Big Mistake: Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows

I love the XBox 360 controller - next to the stock PlayStation 2/3 controller design, it is one of the most comfortable designs available on the market today. (Okay, the D-Pad and Left and Right shoulder buttons are atrocious, but everything else is just peachy.)

Having bought Super Meat Boy for Steam a while back, I knew I wanted to play it with an XBox 360 controller, so I spent nearly $50 on the Wireless Controller for Windows. Oops.

It is the same controller I know and love, but Microsoft really put a half-assed effort into the PC implementation of this wireless controller. There are ZERO configuration options available via the drivers - no game profiles, for example. This means that games designed for the controller work extremely well (i.e., Super Meat Boy), but games without joypad configuration options are left in the dust, and are completely hit-or-miss with the controller.

Even worse, there is no native way to turn the controller off. This wireless controller, powered by two AA batteries, can only be turned off by removing the battery pack. If there is another solution, please tell me. Please.

I am told that a wired Xbox 360 controller does not suffer the same configuration problems - it is mapped to XInput - so it can be configured with many free game profilers, and of course, it does not need to be turned on and off.

It has been a while since I have regretted a technology purchase, and the Xbox 360 has been on a roll with me ever since I purchased it, but this one buy for my Windows XP and Windows 7 PC's is most definitely regrettable.

If anyone has any advice to address me concerns, please send them my way on Facebook!

B3 out.