Black Icemat Review - Page 2

Performance and Comparison:

The Icemat does a great job whether the task is aiming for headshots in UT2004 or micromanaging 30 different units in Warcraft 3. The minimal friction from the pad allows excellent tracking of moving units as well as extremely precise movements and adjustments of the cursor or crosshair. Of course it also works great for graphics designers who frequently use CAD or other graphics programs. The amount of friction (or rather, lack of it) is perfect to provide excellent control, and the surface provides excellent tracking accuracy.

I have never experienced a problem of running out of surface space when using the pad – in fact there is enough room to use a corner as a drink coaster.

The performance of the Icemat is fairly similar to the Steelpad. At a similar price it is tough to pick out the better pad, as they both have slight advantages and disadvantages over each other. In the end, it may come down to a personal preference of looks and design in deciding a winner.

Firstly, compared with the performance that plastic based mouse pads provide, both pads simply sweep the competition under the carpet. The slick, hard surfaces will definitely outlast any other computer component, which means you will never need to purchase a replacement, and I doubt that they will warp through age or general temperature conditions. However, the Icemat obviously needs to be treated with care as it is made out of glass, but it does not appear to be at any risk of breaking through normal use.

The Icemat is slightly quieter than the Steelpad, although there is still a small amount of noise from the movement. I also found that it does slide more smoothly and has the least friction of any mouse pad I have tried. In terms of very fine movement the Steelpad probably has a slight edge as I found the mouse movement is marginally more accurate for very small adjustments.

One small factor, and the main reason I am using the Icemat over the Steelpad at the moment is that the pad does not get as cold – it is Winter here at the moment, and placing the palm of my hand on the Steelpad can feel somewhat icy. Of course the reverse may be true in mid summer when a cool surface is a refreshing change.

Conclusion:

The Icemat definitely stands out up at the top end of the professional mousepad market. Not only does it look great, this pad delivers pinpoint accuracy and easily lives up to the slogan of "sliding perfection".

Once again the only prohibitive factor I can think of is the price tag. You've either got to be made of serious cash or be a gaming enthusiast, but the Icemat may be well worth the cost for those seeking top performance and a product that will never need replacement.

Final Score: 90%

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