This is my review of Puretrak's "Talent"(cloth) and "Deluxe"(plastic) mouse pads, along with descriptions and comparisons with two other well known pads I've used, which are the qck+(non-heavy), and the mantis control. Enjoy :]
I ordered the largest and thickest versions (1/4" for cloth & 1/8" for plastic) they had of each pad because that's how I like em :) lol
I ordered my pads around 1pm thursday with their cheapest shipping which was $6.60 for 2 day USPS shipping, and they were delivered the next day at 2:45pm. I live in Southern California which is near one of the places they ship from. I don't remember where the other one is, but you can ask them in #puretrak on gamesurge if you want, or if you have any other questions. They sure answered all of mine ;)
You can find discount codes from 10% to 35% I believe in different IRC channels on gamesurge, and possibly other places as well. I used a 30% discount code and it took $12 off my total order which ended up to be $34.60 for both pads with shipping. If you were to only get the Talent pad it would cost you $17.50 with a 30% discount code, making this pad one of the cheapest large-and-thick cloth mouse pads out there.
Now for my review. I'll start off with the Talent pad because that's the one I like the best.
First thoughts: When you first take it out of the box and feel it, it feels very smooth (silky) to the touch but that does not translate to being "slippery" and hard to control your mouse on. The Talent mouse pad feels like it's touching every spot on your mouse feet, which translates to very good control. It seems to have a nice balance of friction vs glide. It seems like if it had too much more resistance it might hinder you when trying to make very small and precise movements.
When you push down on this pad with your finger, it doesn't feel that soft, but because of the material they used, when you move your mouse over it, it DOES feel soft, making for that "natural" feel that others have talked about.
I was debating about whether or not to include this next part because I don't notice it all the time, and you may or may not notice it depending on what mouse you have, how you hold it, your type of movement/sensitivity, etc. But I do notice from time to time that the amount of traction/friction seems to differ a bit. I think you'll notice it the most if you ever sort of tilt your mouse or hold it in a way that you're not applying equal pressure to the entire mouse. It seems like it happens when the mat gets a bit of dust or other particles from the air on it. I don't put anything other then my mouse on my pad, I wash my hands quite often, and I haven't spilled anything on or near the pad. I noticed it even the next day after I washed it. It might just be me but it seems like the surface could be made to be a bit more consistent. Even when moving my hand over the pad there seems to be slight dips/bumps, and I have it on a glass top desk... I think a softer backing would help.
This x-trac pad has been my favorite pad for a long time, it's just too small. If there was an identical pad that was big and thick it would definitely be my pad of choice. This pad feels slightly rougher then the Talent, but still seems to have a nice balance between friction and glide. It's also been very consistent for me. The large x-trac pad (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as.. doesn't look the same though so I'm not sure if it has the same texture/feel. If you read the comments about the large x-trac people say it's thin and has little friction, and "smooth surface it makes the mouse feet move across it like wet glass" so I don't think I'd like it. The Talent seemed to give more resistance then this pad at first because of the way it feels like it's touching every spot on your mouse feet, but once the Talent gets a bit of dust on it (I think that's the reason) it seems to take away some of the contact.
When I first felt my mantis control pad I was very surprised that it felt extremely rough to the touch (large gaps between the weaves). The roughness however, does not translate over to having lots of friction/resistance when moving your mouse over it. The actual mouse feet make less contact with the pad, so there isn't much traction. I actually scrubbed it with one of those metal pot scrubbers to give it more resistance. Other then that, it's a bit shorter on the width and it's not as thick as the Talent. You can't tell the difference in thickness since the rubber on both is pretty hard, but if the desk had some bump in it then that might make the difference. The rubber backing on the mantis control is a bit softer then the Talent's.
I started out using the mantis control pad on a carpet floor for a few months to a year I think. The added cushion from the carpet softened the feel and added more traction. If I had started off using it on a desk right away I probably would have returned it soon after I got it. I even tried putting different cloths/towels underneath it when I started using it on my desk later but nothing was as consistent as the carpet so you could really feel the different dips and bumps, which really didn't work. The rubber backing on this pad is softer then the Talent, so I like that part better about it.
I got the qck+ after getting frustrated with the lack of traction with my mantis control pad. I would of gotten the qck heavy but they didn't have it at the store (micro center). From my experience as well as comments from others, this pad seems very inconsistent. For me it had very nice traction when I first got it, then seemed to get very slippery very fast (within 1 to 5 days I think). Other people say it adds friction rapidly... the complete opposite of my experience.
Overall, the Talent pad has been the best experience for me. Since I used a pad on carpet for a while and I know what it feels like to have that "cushioned" feeling, I think if the 1/4" rubber backing was softer the mouse pad would be even better. I've been playing on a desk for well over a year now, so I don't think getting used to the feel of the desk is the issue. I still prefer that cushioned feeling with a mouse pad.
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The Deluxe pad is smooth and hard and so are your mouse feet. If you were paying attention in school you'd know that that equals very little friction =}
Some people like pads with no friction, but I don't... the more friction (up to the point where you're still able to make very small movements) the better, because it makes it that much easier to control your mouse. But obviously some people find no friction to be a good thing because I see people posting comments on pads like "I can just barely nudge my mouse and it will slide across the mouse pad from one end to the other", and they rate pads like this 5/5 because for some reason they like that. So if you're one of those people then you'll love this pad.
Also, they implemented special technology into this mouse pad that allows for accurate DPI tracking of up to 4000 DPI. So if you have a high dpi mouse and it's having trouble on other mouse pads you might want to have a go on this one. At $15(w/out a discount code) it probably costs about 1/4th of what you paid for your high dpi mouse.
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After using the Talent pad for about a week, I stuck it in the wash and one of the sides frayed (the surface stitching started to come apart). None of the other cloth pads I've washed have done this, but maybe I just got a bad one because I haven't heard of that happening to anyone else. After washing it though, it did seem to return to how it felt brand new. I'm interested to know how the Talent compares to the "Speed" versions of razer's mouse pads, but since no one seems to be able to make a detailed comparison I'll either have to buy and maybe return one, or wait till I can spot someone at a LAN with one...
Edit: added link and comments to the large x-trac mousepad
u sir... have to be the dumbest kid known to man..... never write a review again because your review... makes people never want to read a review again..
I just wanted to make it as detailed as possible though, because all you see here on gotfrag is "that pad sucks" "qck ftw", or whatever it is. People don't describe anything in detail they just tell you if they liked it or not pretty much, and that doesn't help at all when shopping for something, because not everyone wants/likes the same thing.
#7 never had this problem after washing it :) but really when you wash Talent it feels so new and smells so good ) thats what i like it, because you can always make it feel like new :)
lol #13... this isn't even a pro puretrak review... I pointed out a few things I didn't like that could be improved on, but over all it is a good pad especially for the price. It originated here btw: http://hardware.gotfrag.com/portal/forums..
and #12 it has that information on their website, I just stuck mine in the washing machine
I really wish more people would comment in detail about the pads they have (hoping for a comparison of the razer speed pads), it would really help when choosing one since you can't test them for your self at a store.
What pad do you have #13? Care to describe/compare it?
Review of Puretrak & others
http://www.puretrak.com/products/
I ordered the largest and thickest versions (1/4" for cloth & 1/8" for plastic) they had of each pad because that's how I like em :) lol
I ordered my pads around 1pm thursday with their cheapest shipping which was $6.60 for 2 day USPS shipping, and they were delivered the next day at 2:45pm. I live in Southern California which is near one of the places they ship from. I don't remember where the other one is, but you can ask them in #puretrak on gamesurge if you want, or if you have any other questions. They sure answered all of mine ;)
You can find discount codes from 10% to 35% I believe in different IRC channels on gamesurge, and possibly other places as well. I used a 30% discount code and it took $12 off my total order which ended up to be $34.60 for both pads with shipping. If you were to only get the Talent pad it would cost you $17.50 with a 30% discount code, making this pad one of the cheapest large-and-thick cloth mouse pads out there.
Now for my review. I'll start off with the Talent pad because that's the one I like the best.
First thoughts:
When you first take it out of the box and feel it, it feels very smooth (silky) to the touch but that does not translate to being "slippery" and hard to control your mouse on. The Talent mouse pad feels like it's touching every spot on your mouse feet, which translates to very good control. It seems to have a nice balance of friction vs glide. It seems like if it had too much more resistance it might hinder you when trying to make very small and precise movements.
When you push down on this pad with your finger, it doesn't feel that soft, but because of the material they used, when you move your mouse over it, it DOES feel soft, making for that "natural" feel that others have talked about.
I was debating about whether or not to include this next part because I don't notice it all the time, and you may or may not notice it depending on what mouse you have, how you hold it, your type of movement/sensitivity, etc.
But I do notice from time to time that the amount of traction/friction seems to differ a bit. I think you'll notice it the most if you ever sort of tilt your mouse or hold it in a way that you're not applying equal pressure to the entire mouse. It seems like it happens when the mat gets a bit of dust or other particles from the air on it. I don't put anything other then my mouse on my pad, I wash my hands quite often, and I haven't spilled anything on or near the pad. I noticed it even the next day after I washed it. It might just be me but it seems like the surface could be made to be a bit more consistent. Even when moving my hand over the pad there seems to be slight dips/bumps, and I have it on a glass top desk...
I think a softer backing would help.
This x-trac pad has been my favorite pad for a long time, it's just too small. If there was an identical pad that was big and thick it would definitely be my pad of choice. This pad feels slightly rougher then the Talent, but still seems to have a nice balance between friction and glide. It's also been very consistent for me. The large x-trac pad (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as.. doesn't look the same though so I'm not sure if it has the same texture/feel. If you read the comments about the large x-trac people say it's thin and has little friction, and "smooth surface it makes the mouse feet move across it like wet glass" so I don't think I'd like it.
The Talent seemed to give more resistance then this pad at first because of the way it feels like it's touching every spot on your mouse feet, but once the Talent gets a bit of dust on it (I think that's the reason) it seems to take away some of the contact.
When I first felt my mantis control pad I was very surprised that it felt extremely rough to the touch (large gaps between the weaves). The roughness however, does not translate over to having lots of friction/resistance when moving your mouse over it. The actual mouse feet make less contact with the pad, so there isn't much traction. I actually scrubbed it with one of those metal pot scrubbers to give it more resistance. Other then that, it's a bit shorter on the width and it's not as thick as the Talent. You can't tell the difference in thickness since the rubber on both is pretty hard, but if the desk had some bump in it then that might make the difference. The rubber backing on the mantis control is a bit softer then the Talent's.
I started out using the mantis control pad on a carpet floor for a few months to a year I think. The added cushion from the carpet softened the feel and added more traction. If I had started off using it on a desk right away I probably would have returned it soon after I got it. I even tried putting different cloths/towels underneath it when I started using it on my desk later but nothing was as consistent as the carpet so you could really feel the different dips and bumps, which really didn't work. The rubber backing on this pad is softer then the Talent, so I like that part better about it.
I got the qck+ after getting frustrated with the lack of traction with my mantis control pad. I would of gotten the qck heavy but they didn't have it at the store (micro center). From my experience as well as comments from others, this pad seems very inconsistent. For me it had very nice traction when I first got it, then seemed to get very slippery very fast (within 1 to 5 days I think). Other people say it adds friction rapidly... the complete opposite of my experience.
Overall, the Talent pad has been the best experience for me. Since I used a pad on carpet for a while and I know what it feels like to have that "cushioned" feeling, I think if the 1/4" rubber backing was softer the mouse pad would be even better. I've been playing on a desk for well over a year now, so I don't think getting used to the feel of the desk is the issue. I still prefer that cushioned feeling with a mouse pad.
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The Deluxe pad is smooth and hard and so are your mouse feet. If you were paying attention in school you'd know that that equals very little friction =}
Some people like pads with no friction, but I don't... the more friction (up to the point where you're still able to make very small movements) the better, because it makes it that much easier to control your mouse. But obviously some people find no friction to be a good thing because I see people posting comments on pads like "I can just barely nudge my mouse and it will slide across the mouse pad from one end to the other", and they rate pads like this 5/5 because for some reason they like that. So if you're one of those people then you'll love this pad.
Also, they implemented special technology into this mouse pad that allows for accurate DPI tracking of up to 4000 DPI. So if you have a high dpi mouse and it's having trouble on other mouse pads you might want to have a go on this one. At $15(w/out a discount code) it probably costs about 1/4th of what you paid for your high dpi mouse.
-----------------------------------
After using the Talent pad for about a week, I stuck it in the wash and one of the sides frayed (the surface stitching started to come apart). None of the other cloth pads I've washed have done this, but maybe I just got a bad one because I haven't heard of that happening to anyone else. After washing it though, it did seem to return to how it felt brand new.
I'm interested to know how the Talent compares to the "Speed" versions of razer's mouse pads, but since no one seems to be able to make a detailed comparison I'll either have to buy and maybe return one, or wait till I can spot someone at a LAN with one...
Edit: added link and comments to the large x-trac mousepad
I just wanted to make it as detailed as possible though, because all you see here on gotfrag is "that pad sucks" "qck ftw", or whatever it is. People don't describe anything in detail they just tell you if they liked it or not pretty much, and that doesn't help at all when shopping for something, because not everyone wants/likes the same thing.
they are awesome
and oh man is the talent HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE and thick
and #12 it has that information on their website, I just stuck mine in the washing machine
I really wish more people would comment in detail about the pads they have (hoping for a comparison of the razer speed pads), it would really help when choosing one since you can't test them for your self at a store.
What pad do you have #13? Care to describe/compare it?
If this sort of thing takes you months...(I'll leave the rest to your imagination)
Great review, I may order one
the 3.0 has poor build quality but f^ck razer http://www.gotfrag.com/portal/forums/thre..
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