Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer

Customer Reviews of Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer

PAWNMOWER from Durham Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer ReviewContrary to other reviews I think this is a great choice computer for novices. It has lots of great training features and I especially like the fun adaptive levels. These levels are truly easy and give you the opportunity to utterly destroy it in chess. Then you keep working up in skill level. I'm happy with this choice and I did lots of research.

Ed from Seattle Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer ReviewThis product is terrible. I was already frustrated with the product -- The pieces are too light; The controls too arcane (don't lose the manual or you'll never remember how to program an alternate level) -- but then the product broke (the sensors for an entire row gave out) within two weeks of taking it from the box. Never again. Just buy a program for your computer and be done with it. WSC NOTE: This computer has a one year guarantee. Ed please call us so we can replace it for you! 888-582-4377

Kurt from Somerset Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer ReviewAddendum to the previous addendum: The static build-up problem was due to the magnets in the bottoms of the pieces. When I tried the board with old, wood pieces, it played fine. When I removed and replaced the thin, bottom pads on the included peices with thicker, more dense pads, the board worked fine; no static build-up to freeze the board and pushing hard with the pieces was no longer necessary, either. Saitek should either eliminate the magnets, then, or at least include high quality, thicker and denser pads for the peices. Making the changes that I did allows the board to function at a 5-star operational rating, now. But until Saitek makes the peice improvements standard, I'll only give it a 3-star rating; one shouldn't need to fix a new product in order to make it it function properly.

Kurt from Somerset Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer ReviewThis is an addendum to my first review. This chess computer , I've discovered, is easily affected by static. According to the troubleshooting guide, this is why so many of my games have "frozen"; the computer won't respond, too many games can't be completed, the computer must be reset via the ALC button. Annoying, annoying, annoying; it has to be a problem with the materials that the unit/pieces are made from. The"old" Saitek, sold at Radio Shack, never displayed this phenomenon; why, then, should this "new" version of the same model do so? Saitek needs to fix this rather than to simply list it as an expected, troubleshooting guide malfunction.

Kurt from Somerset Saitek Mephisto Chess Challenger Computer ReviewThe picture looks like the previous Radio Shack version of this chess computer (which I wore out), but, alas, it isn't. This one is smaller with a harder, slicker surface that needs to have the pieces pushed more firmly than did the Radio Shack, "Kasparov" Saitek. This is a somewhat harder computer to play; you need to be especially careful regarding piece slippage as you press them on the board. Response wise, this computer is pretty fast and will be a "tough customer" for many players; enough so that most of us will find it to be sufficiently challanging for a life time or until we wear it out, which ever comes first.