I really don't like either;
D-pad: convenient position in so much that I can press it with my right thumb while my left thumb is busy with the respective thumb stick, but the D-pad itself is fucking diabolically shit. it's so easy to press into the wrong direction, even if you are pressing the right part.
Sticks: tight and responsive but ultimately modern controls sticks are incapable of the accuracy that I expect after PC, the concave top is appreciated on the right stick for aiming, but is not appreciated on the left stick that is usually pushed all the way forwards. I put and FPS control FREEK extension on the right thumb stick of both my PS3 and 360 gamepads, but not the left stick, I leave that bare.
Face buttons: slightly crisper on PS3 but for both I hate how they are positioned. Games these days basically need your thumbs on both thumbsticks constantly, which kinda makes the Face buttons like the num-pad, you can't use them at the same time as looking around.
Shape: both are a compromise. I kinda lie Six-axis because it is so light (never cared about rumble) and the motion-sensing is handy in some games. The palm grips are generally too small
I use the WIRED xbox 360 gamepad for removing the hassle over charging, less worries over input latency and also to remove that fucking battery block.
Triggers on both are terrible. It is an insult to gunsmiths to call such squidgy levers "triggers" and on PS3 the concave snap-on triggers are a necessity. Though when used they actually turn out to be slightly better than 360 triggers.
I've recently had to play through COD4 on an xbox 360 and after breezing through on PC with mouse aim, killing the enemy with such speed and efficiency I'm going to be charged with war crimes, 360 is as frustrating as herding cats. Console version blatantly turned down the difficulty but still its such a fucking chore to aim, I can't stand it.
I've lost so much faith in gamepads being good for anything, even thumbstick for movement. I've found it harder to be as dexterous with a thumbstick for movemenet as take sidestepping left and right very quickly. Easy on PC, just alternate hold of A and D keys, you can switch direction INSTANTLY. With a gamepad that you have that fraction of a second rolling from full left to full right and back again.
I've come into this problem more and more on consoles as I try to emulate the speed and precision of my mouse aim on PC. It takes nothing for me to change the direction I am moving my aim, if I overshoot I can correct by just contracting a muscle to begin pulling the mouse the opposite direction. But with a thumbstick I have to CAREFULLY recentre the stick if I overshoot, then push the stick in the opposite direction. I think there is something to be said for Goldeneye/timesplitters style aiming.
