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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: olve on Mon, 03 October 2011, 12:29:18

Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: olve on Mon, 03 October 2011, 12:29:18
Hey, I want a hard mousepad for my Razer Mamba.

so far ive tried Steelseries 4L, 9HD, I-2 and the soft Roccat Sense.

4L: Nice, but the rubber is not attached to the mat and can move around; very annoying.
9HD: Hated it! The little logos printed on top made it feel like it had bumps.
I-2: Never really worked. Lift-off distance is too short to reach through the glass.
Roccat Sense: Using it now. It's OK, but the edges are tearing up, and its soft; so its no keeper.

Any suggestions? Does a mat exist that is hard but not plastic, and smooth but not greased?
I can live with plastic if i must, though.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Arc'xer on Mon, 03 October 2011, 13:51:43
Have you considered the artisan (http://www.gup.co.jp/artisan/cloth_ov.html) mousepads? They are cloth but with a very hard backing. There's a few reviews around the internet but some of them are harder to find. The hien is a rough cloth pad and some say fast but some people find it irritating on their wrist due to the texture. The shiden and shiden-kai (http://www.overclock.net/mice/1055784-artisan-shiden-kai-zowie-spawn-p.html)(faster) is a cloth/glass mousepad it's like coated or beads I don't know exactly but not like the icemat it won't break if you drop it. And they also recently released the hayate (http://www.overclock.net/mice/1114195-review-artisan-hayate.html) which is a soft cloth, I know not to your liking since you want a hard pad but at least there's some giving comparisons between the pads. I know they plan on releasing another soft cloth called the hayabusa but again it's soft pad.

[ESR-Hien (http://www.esreality.com/index.php?a=post&id=1994230)/2 (http://www.esreality.com/index.php?a=post&id=2147815)] [ESR-Shiden (http://www.esreality.com/index.php?a=post&id=2078864)]

There's other reviews out there as well but it's hard to find much except for a few places here and there and in other languages often translated in broken english. There's other mousepads out there as well just up to you to do your research but you pretty much have the considered hardest pad on the market the icemat so it's only damaged when it breaks or you scratch the surface and or color since it's glass and it's hardness is well above even metal pads, every single pad wears out in some way, shape, or form.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: olve on Mon, 03 October 2011, 14:29:11
Thanks!
But the Roccat Sense which I use now is one of those soft/hard hybrids and I'm not really a fan. I don't know about the ones you linked, but i think i definitely want a completely hard one. One of the reasons I do is that my desk has some bumps and holes in it that i feel when i roll over with a soft mat, even when the top surface is treated and harder than cloth.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Mazora on Mon, 03 October 2011, 15:13:55
Cshyde C4 NGEN04.... was the absolute solution for me.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: journeymangeek on Mon, 03 October 2011, 22:17:06
get a hard cutting pad or mat from your local craft store - they are often used by quilters and people using hobby knives. unlike regular mouse pads, there are some epically huge sized ones.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: glycolate on Wed, 19 October 2011, 17:30:59
XFX Warpad. I tried linking it,but it denied me.

i've been eyeing that one.
Title: I feel good
Post by: CalvinK on Wed, 19 October 2011, 18:36:44
I'm feeling good after your message, big thanks
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: olve on Wed, 19 October 2011, 20:25:59
I got one and im pretty happy with it.

I was in an electronics-store and they had the Steelseries SX. I thought **** it and bought it.
The first 2 days it was super-greasy. it was like the whole mat was drenched in olive-oil which was pretty ****. But after that the grease stopped leaving the mat and now im loving it.
Good mat! How long it stays good remains to be seen though.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: aynjell on Wed, 26 October 2011, 19:25:32
A lot of people seem to want hard pads strictly for a lower static friction. For the cheapest option in this field, you can go to razer's cloth speed linup. It's so smooth it glides like a hard pad. it's better than some hard pads in this sense. While still not perfect, razer has one even better:

The Scarab. By far the least stiction of any mouse pad I've ever used, with about a 6-8 month lifetime it seems. Smaller footed mice will feel this wear and tear sooner while larger footed mice will keep on trucking without a care. switching to new feet helped but you can still tell mine isn't brand new.

Another really good option is the rocketfish hard pad, which is an aluminum plate with coating on each side, one smooth, one roagh, the rough seeming to have a lower static friction and slightly more tactile texture.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: aynjell on Thu, 27 October 2011, 18:13:05
I had the F30.r, and the razer scarab lasted longer and was smoother with less stiction.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Brodie337 on Thu, 27 October 2011, 22:47:37
I'm going to throw a cloth pad into the mix here, Razer's Goliathus Speed. I've got two of em, and they're probably the slipperiest cloth pads I've ever used, better than quite a few hard pads.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: aynjell on Fri, 28 October 2011, 04:43:02
already suggested that. :X
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Bilbin on Fri, 28 October 2011, 13:49:54
Out of QCK+, Goliathus and PureTrak Talent the PureTrak Talent glides the most, it's even more amazing once it wears down and adds a little friction whilst still being more slippery than the other two.

This is from what I've experienced.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: TheProfosist on Sat, 29 October 2011, 14:38:57
just so you know the (HD and 4HD have bumps you werent mistaken. Mouse good hard plastic pads have them now days to improve tracking.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Token on Sun, 30 October 2011, 02:48:46
I have a Ratpadz XT mouse pad that is really slick but its a hard plastic which you said you rather not have. Though the nice thing is that if you dont like it the owner buys it back plus shipping which is really cool IMO. I have had this pad for over a year now and it hasn't worn at all still feels the same as the day I got it.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: yap09 on Tue, 01 November 2011, 02:44:37
i've gone through 2 func f10.s since 2009 and they get worn out and the glide becomes uneven, anyone know how to alleviate this or recommend mousepads that don't get worn out?
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Arc'xer on Tue, 01 November 2011, 14:47:40
Quote from: yap09;443201
i've gone through 2 func f10.s since 2009 and they get worn out and the glide becomes uneven, anyone know how to alleviate this or recommend mousepads that don't get worn out?


Pretty much all mousepads wear in some way, shape, or form. You really can't alleviate or fix it, I guess you could say it's your sensitivity if your using a lower/low sensitivity your moving your mouse over more surface area and in a more vigorous way compared to a higher/high sensitivity user. But that's not a reason to change your sensitivity.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: yap09 on Wed, 02 November 2011, 02:26:54
Quote from: Arc'xer;443502
Pretty much all mousepads wear in some way, shape, or form. You really can't alleviate or fix it, I guess you could say it's your sensitivity if your using a lower/low sensitivity your moving your mouse over more surface area and in a more vigorous way compared to a higher/high sensitivity user. But that's not a reason to change your sensitivity.

yeah i am a lowsens player
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: nKCrooK on Wed, 02 November 2011, 12:05:44
The best hard pad (which is what I prefer) that I have used is the Steelseries XS. It is the "cleanest" feeling surface I have ever used (glass being second) and I find it makes the least noise and is very easy to wipe down more so than the previous glass pad I had. I also notice no wear whatsoever on the pad itself (with glass you can notice a bit, a lot with the plastic pads I had used, nothing much with cloth)

I like some fiber pads but they are no comparison for this pad.

I was quite content with my pad before this, which was a glass pad, but my RAT7 did not track perfectly on the glass so I gave this a go and wow do I ever love it. My g500 also works awesome on this pad as well with great glide.

The downside to a hard pad may be that they eat feet faster, though I didn't really notice this yet with this pad. The plastic pads I had before the glass were known to do this quite a bit. You can pick up teflon on E-Bay for cheap and sometimes find precut feet for your specific mouse.

The only hard pad I would recommend nowadays is the SX if you don't mind the cost and I can't go back to another pad after getting so used to it's glide and precision. I also think the QCK+ are usable and quite a good price if you need cloth but this is not my preference either.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Internetlad on Wed, 02 November 2011, 12:19:57
I had a freind who swore by a glass mousepad (ICEMat IIRC?) until he dropped it on the floor and it shattered.

TBH I think he replaced it with a similar model after that. THis was four or so years ago so i know not if they're still being manufactured.

Also I believe he payed a premium for it, I'm not sure how cost-effective they are, he had rich parents so he kind of liked to spend money.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Arc'xer on Wed, 02 November 2011, 15:32:31
Quote from: nKCrooK;444164
I also notice no wear whatsoever on the pad itself (with glass you can notice a bit, a lot with the plastic pads I had used, nothing much with cloth)

There's something really wrong with this statement because the glass mousepads released on the market(Icemat, Corepad magna, and G-pad) are in order of magnitudes harder than the metal pad of the SX. Unless you have a material harder than glass you can't scratch it or wear it, unless you mean the paint underneath or you cracked it. The SX on the other hand does wear out and does form pits very similarly to the aforementioned pitting of the func pad though it depends on your sensitivity.

Quote from: Internetlad;444195
I had a freind who swore by a glass mousepad (ICEMat IIRC?) until he dropped it on the floor and it shattered.

TBH I think he replaced it with a similar model after that. THis was four or so years ago so i know not if they're still being manufactured.

Also I believe he payed a premium for it, I'm not sure how cost-effective they are, he had rich parents so he kind of liked to spend money.

It's called the icemat due to it's original name but usually it's kept around now a days around gaming forums for namesake posterity due to the uniqueness of the original name. It's now called the Steelseries I-1/I-2. Still the same Icemat with the SS logo on it and a little bit bigger for the I-2 version. Not sure why you have to be rich to buy those pads even when they were originally released they were around 35-50 dollars unless the premium your talking about is being suckered out of more money of some seller or by the shipping fees.

If your still friends with him he might be interested in the Japanese G-pad (http://sheetglass.net/08g-pad/index.htm) it's textured compared to the smooth icemat. Here's a small review http://wikis.jp/interfacedevice/index.php?G-pad_en (http://wikis.jp/interfacedevice/index.php?G-pad_en) as well as another review http://www.4seasonsgaming.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=2320 (http://www.4seasonsgaming.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=2320).
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: nKCrooK on Wed, 02 November 2011, 16:59:23
Quote from: Arc'xer;444344
There's something really wrong with this statement because the glass mousepads released on the market(Icemat, Corepad magna, and G-pad) are in order of magnitudes harder than the metal pad of the SX. Unless you have a material harder than glass you can't scratch it or wear it, unless you mean the paint underneath or you cracked it. The SX on the other hand does wear out and does form pits very similarly to the aforementioned pitting of the func pad though it depends on your sensitivity.

I wont argue the logic to that, as the SX has a coating and the glass is well, glass. With black/white paint underneath. I never had any issue with the paint. With the glass mousepad I noticed areas where the glass almost hazed (not sure how to describe it) that would not be as smooth as the rest. Maybe it was to do with the mouse itself scratching the glass (ie with debris on the bottom of that) though I did always wipe my mouse and pad before use and sometimes during. I also cleaned the pad regularly. One of the people I regularly game with still uses that pad and I will see if he can comment on the issues I mentioned.  This is only my personal experience with the product and perhaps it is to do with level of use or misuse. I apologize if my statements are incorrect as per the norm.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: yap09 on Thu, 03 November 2011, 01:28:58
so i guess all hardpads wear out some time then..

but it seems interesting to try out an icemat
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Arc'xer on Thu, 03 November 2011, 02:28:11
Quote from: yap09;444748
so i guess all hardpads wear out some time then..

but it seems interesting to try out an icemat

No all of them wear out. It's just that hardpads tend to show it more easily and consistently over say cloth. The icemat is one of those mousepads you either love or hate, so I wouldn't "try it out", you should do your research before deciding on it. It's not so much the price, well for some it is; but it's just so different that it might not be for you, it is a piece of frosted glass after all.
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Internetlad on Thu, 03 November 2011, 09:24:19
Quote from: Arc'xer;444344
Not sure why you have to be rich to buy those pads even when they were originally released they were around 35-50 dollars unless the premium your talking about is being suckered out of more money of some seller or by the shipping fees.

Last I had them price checked they were in the 80 dollars. Not sure how much he paid for his but it's possible i saw a third party hose job on amazon or something.

EDIT: This is when I lived in canada too, so you have to account for canadian currency conversion, shipping, taxes, etc. It would probably not double the price but it still adds a good margin (generally 14 percent in taxes alone, back in the day.)
Title: Hard Mousepad
Post by: Skoobs on Sat, 12 November 2011, 22:55:57
i really like my mionix propus... control is very good even at high dpi.