Tag: Discount Computer Parts

NaturalPoint’s TrackIR head-tracking system has been maturing for several years now and we’ve always been big fans, mainly because this is one peripheral that’s not a gimmick. For the uninitiated, it enables you to translate your real-world head movements into supported games.

A high-speed infrared camera sits atop your monitor, picking up the movements of a three-pronged LED clip attached to your headphones or reflective surfaces fixed to a baseball cap.

It would be a huge mistake to lump it in the same category as those ludicrous gamepad gloves or nausea-inducing video goggles. TrackIR genuinely works and works astoundingly well, and is an essential piece of kit for all flight sim enthusiasts, petrolheads and wannabe soldiers. The system amplifies your head movements so you can move your head slightly while still looking at the screen, but your in-game head moves more. This is configurable and, with a little tweaking and practice, it becomes so natural you feel lost when playing a game that doesn’t support the system.

The range of games supported continues to grow as the system gains popularity with gamers and developers. We tested it on GTR2, ArmA II, DCS Black Shark and Evochron Legends.

The hardware itself, though, is starting to show signs of over-design. The previous generation – TIR 4Pro – was minimalist and functional, but TIR 5 has been ‘pimped’ so that we have Batman-esque stylized rubber, LEDs like My-First-Sporty-Hatchback’s headlights and – the only real issue – a magnet link between the camera itself and the tripod grip you clip to the monitor. The force of the magnet is less than the force of friction in the tripod’s joints, so when trying to reposition the camera you end up just detaching the magnet.

It’s a worrying sign that NaturalPoint are continuing to over-engineer a product that wasn’t broken in the first place. This trend started with the Track Clip Pro (the hat reflectors worked almost as well and with no wires…), but at least the Clip actually has some functionality. The design improvements are beginning to detract from an otherwise solid peripheral.

TrackIR 5 is still an amazing piece of kit and these design issues are only in comparison to the previous version. But while it is better than that previous generation, it’s hard to recommend to existing TIR 4Pro owners. Newcomers with the means, however, should pick one up without delay.

For all your Discount Computer Parts, Notebook and Games requirements visit us at http://sacomputers.rr.nu and http://usacomputers.rr.nu.

A router can be a rather boring item since all it does is move packets of data around, but your choice of router is important. For most people an ordinary router will suit them perfectly but when you are a gamer you demand the best latency money can buy. The Sitecom gaming router (WL-308) is a router that is targeted at the hard core.

When you unpack a router it should be a simple plug in and play and with the WL-308 it is. We can vouch for the speed at which this little router can play ball. It was a matter of plugging in the internet connection, the desired amount of network cables, the power and off we went. Wireless setup was a breeze with the system being easily configurable and the signal was more than a little robust both in terms of distance and obstacles.

Port forwarding is a cinch with game settings built in, so if you want to play WoW for example, you select it from the application drop down menu and presto, the router puts in all the details for you including setting up TCP ports for the game. Once you have decided it’s time to tweak the system you will find all the settings you could possibly want and more. Thanks to the StreamEngine you can have your COD4 game taking priority over your sister’s nightly FaceBook binge and your mother’s search for a new fish recipe. The StreamEngine doesn’t just prioritize gaming, it will happily prioritize your VOiP over your emails or your YouTube videos over normal surfing.

Having said all of that, a four port router with no modem, at this price is hardly exciting despite the bells & whistles.

For all your Discount Computer Parts, Games and Notebook requirements visit us at http://usacomputers.rr.nu and http://sacomputers.rr.nu.