Alright, I'm finally getting around to this. I haven't really had time for... well, anything since Saturday, so I apologize for those of you who actually wanted to hear about the pads.
So, basically put, my immediate reactions stuck with me. They just got a little bit more elaborate.
Ratpadz GS: I simply could not get comfortable with this pad. I tried it on a few different machines, with various ball and optical mice, and the tracking was decent. Most of the time it felt a little... slow. I'm not sure why it was, but it always seemed like my hand was just a split second late when I was using this pad. Optical mice still jumped from time to time, though still less often than on a regular desk (or even a sheet of paper). Every once in a while, the pad would slip, despite the "no slip feet." Also, the pad still feels WAY too tall.
Playing Battlefield 1942, Counter-Strike, and Unreal Tournament 2004 with this pad I scored ever so slightly better than I did without a pad. It was so slight a difference that I might attribute it to random variation.
The readout:
Tracking with optical mouse: 8/10
Tracking with ball mouse: 10/10
Comfort: 2/10
Smell: none/some
Visual coolness factor: 7/10 (the curved bottom sort of looks like a stealth bomber, or perhaps the Batmobile)
Number of mouse clips: 0/1
pr0n surfing speed: 9/10
Total: 36 points out of a possible 51 and then some.
fUnc sUrface 1030: Still my pad of choice. Tested this pad with the same machines I used above, with all the same mice, and I tested both the smooth and slightly less smooth surfaces. The tracking is nearly perfect on this thing, even with my cheap Logitech optical mouse. The only time I ever noticed a tracking issue was after one extended UT2K4 session on the smooth surface. My optical mouse jumped and I turned around entirely. My prognosis? The sweat from my hand after the long gaming session interfered with the pad, and it screwed up the mouse. That IS just a guess, but it's the best I could come up with. I never had that problem with the rougher surface, even after longer sessions. After using them both extensively, I learned to like the rougher surface more than the smooth one, because of the physical feedback I got. It helped me aim because I could feel it better, but I think it's ultimately a matter of personal preference. And one of the nicest features about this pad? The mouse clip. It's a really simple metal clip that attaches to the rubber base on the top or sides, but it helps considerably. The pamphlet that came with the pad describes basically how to set it up (it's not that hard even without directions), and it works perfectly. There is little/no drag (I never noticed any drag, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there) on the mouse from the cord, and you avoid the problem of having a heavier cordless mouse. This pad with its rubber base never once slipped, even during extreme gaming conditions (ie, when I died from that BS hax0r and started hitting it). The smell I mentioned in the earlier post is still there, but only when my face is right next to the pad. So not TOO often.
My scores improved considerably with this pad, as did my aim.
The readout:
Tracking with optical mouse: 9.5/10 (would be a 10, except for that jump)
Tracking with ball mouse: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10
Smell: You can get used to it.
Visual coolness factor: 7/10 (There's nothing particularly special about it, but it does look nice and sleek, like a ninja.)
Number of mouse clips: 1/1
pr0n surfing speed: 10/10
Total: 46.5 points out of a possible 51, plus the smell.
The verdict:
The fUnc sUrface 1030 (
http://www.func.net) is the obvious winnar. It is smooth as silk, it never slips, it has the simple yet elegant mouse clip, and the smell is funny yet comforting, like your grandmother. I have nothing but praise for this pad, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get a new pad for optical or ball mice, for any application.