Comments on: Of Rodents and Users http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/ Stating the obvious since 1982 Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:31:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: ionfish http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-24 Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:58:25 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-24 Cardboard's pretty good, because of the texture; gives it the right amount of traction as well as suitably fine detail for the optics to latch onto. The only downside is that it tends to get battered and scruffy quite quickly with heavy use... but hey, it's just cardboard, you can recycle it and get a nice piece. Cardboard’s pretty good, because of the texture; gives it the right amount of traction as well as suitably fine detail for the optics to latch onto. The only downside is that it tends to get battered and scruffy quite quickly with heavy use… but hey, it’s just cardboard, you can recycle it and get a nice piece.

]]> by: Assimilator http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-23 Wed, 06 Apr 2005 09:51:36 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-23 After moving house about 3 weeks ago, I lost my long-lived Intel mousepad, so now I'm using... an A4 piece of brown cardboard. It actually seems to give my optical mouse finer control than with the Intel pad, go figure. After moving house about 3 weeks ago, I lost my long-lived Intel mousepad, so now I’m using… an A4 piece of brown cardboard. It actually seems to give my optical mouse finer control than with the Intel pad, go figure.

]]> by: ionfish http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-20 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 23:29:56 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-20 Comments are now formatted with Textile; I'll look into creating a local page with a list of all Textile tags. Comments are now formatted with Textile; I’ll look into creating a local page with a list of all Textile tags.

]]> by: ceejayoz http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-19 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 23:07:49 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-19 \o/ subscriptions! \o/ subscriptions!

]]> by: ionfish http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-18 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 23:53:45 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-18 I think to a great extent it depends on personal circumstances. In retrospect I think the RatPad would have been worth it even if I hadn't been playing games (which, in general, I don't anymore). This largely comes down to 'feel'; I prefer the feel of the control I have when using the pad to the feel I get when just having the mouse on the desk. Partly this is probably simply an aesthetic preference, and partly it's down to the particular circumstances of one's usage. I think to a great extent it depends on personal circumstances. In retrospect I think the RatPad would have been worth it even if I hadn’t been playing games (which, in general, I don’t anymore). This largely comes down to ‘feel’; I prefer the feel of the control I have when using the pad to the feel I get when just having the mouse on the desk. Partly this is probably simply an aesthetic preference, and partly it’s down to the particular circumstances of one’s usage.

]]> by: SquidDNA http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-17 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 20:05:36 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-17 I can see the appeal of a professional mousing surface for improvements to CS, but that's throwing good money after bad for me. I can see the appeal of a professional mousing surface for improvements to CS, but that’s throwing good money after bad for me.

]]> by: ionfish http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-16 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 19:39:29 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-16 Besides the great surface (textured but still smooth, so it works for both ball and optical mice) one of the great advantages of the RatPad is the little rubber feet. I used to play Counter-Strike a fair bit, and it was a greatly improved experience for having a mousepad that didn't slide and was big enough for me to do 180-degree spins pretty easily, and still retain accurate aiming control. Nowadays, that level of control remains useful, but for doing graphics rather than shooting people. My desk's solid pine, and optical mice track well on it, but I still prefer having an actual mousepad. I know optical mice were meant to be the death of mousepads, but I've found that having a consistent (albeit patterned) surface helps considerably, especially when control is needed. Besides the great surface (textured but still smooth, so it works for both ball and optical mice) one of the great advantages of the RatPad is the little rubber feet. I used to play Counter-Strike a fair bit, and it was a greatly improved experience for having a mousepad that didn’t slide and was big enough for me to do 180-degree spins pretty easily, and still retain accurate aiming control. Nowadays, that level of control remains useful, but for doing graphics rather than shooting people.

My desk’s solid pine, and optical mice track well on it, but I still prefer having an actual mousepad. I know optical mice were meant to be the death of mousepads, but I’ve found that having a consistent (albeit patterned) surface helps considerably, especially when control is needed.

]]> by: SquidDNA http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-15 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 19:28:01 +0000 http://ionfish.co.uk/2005/04/of-rodents-and-users/#comment-15 At home I have some kind of wood patterened linoleum-on-steel industrial desk surface from the 70's. It is, in itself, the perfect mousepad. I clean the mouse and the area of dustclots with the trailing edge of a razor blade. At work I'm less fortunate-- all surfaces are that multithousand dollar black ceramic armor plating that is an absolute necessity in the lab-- it won't burn, or dissolve in the strongest organic solvents, acids, or bases. It's also damn near perfectly smooth and reflective, which makes the poor mouse's glowing red eye bleed. So I just put down couple of copies of last week's lab meeting handout. There's enough type on them to give the eye something to grab, and a few sheets of paper provide enough friction to keep the pad from sliding around on the surface. At home I have some kind of wood patterened linoleum-on-steel industrial desk surface from the 70’s. It is, in itself, the perfect mousepad. I clean the mouse and the area of dustclots with the trailing edge of a razor blade.

At work I’m less fortunate– all surfaces are that multithousand dollar black ceramic armor plating that is an absolute necessity in the lab– it won’t burn, or dissolve in the strongest organic solvents, acids, or bases. It’s also damn near perfectly smooth and reflective, which makes the poor mouse’s glowing red eye bleed. So I just put down couple of copies of last week’s lab meeting handout. There’s enough type on them to give the eye something to grab, and a few sheets of paper provide enough friction to keep the pad from sliding around on the surface.

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