MacDirectory Magazine

Harmessi Hamdi - Digital Artist

MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.

Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1509247

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Its rather odd appearance comes from the fact that the eleven buttons and three knobs that are best suited for different operations. The buttons often take the place of clicks or keyboard shortcuts, the knobs are great for selecting items for dropdown menus and making fine adjustments to slider controls. The one thing you won’t see are labels. The Elite is meant to be a purely tactile device and the interface functions change with the program that you’re using. Visual guidance is provided by an onscreen heads-up display (HUD) for the four-button quadrant and pop-up drop-down menus to select tools, commands, and functions. The entire box, which is about 4"x3.5", easily fits in an average hand and has a minimal desktop footprint. It’s surprising heavy and has no-slip rubber feet so it will stay put wherever it’s placed. It can be connected wirelessly or via its USB-C port. In fact, you can set up Bluetooth connections to two computers at the same time, eliminating the need to re-pair when you move from laptop to desktop. Using Bluetooth requires a pair of AA batteries, housed under a door in the base of the unit. Considering the minimal power use of Bluetooth and the fact that you can switch Bluetooth off via a power switch, they should last for quite a while. But if you want to go the rechargeable route, that’s something you’ll need to work out on your own. The knobs, dial, and indeed all the buttons on the device, have a solid, quality feel to them. The knobs and dial also provide haptic feedback with a soft ratcheting as they're turned. The intensity of the haptics can be controlled and they can be turned off, if desired.

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