Although technology is advancing left and right - new processors, memory, and video cards - everything seems to be advancing. Yet the interface with which interact with the computer has not gone through a major change in a long time - green cathode ray tubes were used for monitors in the seventies, which have also undergone overhauls in recent years - flat cathode ray tube monitors have emerged, and LCDs are now the current rage. Yet, the keyboard and mouse have not changed quite much at all. Keyboards use different mechanisms for receiving keystrokes (BS vs. Membrane article) and mice now no longer use balls with light-gates, but use an optical sensor. With the introduction of an optical sensor, more precision could be derived from the mouse, but the surface of the mouse became even more important than it had ever been before.

Nowadays we have mouse pads that are specifically designed for optical mice - and even though it might seem a bit silly, the market for mouse pads has gotten quite big. In this review, the [H]ardOCP's RatPadz, PCXMods' X-Trac, M3's Precise Mousing Surface, and a common mouse pad are all put to the test - for optical and ball mice.