The Blackhawk Digital contains five action buttons as well as an
eight-way POV hat switch for superb twitch control and a rotary throttle
controlled by your left hand. It also features a pass-through game port,
allowing you to connect more than one device for head-to-head gaming.
The digital technology allows for greater accuracy and easier
calibration during setup.

The heavy, round base provides adequate support, and the molded plastic
handgrip is comfortable. Even with a thick base, the entire unit is
rather compact and won't take up much desk space. We especially liked
the feel during flight sims, where we could almost fly one-handed, with
the solid base and the nice stick spring-back adding support.

To install the Blackhawk digital joystick, you need to shut down your
machine and attach the Blackhawk to your sound card's game port. From
here, the Gravis Cyber Chic (a purple-maned digital babe) walks you
through the steps for installation. (Gravis knows their audience!)

In addition to containing the drivers for the Blackhawk, the enclosed
CD-ROM includes Gravis Xperience software, which lets users create their
own personalized key sets for games. Gravis provides a couple dozen
preprogrammed key sets for games such as Sega Rally, Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2000, and Air Warrior II, and it's simple to import these as
well as create new ones.

You can spend a lot more for a joystick if you're looking for extras
like force feedback and more buttons. But for the price, you could do
worse in a dogfight than the Blackhawk digital. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Xperience software lets you program key sets
• Nicely priced

Cons:

• Setup takes some time
• Basic controls