Performance

Of course, this review will not be complete without a report on how the Steelpads S&S performs. I present you my lab rats - the Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse SE , the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 Mouse and the Microsoft Mouse.

In reviewing a precision-centric mouse pad, I have always believed that the test subjects should not only be limited to games. Hence, I expanded the scope of this review to cover its performance in productivity applications where users might benefit from the use of a precision-centric mousepad.

Test Settings

The Results

First of all, the surface area is huge! More than enough for most people. In fact, it wouldn't even fit my desktop without some rearrangement! So it's very unlikely for anyone to slide off this mouse pad during intense gaming.

Thanks to the extremely grippy anti-slip material on the undersurface, the Steelpad S&S did not even move an inch during our intense gaming sessions. Compared to the Everglide Ricochet, the Steelpad S&S is significantly better. Unlike the Ricochet which moved about all the time, the Steelpad S&S clung tenaciously to our tabletop. Having a mouse pad which slips around isn't going to help your gaming session at all. So, this is certainly a key advantage of this mouse pad.

Because of the flexible nature of the mouse pad, it won't warp like the harder mouse pad. So, your mouse will always lay flat on the mouse pad, provided that your table is flat in the first place! It also appears to stand up well against fingernail scratches but being flexible comes at a price, it will not be as durable as mouse pads with hard surfaces. So, please do NOT double it as your chopping board!

Its medium-grained surface greatly reduced tracking noise from our test mice. But this kind of surface works best with optical mice. Because of the finer grain, opto-mechanical mice will find it harder to grip onto the surface.

The medium-grained surface also allowed our mice to glide smoothly, without making it totally frictionless! The black surface is probably the best color for older optical mice with poorer sensors so tracking won't be an issue, even if you have an older optical mouse.