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MooseMan3000 · 07-15-2004, 05:30 PM

Alright, both pads got here yesterday.

Side note: The Func 1030 shipped from Texas to Maine via USPS, and the Ratpadz GS shipped from New Jersey to Maine (much shorter) via Fedex. They both left the same day, about the same time, and they both got here, about the same time. USPS was a lot cheaper, and it had nicer packaging.

So anyway. I haven't given them both their real testing yet (that will happen on Saturday at the LAN), but I have a few immediate impressions.

Ratpadz GS: Came alone, no packaging. It's just a large sheet of molded plastic, with rubber feet and a textured top. It is roughly the size of a regular piece of paper, in terms of actual surface space. It works well with an optical mouse, as well as a ball mouse, but every so often the optical will still jump. Not nearly as much as it used to on my desk. My main complaint thus far is that the GS is the tallest man made structure in the entire world. No joke. To use it, my hand has to be roughly a quarter of a mile above my desk. This, as you can imagine, is not particularly comfortable. And this brings me to the 1030:

fUnc sUrface 1030. Oh man, this is a gorgeous pad. It comes in an aluminum case with the two-sided pad, a rubber base, and a mouse cable clip which can go on 6 different parts of the base. The two sides are a smooth side and a smoother side (both slightly textured). Right now, after brief testing, I prefer the smoother side, but I'm going to give them both their fair share of testing. So this pad is small, sleek, and it feels nice as hell to use. It is about the size of a piece of paper again, only this time it's only about 2 millimeters high at the mousing surface. A slight improvement over the GS. My mouse responds quickly and accurately, with no jumps so far. My main complaint with this pad is that the surface is hard to get entirely into the rubber base. It took me 5 minutes or so to get it all lined up correctly the first time (time went down with practice...). Oh, and the rubber smells bad when you first open it. The smell dissipated in a few minutes, though, and I only notice it when I'm rubbing my nose along the rubber base.

So far, the 1030 wins hands down. It's smooth, it feels nice, it responds well, and it doesn't give me carpal tunnel just thinking about it. I'll post a few pictures and a little more detailed review after the LAN.

07-15-2004, 05:30 PM	#21 (permalink)
MooseMan3000 wouldn't mind being a ninja. Location: Maine, the Other White State.	Alright, both pads got here yesterday. Side note: The Func 1030 shipped from Texas to Maine via USPS, and the Ratpadz GS shipped from New Jersey to Maine (much shorter) via Fedex. They both left the same day, about the same time, and they both got here, about the same time. USPS was a lot cheaper, and it had nicer packaging. So anyway. I haven't given them both their real testing yet (that will happen on Saturday at the LAN), but I have a few immediate impressions. Ratpadz GS: Came alone, no packaging. It's just a large sheet of molded plastic, with rubber feet and a textured top. It is roughly the size of a regular piece of paper, in terms of actual surface space. It works well with an optical mouse, as well as a ball mouse, but every so often the optical will still jump. Not nearly as much as it used to on my desk. My main complaint thus far is that the GS is the tallest man made structure in the entire world. No joke. To use it, my hand has to be roughly a quarter of a mile above my desk. This, as you can imagine, is not particularly comfortable. And this brings me to the 1030: fUnc sUrface 1030. Oh man, this is a gorgeous pad. It comes in an aluminum case with the two-sided pad, a rubber base, and a mouse cable clip which can go on 6 different parts of the base. The two sides are a smooth side and a smoother side (both slightly textured). Right now, after brief testing, I prefer the smoother side, but I'm going to give them both their fair share of testing. So this pad is small, sleek, and it feels nice as hell to use. It is about the size of a piece of paper again, only this time it's only about 2 millimeters high at the mousing surface. A slight improvement over the GS. My mouse responds quickly and accurately, with no jumps so far. My main complaint with this pad is that the surface is hard to get entirely into the rubber base. It took me 5 minutes or so to get it all lined up correctly the first time (time went down with practice...). Oh, and the rubber smells bad when you first open it. The smell dissipated in a few minutes, though, and I only notice it when I'm rubbing my nose along the rubber base. So far, the 1030 wins hands down. It's smooth, it feels nice, it responds well, and it doesn't give me carpal tunnel just thinking about it. I'll post a few pictures and a little more detailed review after the LAN.