Windows XP, SideWinder Force Feedback, & Pentium 4s

[Steve]

I just got a new Dell Dimension 4600 Pentium 4, 2.8GHz
with Hyper-Threading. Am looking for a controller for
combat flight simulator. Have a SideWinder Force Feedback
but it does not have a USB connector. I see lots of
comments on the Dell Forum that talks about problems using
Windows XP, the SideWinder controllers and newer
computers. I have Windows XP Home, 40 GB hard drive(have
a 200GB ready to plug in), 512MB DDR SDRAM at 400 MHz,
128MB DDR NVidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card, and a
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 THX sound card. Are there
compatibility issues/concerns if I get a Sidewinder
joystick? Looking at the MS Sidewinder Force Feedback
page it does not list Windows XP as compatible. Is there
a better controller choice for flight simulation software?

 

[Jim Macklin]

You need a joy-stick that is designed to operate with XP
drivers. Look at the documentation with the flight sim you
have or will get to see what controllers they recommend. Be
sure to check the web sites.

Logitech has XP joysticks as do other companies.


message | I just got a new Dell Dimension 4600 Pentium 4, 2.8GHz
| with Hyper-Threading. Am looking for a controller for
| combat flight simulator. Have a SideWinder Force Feedback
| but it does not have a USB connector. I see lots of
| comments on the Dell Forum that talks about problems using
| Windows XP, the SideWinder controllers and newer
| computers. I have Windows XP Home, 40 GB hard drive(have
| a 200GB ready to plug in), 512MB DDR SDRAM at 400 MHz,
| 128MB DDR NVidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card, and a
| Sound Blaster Audigy 2 THX sound card. Are there
| compatibility issues/concerns if I get a Sidewinder
| joystick? Looking at the MS Sidewinder Force Feedback
| page it does not list Windows XP as compatible. Is there
| a better controller choice for flight simulation software?

 

[CWatters]

You CAN use the old sidewinder but I din't think everything works..

I believe you need a driver - try this page (scroll down)..

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/sidewinder/Downloads.asp

_I think_ the old model game port model is called "SideWinder Force
Feedback" and the new one that's officially WinXP compatible is called
"SideWinder Force Feedback version 2"... but I might have that wrong.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for your replies. Will check out the new game
controllers.