have to wait for a 2000/XP version of the software. They're replacing SGE by something else.