Mousepad
Encyclopedia : M : MO : MOU : Mousepad
- This article is about mouse mats for computer mice. Mousepad is also the name of a text editor for Xfce.
A mousepad, or mouse mat, is a surface for enhancing the movement of a computer mouse.
Types
Two types of mousepad exist - textured ones for improving the tracking of a ball mouse, and shiny, sometimes gridded metallic ones for optical mice. Newer optical mice do not require mousepads on most surfaces. Specialized pads are used when extra accuracy is needed.Designs
Originally mousepads were available in a simple rectangular shape. In recent years though, they have been available in many shapes and designs. Ergonomic designs are available with built-in wrist rests made of silicone gel.Companies often give away mousepads for promotional reasons, and computer manufacturers often include a mousepad with their logo on it, usually with technical support information. Many artists have published work on mousepads.
Most users treat mousepads as an unnecessary accessory and cheap throw-away item. However, there is a growing trend, especially with gamers, for high quality mouse pads. There is now a fairly large variety of high quality "gaming grade" mouse pads. In the beginning, there were only three such manufacturers: Everglide (arguably the first to come onto the market), closely followed by fUnc Industries, and Ratpadz (made by [H]ard|OCP). In 2005 several more companies followed suit, including Steelpad, Icemat, Razer, Qpad, Corepad, Xtracpads, X-Ray, Gamerzstuff, and Allsop. These pads are available in a wide variety of sizes to suit the different sensitivity settings that gamers choose. Possibly the largest pad on the market, the Corepad Deskpad XXXL, is a massive 90cm x 45cm.
Materials
Typically, modern mousepads are made with foam rubber. However, other types are available; some are made from fabric or recycled rubber tires, for example.High quality gaming mats are usually made from plastic. However, some companies manufacture gaming mats from other materials, such as glass, aluminium and steel.
External Links
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