Latest Xbox 360 controller

I kinda went a little crazy last week and bought some expensive things.  One of them was the new controller, whose biggest marketing point is the new D-Pad.  All-in-all, it's a decent piece of hardware, but isn't enough to make me think people should get it if they don't already need a controller.  Details past the break.
Let's start with the big thing: the D-Pad.  What you see in the image is very much like what we're already used to.  The D-Pad is designed to be something fluid as simply an alternative to a stick when you have the option.  People complained about this for certain types of games, so now they have an extra option.  Simply rotate it and you get a strict D-Pad designed for 4 directions rather than 8.  I have not tested if it actually will do diagonal inputs (I have little reason to suspect it wouldn't), but honestly, I feel you'd only want that if you specifically just want the elementary directions.  This is not worth the $5 extra compared to standard controllers.  It's $65, including a battery pack and charge cable.
There is one other new part, and that's the design of the stick covers.  Previously, the cover was all one solid piece with dots around the edge, presumably to keep your thumb from slipping off.  These usually wore out quickly for me.  This time, I don't know if it's all one piece, but there seems to be an extra layer of rubber around the outside.  It feels a little awkward, and I've gotten used to having just one curve.  Only time will show whether this is beneficial, considering my best controller's cover eventually started to chip away (most of it from playing Marvel Vs. Capcom 3).  I do know that my playing ability is impaired in SSF4, but less so than the cover falling apart.
Finally, there's the design.  This was completely unnecessary.  I can handle a metallic color, but they've taken all the color out of the buttons!  I liked my colors!  They also made the guide button reflective.  Clearly they're trying to give the impression that this is a truly tough piece of hardware (remember back when everything was made with steel?), but it really just turns me off.

Yeah, I needed an image and couldn't find anything better.

All in all, the new D-Pad is no miracle.  If you hated it before, you won't find anything to love here.  I'm sure I'm really late in this warning, but this is only worth it if you need a battery pack and controller.  Even then... think about it.