Page 1: Intro, Line-up, Hard Surface, Cloth Surface
Intro
There are a few important bits with computers that we always extol the virtues of getting right. Input devices are the most important thing since that is what you'll be interfacing with to use a computer, and a good wrist rest and mousepad do wonders to alleviate harsh computing experiences. Not all mousepads are created equal, though. There are numerous different surface types, sizes, and other features to go along with your perfect squeaky buddy. Puretrak makes professional mousepad with precision in mind and today we have a few types here at ASE Labs.
Line-up
In total, Puretrak sent over five different mousepads to try out. At ASE Labs, we have plenty of experiences with mousepads that come in a tubular container; and it means that they are all cloth and usually on the (too) large side of things. Puretrak makes cloth and a hard plastic surface type of pad. The two pads in the center of the image are the hard plastic surface and the three in the tubes are cloth. A standard CD here is used for size comparison.
Hard Surface
Puretrak makes two models of hard plastic-type mousepads. The Classic and the Deluxe both feature a hard plastic surface with a funky pattern printed on it. Don't stare at it too long, it has a habit of making you a bit woozy looking straight at it since your eyes are able to focus that well on the individual circles. That being said, it is a nice pattern when viewed around a desk. While the Classic is the size of a standard mousepad (or slightly bigger), the Deluxe is the size of most professional or gaming size mousepads. The Deluxe also features a blue pattern as opposed to the black Classic. A CD is used for size comparison in these shots. The Classic is 8.5" x 11" and the Deluxe is 13.5" x 10.5". and both come in 1/8" or 1/16" thicknesses.
One thing to note about Puretrak pads is that they know where to place the logo. A majority of pads place the logo on the bottom left where the mousepad gets most used. Some logos have a habit of screwing up tracking, but Puretrak places their logo on the lower right which is a light traffic area to prevent such problems. Kudos of Puretrak for getting this right, as it is details like this that make a company stand out from the crowd.
The hard surface pads are designed for fast movements and fast action. A hard surface is the way you want to go for gaming or if you generally like less friction with your mouse movements. Hard surfaces also handle liquid spills much better than cloth.
Cloth Surface
The second type of surface that Puretrak makes is the more generic cloth surface. Cloth surfaces generally have more friction and feel a bit different than hard surfaces. Puretrak itself markets the cloth surfaces as slower, higher precision surfaces in comparison to the hard surface pads it sells. Puretrak makes its cloth surfaces extremely large as well: You know you are getting a large mousepad when it comes packed in a tube like the one containing the Stealth surface.
The Stealth is the smallest of the cloth surface type of pads. That being said, the pad itself is still very large. It is longer than the Deluxe pad and takes up a bit too much space on a desk for business use, though gamers might find the space more usable. We've really never encountered a time when we used the entire mousepad for tracking anyway, as most people stick to a small area to the bottom left of the pad. The Stealth is 15" x 10" and is 3/16" thick.
The two other cloth pads that Puretrak makes are the Talent and Complexity. Both are basically the same pad, with the difference being in the design. The Talent has a pattern that looks like the Classic or Deluxe while the Complexity has a nice looking graphic on it, which does look very nice compared to other cloth pads. The problem is that these pads are 19" x 14" with a thickness of 1/4", which is simply too large for most non-gaming uses. Another problem for cloth pads is liquid spills. You need to be more careful about spilling on a cloth surface, though that is a problem with cloth pads in general rather than these pads specifically.
There are a few important bits with computers that we always extol the virtues of getting right. Input devices are the most important thing since that is what you'll be interfacing with to use a computer, and a good wrist rest and mousepad do wonders to alleviate harsh computing experiences. Not all mousepads are created equal, though. There are numerous different surface types, sizes, and other features to go along with your perfect squeaky buddy. Puretrak makes professional mousepad with precision in mind and today we have a few types here at ASE Labs.
Line-up
In total, Puretrak sent over five different mousepads to try out. At ASE Labs, we have plenty of experiences with mousepads that come in a tubular container; and it means that they are all cloth and usually on the (too) large side of things. Puretrak makes cloth and a hard plastic surface type of pad. The two pads in the center of the image are the hard plastic surface and the three in the tubes are cloth. A standard CD here is used for size comparison.
Hard Surface
Puretrak makes two models of hard plastic-type mousepads. The Classic and the Deluxe both feature a hard plastic surface with a funky pattern printed on it. Don't stare at it too long, it has a habit of making you a bit woozy looking straight at it since your eyes are able to focus that well on the individual circles. That being said, it is a nice pattern when viewed around a desk. While the Classic is the size of a standard mousepad (or slightly bigger), the Deluxe is the size of most professional or gaming size mousepads. The Deluxe also features a blue pattern as opposed to the black Classic. A CD is used for size comparison in these shots. The Classic is 8.5" x 11" and the Deluxe is 13.5" x 10.5". and both come in 1/8" or 1/16" thicknesses.
One thing to note about Puretrak pads is that they know where to place the logo. A majority of pads place the logo on the bottom left where the mousepad gets most used. Some logos have a habit of screwing up tracking, but Puretrak places their logo on the lower right which is a light traffic area to prevent such problems. Kudos of Puretrak for getting this right, as it is details like this that make a company stand out from the crowd.
The hard surface pads are designed for fast movements and fast action. A hard surface is the way you want to go for gaming or if you generally like less friction with your mouse movements. Hard surfaces also handle liquid spills much better than cloth.
Cloth Surface
The second type of surface that Puretrak makes is the more generic cloth surface. Cloth surfaces generally have more friction and feel a bit different than hard surfaces. Puretrak itself markets the cloth surfaces as slower, higher precision surfaces in comparison to the hard surface pads it sells. Puretrak makes its cloth surfaces extremely large as well: You know you are getting a large mousepad when it comes packed in a tube like the one containing the Stealth surface.
The Stealth is the smallest of the cloth surface type of pads. That being said, the pad itself is still very large. It is longer than the Deluxe pad and takes up a bit too much space on a desk for business use, though gamers might find the space more usable. We've really never encountered a time when we used the entire mousepad for tracking anyway, as most people stick to a small area to the bottom left of the pad. The Stealth is 15" x 10" and is 3/16" thick.
The two other cloth pads that Puretrak makes are the Talent and Complexity. Both are basically the same pad, with the difference being in the design. The Talent has a pattern that looks like the Classic or Deluxe while the Complexity has a nice looking graphic on it, which does look very nice compared to other cloth pads. The problem is that these pads are 19" x 14" with a thickness of 1/4", which is simply too large for most non-gaming uses. Another problem for cloth pads is liquid spills. You need to be more careful about spilling on a cloth surface, though that is a problem with cloth pads in general rather than these pads specifically.