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Steelpad Round-Up
Testing 4D
The second mousing surface I tested from Steelpad was their Steelpad 4D. Similarly marketed towards gamers and graphics professionals it offers "perfection in accuracy and precision," or so says the packaging. Although the 4S and 4D are exactly the same dimensions, they are constructed of wholly different materials. The 4D is a plastic composite material, with one side being smooth and shiny while the other is a matte finish and somewhat rough to the touch. I am assuming the idea here is to use the smoother surface with a laser mouse and the rough side with roller mouse.   Included in the 4D package is the aforementioned strip of Teflon tape and a non-slip pad to place under the surface so it doesn't!well!slip. The non-slip pad looks as though it is made from the same stuff your mom used under the rugs on the hardwood floors at home, that kind of spongy globular padding. A bit of roaming did occur under robust gaming use. The pad itself didn't move, but rather the thin plastic mousing surface. Over time and under heavy gaming, the mouse pad seems to migrate a bit. This can be cured with the use of some double sided tape or hot melt glue to join the non-slip pad to the surface. But you had better be sure which side you prefer before you go gluing the thing to the non-slip pad. The hot glue I used didn't really come off and left a residue that marred the rough surface and tore the hell out of the non-slip pad. I also burned my finger, but that wasn't the pad's fault. Double stick tape worked rather well, but has a tendency to stay stuck on the non-slip pad; however, it didn't damage it. I first tested my laser mouse on the smooth side. To my surprise, it offered even less resistance than the aluminum surface. I mean this thing is slicker than Wal-Mart floors after a January snowfall. In fact, the surface is so relatively frictionless that the recoil of the mouse cord slithering its way back straight is enough to move the mouse freely when one's hand is removed. The rough side didn't work so well with my laser mouse. It seemed to get caught up a bit. My theory was correct: Rough for roller balls, smooth for lasers. My roller ball mouse performed quite well on the rough side. I like it better than my cloth/gel pad I use at work. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it improved my mousing skills with the roller mouse, my pointer definitely never skipped or stuttered as is common with cheaper foam mouse pads. Roller mousing on the smooth side worked as well. I did notice a very small amount of skipping, possibly related to the fact that my roller mouse is well used, but it may also be possible that the smooth surface is just too darn smooth!use it for your laser mice, I beseech you. UPDATE (01-30-04): However, after speaking with a rep from Steelpad, it was brought to my attention that, in fact, I am a goober and the rough side of the pad was originally intended for optical use and the smooth side for rollerball use. I just found the smooth side more to my liking. In the end it's really up to your own personal preference. Either way you won't be disappointed with the performance.
Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: Testing 4S Page 3: Testing 4D Page 4: The Padsurfers & Conclusion 
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