|
|
|
|
|
XTRAC Hammer, XTRAC Ripper XL, Steelpad QcK+ Mousepads and Mad Wax |
|
Join the community - in the OCAU Forums!
|
Steelpad QcK+
Steelpad QcK+:
The last mousepad we're going to look at today comes from Steelpad, the same company responsible for the Steelpad S&S mousepad I was so impressed with not so long ago.
 
The Steelpad QcK+ arrived rolled up and in a cardboard box. Once unrolled, I soon realised that I was going to have to come up with another synonym for "big". After consulting a thesaurus, I think perhaps "gargantuan" is appropriate. Believe it or not, it's even bigger than the XTRAC Ripper XL. The Steelpad QcK+ measures in at a starting-to-be-silly 450mm x 400mm - the same width as the Ripper XL, but even deeper. Time to pack those cheese sandwiches!
Here we can see the QcK+ set up on my desk at work. Yes, that's a full sized keyboard, and a normal sized mouse, not one of those small notebook mice.
The top mousing surface of the QcK+ is a similar fine-woven black cloth as the XTRAC RipperXL, and it has a similar feel. Nice and smooth and fairly firm.
Side on, the QcK+ is around 2mm thick, slightly thinner than the Ripper XL (2.5mm). Thinner means less compression, which suggests that the QcK+ should be at least as good as the Ripper XL at minimising that spongy effect I mentioned earlier.
Underneath the QcK+, we can see the same sort of textured rubber backing as the Ripper XL, proving ample grip. I performed the same grip "tests" as for the Ripper XL, with basically the same results. Under normal use, I don't think it would slip around - it certainly didn't on the surfaces I used it on.
Usage:
Once I cleared enough space to fit it within reach, I found the QcK+ to be a pleasure to use. No spongy feel, good grip, and a nice smooth mousing surface. In many ways the QcK+ is a similar mousepad to the Ripper XL, and it feels much the same to use.
Accuracy again was fantastic (as verified by some more Halflife 2), and after another bout of shake-the-mouse-around-like-a-madman, I still couldn't make it mistrack - and trust me, I tried. It felt solid and definite in its tracking and downward pressure on the mouse was met with a good firm response. I used the QcK+ at work for a few weeks, and it didn't slip up once.
I have to say that I've changed my opinion of cloth mousepads. Not as smooth and slick as hard plastic pads, but they do offer added flexibility, which some people would no doubt find invaluable.
|
|
Advertisement:
All original content copyright James Rolfe.
All rights reserved. No reproduction allowed without written permission.
Interested in advertising on OCAU? Contact us for info.
|
|
