mouse mats

what's the best type to get for an optical mouse?

i've just got a new mouse and the cd case i've been using just aint working as good as it was. lol

whats the best to get, or does it really matter, i've noticed fabric ones etc, does it matter if it has a shiny or matt finish on it?

I've got an optical mouse and I use white or brown disposable mouse mats, sometimes referred to as envelopes. They do the job well enough, they're easy to replace when they wear out (2 months is about standard) and car insurance firms keep dropping new ones through my letterbox a couple of times a week.

Cheap? Moi? Whatever makes you say that?

mr gummidge Wrote:I've got an optical mouse and I use white or brown disposable mouse mats, sometimes referred to as envelopes. They do the job well enough, they're easy to replace when they wear out (2 months is about standard) and car insurance firms keep dropping new ones through my letterbox a couple of times a week.

Cheap? Moi? Whatever makes you say that?

a man of my own heart, i currently use "sudoku" master cdrom case, i got the game for Christmas about 5 year ago, i sat it next to my pc and i've been using it as a mouse mat ever since. i've never even opened the case. lol

Plain ones are best. Tesco plain blue 50p ones work fine.
A very complicated intricate pattern can confuse them.
This is not a joke reply.

TheWatcher Wrote:Plain ones are best. Tesco plain blue 50p ones work fine.
A very complicated intricate pattern can confuse them.
This is not a joke reply.

thanks for that,

it does seem a simple enough thing, but i was looking on ebay last night, there only a couple of pound, but i hate spending money on something that wont be any good to me.

BigChuck Wrote:

TheWatcher Wrote:Plain ones are best. Tesco plain blue 50p ones work fine.
A very complicated intricate pattern can confuse them.
This is not a joke reply.

thanks for that,

it does seem a simple enough thing, but i was looking on ebay last night, there only a couple of pound, but i hate spending money on something that wont be any good to me.

I've been using a placemat from my dining table for about a year with no ill efects

for opticals any mousmat will do. preferably 1 with good glide. i liked the gellmaster 1s when i used a logitech g5.
nice firm foam surface coverd with lycra and a gell wrist rest. now im lookin at somthing in a whole new league.
http://www.computerorbit.co.uk/itemcode=...E~MAT.html
for my lachisis the ultimate mousemat for the ultimate wired mouse.
if your mous is reasonably high dpi then get a decent mat. if its just a gineric 800dpi then any surface will do. (a clipboard with paper was my preferd metheod b4 i upgraded)

TBH with current optical mice a mouse mat is just a style choice unless your working on a glass or polished surface, although some current mice can even deal well on these surfaces. Yes complicated patterns used to confuse them but I wouldn't expect any on the market presently to have this problem as that was quite some years ago.

after a few months of using a razer destructor mouse mat i can honestly say, dont waste yer money on that 1.
a gineric 10 pound mat will do just as well, the only real choice is do you want speed or accuracy/ if your gaming go for a speed mat if your doing productivity/media work then a control surface.

but as i said i have been looking at different mats and surfaces and the best i found that gves a balance of speed and accuracy is my desks laminated surface. it has a micro texture pattern to it. and i didnt notice how good it was till i stopped using my very expensive (£35) for what it is mat.

no suggestion about what type to get...
but a warning about what not to get:
I spent quite a lot of money (£20+) on a stylish leather mat that looked like an old fashioned desk inlay: it was a present for a friend but next time I went in his office I noticed his mouse, as usual, sat on a folded sheet of A4 from the printer; when I asked about the mat he gave it to me to try and it was completely useless with both wired and optical.
I've also been given a hard flat picture mat that was useless with optical as it gave no control at all and an expensive gel mat with a wrist support that's so uncomfortable that, whichever mouse, the only way to use it is sideways (ie without using the support).
I use an A4 writing pad, as there's generally one on my desk, but my experience suggests that the more expensive the mat, the less functional it is and best results are generally with a piece of blank paper...