We've been thinking a bit about red, white and blue. We're not prematurely looking ahead to the 4th of July, but instead referring to red and blue lasers on a shiny white surface...that surface being our IKEA desk. You see, we're finally ditching our Wacom tablet and mouse to save on room, but that has resulted in an annoying issue with our Apple Magic Mouse not playing nice with the shiny white desk. The Magic Mouse uses an updated laser tracking, but like older red laser models, it still hiccups on shiny surfaces. Thus, we've gone back to the future and revived the use of...now hold your breath...a mouse pad.
Last week we sat down with a tandem team of Microsoft designers, Chris Kujawski (User Experience) and Lindsey Kujawskii (Industrial Designer), and while discussing their design philosophy and process, they mentioned the antiquated use of mouse pads. I chuckled at the mention, as I haven't used one myself in years. But now I find myself dusting off a 99 cents IKEA mousepad after a few days of using a book as a temporary surface. The thin book worked fine (an Eames book, no less!), but after awhile, the raised surface began to bother my wrists and I decided I needed to set aside my pride and get back to a mousing surface.
Both Chris and Lindsey noted newer mouse technology, like that found in the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 models, use blue lasers (MS calls their version BlueTrack technology) and are able to go where other mice fear to tread. We're not yet ready to ditch our Bluetooth, dongle-free Apple mouse yet, but we do think everyone needs to follow suit with Microsoft and start using blue lasers too.
The 99 cents IKEA special is no frills, right down to the lightweight construction and all-white surface (a surefire magnet for stains eventually). What we want to do is spiffy up our mousing surface with some custom fabric, similarly as shown over at crafting site, The Long Thread (photo above). We've been perusing our V&A Pattern books, specifically the Kimono edition, and we're hoping we find something like the Green Waves pattern by Moriguchi Kunihiko, to grace our pad (yes, we know about printing out a mouse pad using software/inkjets, but the muted/blurry colours sort of leave us unimpressed like every home fabric printer solution). No, for now, we'll settle for the all white budget special and keep an eye out for a fabric that we think will look and feel nice...at least until the day we move to a non-shiny all white desk.
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I never stopped using a mousepad... even though my mouse hasn't needed them for a long time. I like the picture and the soft fabric texture of the pad; it adds a personal touch to a desk and computer setup with little effort.
ever since i started using infrared mice back in 2002 - i never got used to the feeling of sliding mice across a surface like a table. i've always had a mousepad.
in fact i'm still using my old mousepad from back then - it's quaint having an antiquated old mousepad on my desk while i still replace keyboards, wacoms, speakers and monitors :)
I still use a mousepad as well, but mostly because its surface is faster than a table in gaming.
We have to use a mouse pad - our shiny glass desk wouldn't let us get away from it.
Our desk is high-gloss, so wireless mice don't register without some sort of mouse pad. I use a funky place mat, and the bf uses the most recent copy of Maxim, lol.
I use my Moleskine
My primary use for a mouse pad is preventing my palms and wrists from contact with a hard and cold surface, so use three mouse pads - one for the rodent, and two for my elbows. Either I`m getting old, or the desk surface gets harder and colder year by year :) I plan to ditch all of them as soon as I find that fabric-covered foam that mouse pads are made of in sheets large enough to cover my entire desk :)
I use a extra large mouse pad the covers my whole keyboard tray. Although laser mice track on almost any surface a true tracking service eliminates so many tracking errors especially in the last 10% of the battery when the mouse is in conserve or weak laser mode. Totally worth the money. A "desk pad" is like $15 dollars.
i am always amazed when this question comes up.
Yes, I use a mousepad at home and at work. At work i have a frosted glass ikea desk and although my new mouse plays nice with it (Goodbye crappy mighty mouse with a stuck then broken wheel) I still use a pad. I have an icemat and the texture is so much better for the mouse. Less resistance, better movement. The ice mat however didn't work with my old MM.
At home i have a simple foam mousepad. My desk is plywood that i clear coated. Yes, a mouse works find on it, but I don't wan tot slowly rub the finish off the desk and have an ugly desk. I would rather just get a new mousepad when it wears out.
Yes: glass-topped desk at home, splintery wood desk at work. Mousepads all the way.
I'll take your Wacom tablet! in desperate need of one