Ok, I looked at this review and it's apparently obvious (to everyone but me) that cloth mouse pads suck... badly. I didn't feel like registering at that site to ask in thier forums so I'll ask here (I like you guys here).

What is it about cloth mouse pads that is so bad? I use a cloth pad with an optical mouse and I love it. It tracks nice, is comfortable on my wrist, is durable (I've had it a couple years now), the mouse slides smoothly over it.

I've tried those hard pads and didn't see much benefit to them myself. They seem to track a little better with ball mice if you're one to not clean your mouse pad periodically. They just feel like I'm dragging my mouse across a concrete slab to me though so I prefer cloth.

Oh well, I'm interested in hearing some different viewpoints about mousepads anyway

Jim

cloth is ok... even chip board is ok... but no mouse ball lasts.

I had some trouble with a dexxa (cheap) optical mouse because of the patterns in the cloth the mouse sometimes didn't detect the movement correctly. So I bought a logitech optical and I have no such problems since. The logitech is probably more precise.

Oh man... Dexxa still makes mice? I remember like 10 years ago I bought a Dexxa mouse for about $15. It was worth it then because in the box they gave you a free copy of Windows 3.1. Times have changed a bit since then. Well, sounds like Dexxa still makes a crap mouse though

Jim

:nods: Yep, I love my Logitech one. I'm gonna have to get another 1 when I get round to building a secondary machine, as I don't think I could stand going back to my old serial ball mouse for long. Infact I'd rather have the hassle of keep switching my Logitech between machines than use an old serial ball 1.

the reason i use a Ratpadz over any other mousing surface

1. The Ratpadz is hard as hell, you can throw this up against a wall and it wont break.

2. It is countoured for mice, so you get a better mousing surface; more [space] in the middle less around the outsides.

3. Optical mice drag against most other mousing surfaces making the preciceness needed to make the snipe or kill you need not happening.

4. Ratpadz are designed for optical mice. I have used my ratpadz on regular mice and optical mice and the optical glides across the surface with NO effort, i just tap it and it will move across the surface effortlessly.

5. Easy to clean. Oh crud i spilled soda on my mouse pad, oh well just get out the bounty paper towels and wipe it up.

6. Price, they are only $20, now you might say that is a high price to pay for a mouse pad, well this isnt a mouse pad its a mousing surface they are different. Once you use a ratpadz you will never think about using another mousing surface again.


Case closed, if you dont have a ratpadz you dont have shit.

If you have an optical mouse, and as long as you're not using a plain coloured desk, then you don't need a mouse pad. All a mouse pad does is provide a surface with enough friction that the mouse ball can rotate - but if you don't have mouse balls (excuse the terminology ), you don't need a special surface!

I haven't used a mousep ad since I got my MS optical mouse a couple of years ago!

AndyF

toss the mouse pads

Thats old technology

Get an intelli mouse optical, its the only way to go.

All my mouse pads are in the garbage.

if you ran a mouse across a desksurface and then across a ratpadz you would see why the ratpadz is better.

ThC 129 said:

You seem pretty satisfied with the Ratpadz. I went to the website and checked it out. Looks pretty cool. I followed the link from Ratpadz website to think geek and it's only $10.99, plus shipping I'm sure. Anyway, I've heard a few things about them before so I'll probably get one. I'm sure it won't keep me from getting slaughtered in UT2003 like I currently am... but I don't think any mouse pad will help MY gaming skillz :x

Jim

I don't know... My Intel Pentium 3 promo mousepad sure made me 'l33t'.

your just mad that you can't make a mouse pad out of used pocket lint like i can

u do need a mouse pad if the surface of your desk is highly reflective. as your mouse will fly across the screen quiet often even thought u moved it a small amount.