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The fact that Macworld Expo NY was so small this year made the choice much easier. The most standout product comes from Belkin, whose USB Nostromo n50 SpeedPad is a gamer's delight.

Do you play games with one hand on the keyboard and the other on your mouse or trackball? Well, there's a better way. The gamepad has 10 keys spaced comfortably atop an adjustable handrest. It has an 8-way directional gamepad (like a Playstation controller) fixed at an angle on the side. Finally, it has a throttle-wheel like that on a scrolling mouse. The device can produce 56 programmable combinations of keystrokes and clicks. Don't worry about setup, though -- the software that I saw made it simple and easy to set up.

While many products drew my attention at the show, none was so immediately impressive as this sleek little black creature, sitting alone a table in the corner of the Belkin exhibit. It took about 5 minutes to get the hang of the SpeedPad (playing Aliens Versus Predator on the demo station). While my keying speed was excellent, my aim was way off with the n50. I found myself yearning for a mouse in my right hand.

When I asked the Belkin rep about the problem with aim, he was entertained. It seems that the n50 was never meant to replace the mouse -- just the keyboard!! Well, that makes sense, since it has always been stretching for the appropriate keys that slowed me down. If you are like me and you use the keyboard for moving, zooming, firing and switching weapons, you'll find the n50 worth the investment.

While there were many admirable products at the show, I feel that the Best of Show award must go to a product with a special attitude that makes it impressive for more than just technical achievement. The Nostromo n50 SpeedPad adds verve to the desktop in a way that nothing else matched at the Expo.

Software is available for OS 9 and is being readied for OS X 10.15 and above.

The Nostromo n50 has an estimated street price of $35.
Manufacturer: Belkin Components, Compton, CA 800-223-5546, www.belkin.com

[This article was edited on 07/20/02 at 1:45pm, adding the link to the n50]