What does everyone here use in terms of a mouse surface? Does anyone have a precision laser mouse and a quality surface to go with it? I just bought a Razer Lachesis, and am finding the Steelseries QcK cloth pad to be more a hindrance than a help due to warping with movement or vibrations that causes cursor drift or jumping in response to sound and mouse clicks.


I just fronted the cash for a Steelseries Experience I-1, since they're of apparent quality and glass-coated for rigidity, but while it hasn't even arrived yet I'm wondering if it would be better to go with an Exactmat, Destructor, 4D, or SX. The Exactmat, Destructor and 4D are hard plastic, while the SX is aluminum.

Does anyone know if someone makes a UHMWPE mousepad? because that would be preferable to all those other surfaces... superior glide and better abrasion resistance than carbon steel.

i'd just use something cheap and get a regular mouse like everyone else.

I use a Logitech G5 (which is, in fact, a laser mouse) with a cheap souvenir mousepad. It's made out of foam and plastic. The mouse works great on it -- no jumpiness, no warping, no cursor drift. Expensive mousepads are a silly investment.

I also use a Logitech G5, though I do get lots of warping and cursor drift from my mousepad. I wouldnt invest in these things unless I was a pro gamer, as in those guys who constantly compete in tournaments, which Im not.

Basic microsoft corded optical mouse with no mouse pad.

i just have a staples mousepad thats made with a black foam on the bottom and tissue glued on it works geat with my mx510

I absolutely love the mighty mouse that came with my iMac. I'm not sure what kind of optics it uses, but it works very well on the souvenir mousepad I got for interviewing for an internship with an evil oil company.

My previous mouse was a G5. I replaced it after less than a month with the Lachesis, because the drivers were shit and the scroll wheel was impossible to use. That, in turn, had been to replace my Logitech Mx518, which started breaking within a month, and needed immediate replacement after 5.

So yeah, I'm through with buying cheap mice and having them break on me, and I'm through with Logitech, so I got the Lachesis.

If I'm lucky, I can still take the G5 back to the store.

Logitech mx500 (optical) on pc, (it's 5yo or so, only problem i had is one button acting odd but it was easy to fix)
and mx620 (laser) for laptop (wasn't me buying it and i would take something cheaper if i were to pay for it. also i like mx500's shape more)

mx500 on wooden desk, no mousepad.
other one on anything, no mousepad.
i get no jumpiness, drift w/e. mousepads are silly invesment period. (i actually hate the things >.>)

The point of any mousepad at all is to protect the mouse. It keeps the teflon feet clean (and on the mouse), and keeps the laser clear.

Laser on my mouse is clean.
And i don't see feet being any cleaner on pad versus not on it.
And for me it's very inconvenient.
Just my preference anyway.

Logitech Mx518, on a walnut wood mouse pad.
The feet stay cleaner on the pad than off it, if I clean the pad in regular intervals. And the feel of the wood is very nice (warm and cozy).

I had a smooth varnished walnut wood desk I used to use with my MX518 previously, and it worked great without a mousepad... now, though I have some semi-abrasive synthetic desk surface that gets grimy easily and is a real pain to clean... hence, I'm looking for a good mousepad.

I'd figure with a nice desk a mousepad would serve more to protect the desk than help the mouse.

i use a cheap $19USD scroll laser mouse, on a laminate-wood cheap-ass computer desk, no mousepad. no problems with the mouse, tho the desk is kinda messed up where my palm rests on it.. Seems the natural oils in the body dont mix well with laminate-wood :)

I have a Razer copperhead mouse with the eXactMat. It's frikkin' beautiful.

Ironically, I don't use it much for gaming, but for Photoshop & Illustrator - it gives me much better control than any other mouse I've owned, even Mac mice. On-the-Fly sensitivity control FTW.

On that note, what graphics tablet would you recommend, LeberMac? I'm looking into buying one sooner or later, and am trying to get opinions from various people.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817114108

And a Logitech G5.

The pad smells when you first get it, just run it through the washing machine once and it's good.

I use an up-side down table mat with my laser mouse. That cork board stuff is ace! Nice and smooth, and stuff.

I'm past mice. I installed a BlueTooth chip in my head, so now I can type and move my cursor with my mind. It's much faster, and no mistakes. It's only compatible with OSX 10.5.3, though. Yes, I have 10.5.3.