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Computer Specials |
XTrac Hammer Gaming Mouse PadProvided By: XTrac So you’ve gone out and either bought or had the game system of your dreams assembled. You bought the fastest video card for those really intense games. You got the fastest processor and the biggest screen to be able to enjoy every bit of the graphics that is produced. Once it is all together and you are ready to fire it up, you grab your optical mouse set it on an old mouse pad that originally came with a dell 4 years ago. Why not actually spend the money and get a high quality pad for that high quality system? Maybe it’s really not worth it. Aren't all mouse pads are the same? Well let’s take a look at the Xtrac Hammer mouse pad and find out.
Packaging: The Hammer pad was sent USPS with a Ripper pad. Since this product is bought through resellers and is only a mouse pad, I won't go into detail about the packaging. Specifications: Specifications listed below can be found on XTrac's web site.
Description: The first thing I noticed with this mouse pad was how big it was. It’s made for the gamer that plays demanding games and cannot miss a beat. To allow for uninterrupted movement, it's big enough so you don’t have to pick up the mouse for repositioning. Of course this obviously requires a desk with enough space to hold the size of the pad without something intruding upon the space. To show you how big the Hammer is compared to a regular size pad, I took a picture of it with my regular mouse pad that has gel wrist rest.
As see the Hammer mouse pad is exceptionally big compared to a regular size mouse pads. From the picture you can notice the other feature the Xtrac has. That feature is little cells to break up the surface look so that an optical mouse can track exceptionally well compared to something that has no difference in surface color. The Xtrac Hammer has is a porous underside that is supposed to help keep it in one place while it's heavily used. I still found myself sometimes pushing it back on my desk as it kept trying to edge off the side. Nothing really major, but a minor annoyance that some will find a pain when trying to really get into a game. Included in the package is a set of "Mouse Feet". These do not come with XTrac's mouse pads and must be purchased separately. What these feet are made to do is aid in the smoothness and responsiveness of the mouse when coupled with the semi slick surface. The feet are basically a Teflon tape.
To some these may seem useless, but they really helped me when I put them on my Logitech MX700. The surface turned from being a little slick to being perfect for using with my mouse. The Hammer mouse pad has a harder slicker surface than the ripper. Usage: A good thing about the Xtrac was the precise movement I am able to get in almost every game I played. In UT2004, I am able to aim more precisely and didn't have to pick up my hand in order to reposition my mouse. This really helped in the battles I got into with the enemy. In games like Command and Conquer the precise movement wasn't as noticeable. I was able to zero in on the units faster and tell them where to go without having to reposition the mouse again. While in the middle of scrolling through the map, I consistently found it easier to hit a spot. Conclusion: So is $20 for a mouse pad really worth it? Well if you still are using a non optical mouse then it’s not worth it. However, if you are using an optical mouse this pad will more than likely help if you’re gamer and also help your normal day to day computer usage. I used to love my gel rest for my wrist but the more I use this pad the happier I am with it. This is definitely a good buy to me. Pros:
Cons:
Rating: (Ratings Possible Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent) |
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