Mouse Raider!

I hate mousepads.  They slide all over the place, they stain, and they start to smell funny after a couple of keg parties.  Mine usually sits on the opposite side of my keyboard, with a drink on top of it so I don't ruin the finish on my desk.  Frankly, I never even saw the point of them after the advent of the optical mouse.  Back in the days of the trackball I understood it, you couldn't get those damned things to work on any other surface.

In reality, before the world of hardcore computer gaming came along there really was no need for the mousepad for the optical mouse.  Nearly any surface would do the job.  But as mice got better, and their DPI resolution improved well into the thousands, your standard desktop surface just didn't do the trick anymore.  So people like Nova came along and decided to make sure you were getting the most out of your $75 mouse.

Today I'm checking out the Nova Raider.  It's got a great dpi rating, a nice smooth finish, and will stick to just about anything. 

Specs:

• 6000 DPI - Random micro-mirrors to detect and amplify the optical and laser signal.
• ALERTING FRAME - To instinctively re-center the gamer on the pad.
• ADHESIVE STRENGTH - Its cellular foam sticks to surfaces by micro-suction.
• ERGONOMIC DESIGN - Size 268 x 230 x 2 mm.
• MONO-COMPONENT FOAM - Long-lasting pad.

In my personal opinion, this pad could probably do wonders for the average gamer.  It's slick and highly reflective surface allowed maximum response out of my optical mouse.  My favorite little feature was the adhesive surface on the back.  It's much like a silicone gel that seems to grab on and just won't let go.  Normally I have all kinds of hell out of mousepads when I'm gaming.  They slide all over the place and won't seem to stay still.  I was pleased to have my pad stay in one place for once.

The dpi of this mouse will likely give those with high performance mice a happier gaming experience.  When your mouse is able to bounce its laser back into its lens more efficiently, it works better and faster.  So when the surface of your mousepad enables your mouse to it better and faster, it means faster reaction time in games when it counts.  Ever tried to fight aliens with a choppy mouse?  It just doesn't work.

And last but not least is the soft foam core.  While it doesn't offer much wrist support, it is still a tad more cushion than your standard thin mousepads.  This can help with those cramps that show up in your thumb and the side of your hand after you've been playing for way too long.  Ideally you should have just stopped playing long ago, but who does anything ideally anymore?  Have mousepad, will game.

Those who are not looking for a fast response time out of their mouse will probably get irritated at just how slick the pad can be.  It was made for the mouse's “skates” to just slide right across it.  For your standard user this can develop into a pain in the anus.  While the sticky bottom is hard to move, it can be hard to peel off if you don't have decent enough fingernails.  And, at the bottom of the pile is the pad's size.  It's really a bit bigger than it needs to be.  This means less real estate on your desk where a USB-powered soda cooler could go.  Chances are you will either love it or hate it, but either way, you have to get one to find out.  Enjoy.

The Nova Raider can be purchased from Performance PCs here.

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