Either the X45 or X52 are much better sticks for AH than the Cyborg. There is also the X52 Pro which is top line but twice the price of a standard X52.
The X45 (if you can even still get then) is a very good stick but there are significant differences between it and the X52 which is, of course, the newer model. One of the biggest differences is that the 45 has a much heavier stick spring which means it takes a lot more force to move the stick around. The X52 by comparison almost seems "floppy" and some people have complained about it but spring resistance is a matter of personal preference. I prefer the lighter spring myself. I've had three X45's and each one lasted about a year until the primary POV hat switch failed so they're not the most robust sticks out there. I've had no problems with the X52 although I'll admit I've switched over to using TrackIR so don't use the POV hat as intensely as I did in the past. Another big difference is that the 52 uses a twist stick for rudder control while the 45 has a large rocker on the back side of the throttle. Before I got my pedals (highly recommended BTW) I preferred the rocker over a twist grip. The last "important" difference is that the 52 uses hall-effect sesnsors for the stick X and Y axis. There are much more precise than standard pots and are not subject to "spikes" as they get older and dirty. I'm pretty sure the 45 just uses standard pots. The rest of the differences are relatively minor and are either cosmetic or slight ergonomic differences.
I have seen extensive write ups on the Saitek web-site regarding programing issues and incompatibilities but haven't seen many cases where problems weren't fairly easy to resolve. If, as others have mentioned, you use a powered USB cable then I don't see why you shouldn't get the X52 to work properly plus Saitek has a fairly liberal return policy if you can't. Also, regardless of which model you get, if you can purchase an inexpensive extended warranty (such as at Best Buy) then that makes sense because, while good sticks, they're not cast iron. You can lose most of the utility of a good stick if one switch goes bad and these sticks aren't designed to be taken apart and repaired so replacement is sometimes the only option.
