pleased with my current PDPI card and just love the fact that I never have
to recalibrate. I can only think of one improvement, the resolution, so I
hope the USB card has a higher resolution. Has it, has it :o)?
/Chrille, have two puters, so of course I have two PDPI cards ;o)
> PDPI, I have first hand knowledge of this subject since I have looked into
> it quite deeply.
> There are a number of factors that caused the popularity of the PDPI L4 to
> not reach it's full potential.
> First we have to look at the timing of the card's entry into the
> marketplace. It was launched in 1998 during a global decline in gamecard
> sales. The most obvious factor governing this decline was the introduction
> of USB and it's now full support by the operating system (Win 98). This
> caused a lot of controller manufacturers to simply look at the USB port as
> the means of connection since Microsoft did a good job marketing it
> (although it has a lot of advantages as a whole, and can be much more in
> performance should it be implemented correctly).
> The popularity of FF has also been a factor. The PDPI L4 only supports
> "analog" controllers, and FF controllers typically send their signals in a
> native digital format that the L4 does not comprehend coming in. In fact
> most FF controller manufacturers use the USB port (MSFF being the last to
> make the change over).
> Then we have the ugly factor that has been the main reason for my
> appointment. Quite frankly.... there are too many people who do not
> understand what the Standard Gameport does to your system. It taxes it
> through the nose (regardless of CPU power), and is extremely susceptible
to
> jitter. They simply don't realize that it was invent and remained
unchanged
> since 1981! USB has changed a lot of the taxation issues but not
effectively
> solved the more important jitter issue. So in the end it is public
ignorance
> (in a kind meaning of the word) that has doomed the achievement of
potential
> sales/popularity for the L4.
> Another important factor is the admitted overall lack of marketing of the
> product. PDPI is a very small company who happen to currently specialize
in
> interface technologies. However, we do not possess some of the "marketing
> funds" these game controller companies and soundcard companies do. As the
> guy who now decides where the currently limited marketing dough goes, I
can
> tell you that we will not be focusing on the L4 in terms of marketing. We
> have bigger things in the works and the game controller industry will
never
> be the same after we initiate our plans.
> The past 7 months of my tenure has been to find an investor who can
realize
> our potential. I finally found it and we are in the process of closing the
> deal (should be done by mid-January). This will make PDPI a fully
> operational game controller manufacturer with the ability to mass-produce
> (which is the key to lower per-unit costs to the end-user).
> This means we will inititate our USB interface that we have completed R&D
> on. We have done for USB what we did for the gameport. We have carried
over
> ALL of the functions of the L4 that still makes it superior to USB in it's
> currently found configurations, and adapted it to USB. Meaning... we can
> tackle the Jitter issue the exact same way we did on the L4. Meaning... we
> can remove the jitter, which means we do not have to cut into the
> positioning resolution to combat it. We can read a "full positioning
> resolution spectrum" without having to worry about Jitter. Which means we
> already have an advantage over other configurations in regards to
precision
> and performance.
> Then we factor in the mandate that I am currently exercising. We are
> listening to YOU, designing for YOU, and have been paying very close
> attention to NGs like this one (among others) for answers to our design
> questions... the end result should be a controller for each genre that is
> custom designed to meet the enthusiasts and leisure users alike. With an
> affordable price tag to boot. We know what's wrong with the other
> wheels/sticks... and will make sure we avoid the same mistakes whilst
adding
> a few of our own bonuses to boot.
> We will be on store shelves, and available around the world in such retail
> outlets. The products will be accessible, and the company will be doing
it's
> best to give back to the Sim Communities in mainy forms (other than just
> making a good controller...).
> Rest assured Karl..... you will be hearing LOTS about us very soon :)
> Cheers,
> Shumi
> PDPI
> > It seems that this gamecard has been out for over a year, and it is a
> > MASSIVE improvement for sim racing. (read all the reviews).
> > Its pretty cheap now, so why do people stick to the jitter and slowness
of
> > the traditional gameports ?
> > I always found games like INDYCAR 2 and some other racesims virtually
> > undrivable on streetcircuits because the lack of precision with my T2
> wheel
> > (even with new pots and mega-hardware). GP2 was the only game that
really
> > responded fast to gameport input.
> > U guys raceing ICR2 for years: just tell me how you did it?
> > I raced NASCAR 2 and INDYCAR2 on the ovals a lot, but street circuits
and
> > even road circuits were unrealistically hard because of slow gameport
> input.
> > (don't give me this 'racecars are hard to control nonsense' .. I know!)
> > Even at slow speeds the cars react VERY slow..
> > Still there have been racing leagues out there for ICR2 all this
time....
> > Amasing.