21. Conclusion: Do You Need A Mousepad? Yes and No
Sick of the iPad? Read about the other pad—the mousepad. If you haven’t given your mouse’s surface any thought lately, check out our review of 14 new ones, plus other surfaces.
We hate to say that the answer is “it depends,” but when it comes to mousepads, it’s really all about your personal preferences and the layout of your office and computer. Hardcore PC gamers will definitely want one, as will professional photo editors, graphic designers, and anyone else who uses their mouse for work.
Ultimately, the previously required mousepad has turned into a niche, though they still sell so well because they’re affordable and because so many people still think we need them. As we’ve shown with the last three pages, you really don’t. What’s important to gamers and graphic designers is a uniform surface, something easily achievable nowadays with a simple magazine or a good table.
SteelSeries’ Kim Rom put it best: “Honestly, my mother doesn’t need a mousepad. She spends very little time in front of her computer and the back button in her browser is pretty big," Rom said. "Do [most users] need the high level of precision that a competitive gamer who makes a living playing games needs? No, probably not. Do comfort and precision that ease mouse use and decrease wrist strain matter for everyone else? Sure it does.”
These are all things that mousepads, and any mouse accessories, aim to provide, though ultimately the industry is moving in a direction to make mice track on any surface, as we’ve seen with Microsoft’s BlueTrack and Logitech’s Darkfield technologies. In the end, you probably don’t need a mousepad.
Then again, even a high-quality mousepad goes for as low as $10 and can last you years. You may not need it, but chances are you may want one, just for the heck of it, just for that sentimental value. That may be the worst reason yet, but at least it’ll boost your performance ever so slightly.
As for our favorites, we have a few. Razer’s Sphex, because it’s so thin that it’s practically one with your table, while still acting as an excellent surface. Saitek’s Cyborg V.5 also blows its immediate competition out of the water with top-notch design and a great low price. Greensforged’ Remember Ravenholm is the most memorable, as a giant steel saw blade best remembered in Valve’s Half-Life 2, even if as a mousepad it isn’t so great. Finally, SteelSeries’ Experience I-2 is just a great-looking and well-built glass mousepad, which in the right color, will make your desk stand out for everyone to see.
- 1. Do We Even Need Mousepads?
- 2. Types of Mousepads
- 3. Saitek Cyborg V.3
- 4. Saitek Cyborg V.5
- 5. Razer Sphex
- 6. Razer Megasoma
- 7. Razer Vespula
- 8. Razer Goliathus
- 9. Greensforged Remember Ravenholm
- 10. SteelSeries 9HD
- 11. SteelSeries NP+
- 12. SteelSeries Experience I-2
- 13. SteelSeries QCK
- 14. SteelSeries QcK Heavy
- 15. Kensington Memory Foam Wrist Rest
- 16. Kensington Versatile Wrist Rest
- 17. Kensington Memory Foam Mouse Wrist Rest
- 18. Old Mousepads
- 19. A Magazine
- 20. No Mousepad
- 21. Conclusion: Do You Need A Mousepad? Yes and No
I had to get a mousepad because my old desk had a glass top. I bought an ultra thin WOW pad that worked extremely well. New desk does not have a glass top. No mousepad needed.
Correction sir, SideWinder X8 is a mouse.. Sidewinder X6 is a keyboard..
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/gaming.mspx
ditto: I don't even have a glass top desk, but my deathadder mouse doesn't work on the glossy black surface. Pad required.
I use SteelSeries SX pad...
http://www.steelseries.com/us/prod [...] nformation
it's coated aluminum pad which is very smooth and cool to the touch, which I love...
You actually missed one important pad (which is most likely because it's unfortunately only available in Germany at the moment).
http://www.alugraphics.de/gaming/e [...] /index.php
According to some gaming magazines in Germany it seems to be one of the best pads out there.
Suprised you didn't review Func Industries.. Long time favorite from the Counterstrike crowd. Probably one of the best built pads i have used with many options. Defintely my favorite for FPS type games. MMOs - go for a Razer mat, or steelseries, or whatever you like, it doesn't matter. But not using one i believe will increase the wear on your mouse and mouse feet.
I absolutely love my old Genius mousepad. It makes my trackball much more precise and responsive.
Where's my MacPadd? I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned as it's one of the only pads that offers protection against microbes such as H1N1! /sarcasm
Really though, what ever happened with that?
Razer Lachesis and Destructor pad for me.
Lovely and slippy
Allsop Metal Art Mousepad, smooth plastic metal base on a non-slip surface. I use one at home (FPS) and the office (Photoshop).
http://www.allsop.com/classic-mous [...] mouse-pad/
First-generation Razer DeathAdder and ExactMat for me. Works wonders for gaming and graphic design. If I have to upgrade, I'll take the 3.5G edition of DeathAdder and a Destructor.
Anyway, as a gamer and a mouse user, I like to have a very high sensitivity (I'm the wrist type as mentioned in the article). So far, I've never achieved such sensitivity and accuracy with my previous mouse-and-pad combination. I'm with the mousepad-needing side here, even though I only casually game.
Our wooden dining table works well with my 2 old Microsoft mice and my new Microsoft blue laser mouse. I do have to clean off the table well before doing this, the biggest enemy of a mouse is stray salt granules. Sometimes when traveling I've used the cardboard back of a legal pad. It works pretty well but I don't think it would last a long time. The worst surface I've tried has been clean white paper. The mice don't pick up any texture on it. My G5 at work works pretty well with my old cloth mousepad. I've thought about gluing my old pad to a piece of heavy metal or ceramic tile so it would stay flat and wouldn't move around on my desk.
I really never gave a thought about using a mouse pad until recently. I have been without one for many years. Not to long ago I was moving and so I took everything off my wooden desk. It wasn't until then that I noticed how faded the wood was where I use my mouse. If I get another new wooden desk I will definatly consider using a pad so I don't ruin the desk surface.
I purchased my Razer Destructor mouse pad last year to go with my Copperhead, and wow what a difference. The mouse tracks smoother and I tend to have less issues with dust from the tabletop days. I Strongly recommend picking one up if your a "Gamer" or even someone who likes precision mousing.
Where's my MacPadd? I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned as it's one of the only pads that offers protection against microbes such as H1N1! /sarcasmReally though, what ever happened with that?
You may remember that Macpadd failed to work with our friends at Tom's Hardware, and they fail as a company, clearly. We'd have loved to test out their mouse, but there was no guarantee we'd ever get it, if we bought it or not.
I disagree on that part. I personally own a Sphex and the main thing that gets dirty is the bottom (since I do take it around places every once in a while). Razer made a big deal when these came out, that you could actually wash the Sphex (water and just a little bit of soap), which I've done multiple times. Each time I wash it, the adhesive becomes sticky again, allowing me to place it in a new position on my desk. Of course I make sure that my desk is clean at that point, too, so it'll stick well. It is without the best mousepad I've owned over the years. The tracking precision it provides while I'm gaming is excellent, and the mat itself is just right for my personal style.
I bought a mousepad for $2 from... Office Depot, was it? It's about the size of the Max Payne one, and works very well. Why was no consideration given to the bargain bin dep't?
buy a rocketfish $15 from best buy and save yourself 15$, its identical to the Cyborg V5
I got one of these a while ago:
http://www.mouserug.com/
they work great and look good to boot.
but with optical and mice its much less of a need. And actually I find with my wood desktop at home a standard optical mouse wont track, so I have to use a laser mouse.
But the biggest overall problem is cathair in the optical sensor -- once that happens, my mouse acts really funny until I clean out the 1-2 strands of hair that got in.
The FUNC Industries Surface1030 Archetype is my favorite mousing surface ever! I've been using it for years now! Love it! Check it! http://www.func.net/index.html