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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: Merranza on Thu, 18 February 2016, 14:02:57
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Anybody own an extended mouse mat?
Just wondering how it affects the typing experience? Does it feel mushy as you're typing on a soft surface?
Also, does your keyboard leave marks on your mat?
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I own an extended mouse mat.
It makes my keyboard sound less hollow (QFR-i). It doesn't feel mushy, just different. I don't notice as much of a difference using the HHKB on it.
I haven't seen any marks left on the mat from the keyboard.
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A keyboard with a plastic construction will likely not leave any marks on the mat.
However, heavier keyboards will most definitely do something depending on the weight of the board and the material of the mat.
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Also own an extended mouse mat, using a Pok3r. Doesn't feel mushy at all, and the keyboard leaves no marks on the mat, especially as it's quite heavy, with a cast aluminium case. I would go so far as to say that it dampens the sound of keyboard a little bit, which is nice, but then again, I am using MX Clears which are positively silent compared to something like Blues or Greens.
It's more the advantage of having so much more mouse space, which I suppose contributes to a better overall user experience, not just a typing experience.
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*googles 'extended mouse mat'*
Oh!
I didn't realise that was a thing. I bought a gaming mat (card games, think Magic: the Gathering) and use that. Yeah, I like it, though I do sometimes wish mine were bigger (*sigh*).
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*googles 'extended mouse mat'*
Oh!
I didn't realise that was a thing. I bought a gaming mat (card games, think Magic: the Gathering) and use that. Yeah, I like it, though I do sometimes wish mine were bigger (*sigh*).
They are awesome. I used to use a really small (well, 'regular' sized) mouse pad and when I made the switch to an extended, it was amazing. If you're gaming, it's especially nice, and even just when doing normal work, it can help a lot. Pair it up with a DPI switching mouse, and bam, user experience improves dramatically.
Plus they can also help keep your desk a little cleaner , and protect the surface from stuff like scratches.
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I appreciate the replies. Thank you very much.
I just bought a medium mouse mat but I'm not really liking it. It's kinda halfway there :) You guys convinced me to go all the way with the extended.
If your heavy poker is not leaving any marks I guess I'll be okay with my K70 and its aluminum plate.
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I appreciate the replies. Thank you very much.
I just bought a medium mouse mat but I'm not really liking it. It's kinda halfway there :) You guys convinced me to go all the way with the extended.
If your heavy poker is not leaving any marks I guess I'll be okay with my K70 and its aluminum plate.
Got one as well, best mouse mat I owned so far!
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I've been using those large cloth mousepads (SteelSeries QcK+ and such) for years. They're large enough for a compact keyboard (basically anything smaller than a full size), and damped case/desk resonance very well. I haven't opted for anything larger yet though, because
- I prefer to use a dedicated mousepad (usually faster or smoother) with a book under it (to bring the surface higher to keep my wrist straight);
- handwriting on a sheet of paper on a soft surface isn't good idea, unless you want to punch holes in that paper.
That being said, I've found a very cheap extended mat with extremely good specification: C-Tech Anthea XL.
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SteelSeries QcK+ on my end
(Got a ducky one for work as well)
Honestly, wish I bought one sooner. The difference in sound from any of my keyboards is satisfying as well as the fact that I'm less inclined to snack/eat at my desk. :V
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I've been using those large cloth mousepads (SteelSeries QcK+ and such) for years. They're large enough for a compact keyboard (basically anything smaller than a full size), and damped case/desk resonance very well. I haven't opted for anything larger yet though, because
- I prefer to use a dedicated mousepad (usually faster or smoother) with a book under it (to bring the surface higher to keep my wrist straight);
- handwriting on a sheet of paper on a soft surface isn't good idea, unless you want to punch holes in that paper.
That being said, I've found a very cheap extended mat with extremely good specification: C-Tech Anthea XL.
Thanks for your input. Finally went with Corsair's MM300 extended. My keyboard and mouse are positioned on a shelf that can be pulled from underneath my desk so the depth wouldn't have fitted with a big square shape like the Steelseries QcK+. I can also write on the shelf above.
Also, problem with large square shaped mats is I prefer a narrow distance between my mouse and my keyboard so to achieve that with that form factor, my full size keyboard right half has to overlap with the mat which is really not comfortable. Those who prefer a wider distance between their keyboard and mouse would be better suited :)
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I'm interested in getting the MM300 extended as well. My only concern at this point is aesthetic i think... I own a glass desk and I'm worried it's going to look weird to have a large portion of my desk covered by something, in result hiding the see through effect a glass desk gives.
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I'm interested in getting the MM300 extended as well. My only concern at this point is aesthetic i think... I own a glass desk and I'm worried it's going to look weird to have a large portion of my desk covered by something, in result hiding the see through effect a glass desk gives.
They looked weird to me at first too but I've seen pictures online of people owning MM300 on different desk surfaces and I think they look fantastic :) I'm almost tempted to grab a small one too for my laptop when I'm on the go.
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Dimensions vary.
I currently use Corsair MM200 XL (about 44×38 cm, and reasonably thick), which is wide enough for a 75% keyboard and a trackball, or a 90% keyboard; it isn't square either, although I'd prefer something with a larger width:depth ratio—closer to Roccat Sense (40×28 cm), but that one's rather thin.
The large Kingston HyperX Fury is actually 50 cm wide, i.e., big enough for a full-size Model M, but I don't quite understand, why they insist on roughly 5:4 ratio, when most screens are 16:9 or even wider.
The overlap has at least one upside though. I haven't had any problems with peeling cloth on edges, even though these mats don't have stitches edges. Actually, I'm not even sure, if I wouldn't hate stitched edges on a smaller mat.
I'll probably get the C-Tech Anathea anyway; it's only €7 in a local store IIRC.
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I love the extra large desk mats. In fact, I'd say that mouse mat is the ideal surface for a desk, so I'd be fine with having the entire desk in that material.
As far typing, I prefer typing on it as it reduces the sound a bit. When typing on a desk, the bottoming-out makes the table-top act like a drum so it amplifies the sound quite a bit, as well as the vibration making it to the floor through the desk legs.
Some people even get a foam-like material specifically to put under their keyboards for this purpose.
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straight upgrade for me.
i have a big mouse mat that's big enough for both my mouse and keyboard.
- doesn't get cold in winter (my glass table does)
- it's nicely soft for my arms
- huge area for my mouse to move over,
- softens my keystrokes. not by much, but there is an obvious difference.
- does not feel mushy.
- does not leave marks on my mat if stationary, but i suppose it could leave marks if it's heavy and you slide it around.
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straight upgrade for me.
i have a big mouse mat that's big enough for both my mouse and keyboard.
- doesn't get cold in winter (my glass table does)
- it's nicely soft for my arms
- huge area for my mouse to move over,
- softens my keystrokes. not by much, but there is an obvious difference.
- does not feel mushy.
- does not leave marks on my mat if stationary, but i suppose it could leave marks if it's heavy and you slide it around.
My one concern was that my keyboard would leave marks on the large mouse mat. Good to know it's not the case with you.
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I've always kind of wondered what having one of these would be like. Right now I only use a traditional sized mouse pad, but I think for most people an extended one acts more as a rug for your entire desk. If you're moving your mouse around so much that you need to use all that area, then I'd question some other things ^-^
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I'm wanting one, since I have a glass desk that gets cold and my mouse pad got melted when a soldering iron fell on it.
Using a smaller mouse pad a a test bench, you get less vibration from typing on the board, this is especially so with boards like the Model M that require you to hammer the keys a bit more than usual. This results in a more "honest" sound from your keyboard, as it's not sending vibrations through your desk as much. On my glass desk, my Model M makes a "rumbling" sound as I type, but on a small mouse pad I just hear the keyboard.
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I've always kind of wondered what having one of these would be like. Right now I only use a traditional sized mouse pad, but I think for most people an extended one acts more as a rug for your entire desk. If you're moving your mouse around so much that you need to use all that area, then I'd question some other things ^-^
low to medium sensitivity @ fps games
if you would take a look at photos from big FPS (CSGO) tournaments you will see that everyone has a fairly large mousepad.
you just want to kill the risk of running out of mousepad during swipes
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I've always kind of wondered what having one of these would be like. Right now I only use a traditional sized mouse pad, but I think for most people an extended one acts more as a rug for your entire desk. If you're moving your mouse around so much that you need to use all that area, then I'd question some other things ^-^
low to medium sensitivity @ fps games
if you would take a look at photos from big FPS (CSGO) tournaments you will see that everyone has a fairly large mousepad.
you just want to kill the risk of running out of mousepad during swipes
oh yeah that definitely makes sense, but still you don't see them moving their mouse the complete length of the mat or else they'll have to start moving their entire arm. Or maybe I'm just not on that level