(THIS TUNE - BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY BY THE VERVE)

By Tred - MAIL THE AUTHOR

I won't lie to you, I'm a hardcore gamer.  I'm not the best quake player in the world, but I've kicked my share of asses.  Back when my ass was the one being kicked, I didn't realize that there is more to winning then just installing Quake on my computer and playing over and over again.  Unfortunately, computers and peripherals matter.  Everyone knows that more fps is a good thing, but not until recently did gamers start realizing that the keyboard & mouse combo could benefit greatly from a good keyboard and a good mouse.  Where am I going with this?  Get a good mouse and put it on a good mousepad.........

When the 3m Precise Mousing Surfaces started to get popular, I of course got one.  It was great, but a few months later it had been worn so thin I might as well have been using a piece of paper.  I was not about to shell out 15 bucks every few months for a damn mouse pad, hell I was hesitant to lay down the initial $15. Then I heard about the Everglide...

For about $12, Everglide would send me an ugly white cutting-board look alike that they claimed was a great mousing surface that would never wear out. I figured I could risk the $12, so I went ahead and ordered one. When it showed up, I immediately fell in love with it.  It was smooth like the 3m, but it didn't wear out.  It was rather ugly however, and was pretty small. A mere 9 1/4" x 8 1/2".  It also was pretty high off the table, at 1/4" deep.

Over time, the Everglide started to actually deteriorate.  By this time they started to offer larger pads, measuring in at 8" x 10 1/4".  They asked for $20.  Screw that, I'm sticking with my old everglide.  I don't have that much desk space anyway.

Then the great god Kyle from HardOCP.com started talking about making their own smooth surface mouse pads, and I requested one for review (at the time I wrote for a different site).  So I got a package the other day.  I was all excited and ran downstairs and ripped it open like a mad man.

It was 11.5" x 9.5" of sheer beauty. (Although Sarah wasn't impressed with this as (1):  She has seen Kyle's whole 12" for herself and (2):  Those dimensions just don't do it for her - But pornographic references aside, this is one damn great piece of kit) None of this ugly white crap with an Everglide sticker, the Ratpad is big and black and has "ratpadz.com" painted onto the top. It just plain looks cooler than the everglide. Why care what it looks like?

Well, the everglide and the ratpad probably both use similar materials based on similar polymers for their surfaces.  Constant mousing between one and the other shows no discernable difference. They're both really smooth and feel like some type of particle board made out of plastic. I know I've mentioned it before, but they bear a striking resemblance to the surface of a cutting board.

So if the surfaces are the same, what's the difference? Well they both cost about 20 bucks and the ratpad is bigger. What does that mean? More for your money, woohoo!  Plus, the ratpad is much cooler looking, has a cooler name, and is made by an (allegedly) cooler guy. 

THE INFAMOUS KYLE - MAKER OF THE RATPADZ

This pad is really great.  Playing Quake 3 on it was a whole new world.  It's almost as if your mouse is just floating in space.  The ability to quickly twist and change direction as it effortlessly guides the mouse is quite astounding.  Certainly for $18.95 this is a vital addition to any gamers collection.

Watching the frag-count zoom was proof enough to me that a decent mousemat is an essential tool.  It's like shooting yourself in the foot if you don't have one.  What's more it's made BY GAMERS and FOR GAMERS.  Go and buy one now before Tamika demonstrates her ball-breaking (TM) twirl on you.........

I give it a perfect 10/10, only because there's pretty much nothing left to the mousepad business - at least in the near future - and this one is bigger and prettier and gets you a lot more kills in the games you like for the same price. 

Rating: 10/10

ADDENDUM - By Gayle:

It has been brought to the NudeOverclockers' attention that everglide are currently threatening RatPadz with legal action over their mousemat.  Now we find this to be wholly despicable.  Being the sneaky girl that I am, I can reveal to you the following:  Everglide hold copyrights to the name and shape of their pad but DO NOT have a patent for the actual pad, it's surface and coating and other technicalities.

There is a one year timeline in which the inventor has the right to file for a utility patent and this timeline passed without everglide doing so.  Which, in plain English means that ANYONE can make a similar mousemat.

The fact the Ratpadz and HardOCP are not major market players and are purely selling what is a gaming tool to a small group of gamers and that sales of Ratpadz would make a marginal at best dent on Everglides sales only shows everglide to be a company of questionable repute.

We have looked into this as we feel strongly about the small people being bullied by domineering companies.  Kyle initially approached Everglide to make the Ratpadz for him and subsequently experienced a bad service.  This was what prompted him to go it alone.

He has worked in the Petro-Chemical industry for a DECADE and has full knowledge of the polymers and other substances involved in the creation of a such a device.  Everglide are currently threatening to sue HardOCP for selling the Ratpad. 

We have heard numerous reports of the company having an appalling attitude and sub-standard customer service.  HardOCP has given a lot to the internet community and continues to do so.  The NudeOC gang feel that Ratpadz deserve our and your support. 

So what we're saying is simple, if you want a decent mousemat, GET A RATPAD.  CLICK HERE.

Alternatively MAIL US with your thoughts or MAIL KYLE to offer your support to him.

There is a very interesting discussion group about this which has several hundred posts from people who have either experienced bad service from Everglide or feel that they are bullying Ratpadz and are unreasonable and irrational.  We encourage you to check out this discussion thread to add your views and give support to this cause.

THE DISCUSSION THREAD

If you want to buy a Ratpadz or require more info then check out their site HERE