Getting more from your Mouse Mat

Bit of a strange article to write for me this one. Many people will just a buy a mouse mat that looks nice, some wont even have one, especially with the optical mice which only need a non reflective surface in order to function. My purpose in this article is to get those of you that want everything to be the best to take a look at some of the superior mouse mats that are available. Crazy as it seems mouse mats are researched and new technology is being developed in this area as well as any other. True that the majority of people will not count the performance of their mouse pad up there with their graphics card or CPU but I'm sure some of you out there really want everything for your machine including the mouse pad.

I can't measure the performance of a mouse mat either unfortunately. Until the release of a mouse mat benchmark :) I don't think I can really say how much a new mouse mat will help you. I can however give you the details and let you know what you can expect from some of these technological wonders.

I will start rounding up these new pads with a look at two mats from the Icemat range. The difference with the Icemat from your normal is the fact that the Icemat is made of glass. The original is transparent and the Black Icemat is Obviously a black version of the original. The glass has a frosted top making it look like ice hence the name for the mouse pad. The mouse mat come with Teflon tape that you should apply to your mouse feet to stop your mouse from scratching the surface of the Icemat and also to allow better movement from your mouse. The Original Icemat being transparent is not much good with optical mice, however the black design caters well for those of you with optical mice. The black version officially supports the following optical mice.
 

In terms of practical use I can see how much it benefits you in games etc, the only real thing is the feet it has. This will stop it from slipping. The Icemat is fitted with 6 feet to guarantee that your mouse does not slip at any vital moments. It does however look really cool and if your looking to impress then this is certainly one of the best mouse mats around. If your PC is a centre piece of a room then a mouse mat like this one could really add that classy touch you are looking for. Its time to throw away that odd coloured cloth that currently sits on your desk.

Get The latest Prices on the Icemat

Looking at the SteelPad 4S. The first thing that strike me about the SteelPad 4S is the lack of steel in its construction. It is in fact made up entirely of Aluminium. I doubt however that the aluminium pad 4S would of been as easy to advertise. The first thing that you will notice is that the aluminium surface is very cold to touch. This has to be down to preference but doesn't feel right for some people. The second thing that is very instantly noticed is the scratching sound that your mouse makes because its moving across a metal surface.  Fortunately this mouse mat comes with a solution to this problem. You get some tape that they call "pad surfers". These pad surfers are provided with the mouse mat and should be attached to the feet of your mouse. You will soon find the the contact between the mouse and the mouse mat is much smoother and the movement of the mouse is a lot easier. The mat itself is also fitted with non-slip feet to make sure you get the best performance at the critical moment, and besides you don't want a solid aluminium plate landing in your lap corner down now do you :). The official website for the SteelPad 4S does state that it does not work with Logitech optical mice except for the MX series (which has superior optical technology. I can only presume that the newer MS mice should be OK as well but possible the older models my struggle the Logitech ones do.

Get The latest Prices on the SteelPad 4S

Looking at these "special" mouse pads I think we can all agree that apart from the anti slip nature of having a heavy mouse pad on not-slip feet, the real attraction to these mouse pads is the look and the style that they bring to your PC and even your room. My personal favourite is the Icemat Original with its frosted surface, however remembering this is not recommended with optical mice. Although the manufacturers of optical mice state that these mice do not require a mouse pad to work on as they can operate on any not reflective/transparent surface, I always find that it feels a lot better to have some sort of mouse surface under the feet of your mice. Its simply for the feel, but scratching your mouse across a wooden desk never seems right. And as for it even works on your trouser leg, well If you can work your machine from your trouser leg, then good luck to you. Need them or not these new mats are great if you like a bit of style in your home.