There’s nothing like getting a totally tough rumble on the desktop to kick-start your day.

This package is awesome!

Microsoft sent me their SideWinder Force Feedback 2, and I put it through its paces.

After going through a harrowing installation process, I finally got it to work. If you are interested in being a virtual pilot, then you can’t do much better than to buy this wonder joystick.

This is the inside of the joystick!

It makes virtual flying seem almost real. I should know, because I am a licenced pilot and fly Cessnas and Pipers from a real airport.

Having said that, the Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 put me through a tough experience where I began to wonder why I do this to myself: I don’t believe I’m a masochist.

The trouble began as I installed the application/drivers for the Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2.

Loading the application disk is a breeze, getting it to work proved quite something else.

Each time I loaded it, the damn thing uninstalled itself. Finally, I resorted to phoning Microsoft’s help desk at 132058, where I ended getting the program to load.

The problem (in my case) is that my motherboard has a Via chipset and the installation program does not like this.

The secret to success was loading the program only through its first stage and not pressing on with stage two.

Instead, at that point I loaded an upgrade disk that bypassed stage two with code that overcame the Via chipset problem, one that Microsoft has already recognised.

What games can you use the joystick with? More than 40, including Flight Sim 2000, MS Combat Flight Sim and any other flight sim (such as Fly! II, Precision Flight Sim, Janes, Pacific Theatre and many more) American McGee's Alice, Deep Fighter, Earth 2150, Escape From Monkey Island, Giants, No One Lives Forever, and Quake 3 Arena.

The genres include action, flight, sports, strategy and role-playing.

In a wild, hair-raising dogfight, precision and control are critical. That's why the SideWinder Precision 2 has been reengineered for even more accuracy.

With its nimble rudder twist, Microsoft three-year warranty, and an improved throttle, this professional quality stick feels as great as it performs.

Having the SideWinder Precision 2 Force Feedback on your side is like having an ace for a wingman.

The eight-way hat allows you to track your prey and switch for instant sighting.

I found that the heavy-duty joystick responded sharply to my needs. It has a comfortable handle and, with the added weight of its durable bottom plate cover, the unit offers ease-of-use and stability for balanced game play.

If you don't have pedals, then the intuitive rudder control falls into play easily. Just twist the handle for quick, immediate rudder control.

This is the second incarnation of Microsoft's force feedback joystick, which has an improved push-throttle in silver paint within the base of the joystick. This provides better indication of motion for more realistic and intuitive game-play.

How does it compare with the first MS force feedback joystick? It handles more sharply and the rumble on the desktop is enough to almost rock the joystick off to the floor.

You get to feel all the power in this special unit.