A review about a mouse pad? You've got to be kidding is probably the obvious thought. But the Wow!Pad mouse pad is truly worth reviewing, especially this smaller 5" x 7" model.
If you travel with your laptop, as I do, you may find that the touchpad isn't enough. (Personally, I really don't like touchpads: they're never responsive or accurate enough.) Most mouse pads consist of a seemingly smooth surface bonded to a usually rubber like bottom.
The Wow!Pad is different. It is extremely thin. The mouse surface is made of some proprietary material that is incredibly smooth. I use a high-resolution mouse and thought everything was fine with my regular mouse pad. When I used the Wow!Pad I was absolutely amazed at how much more responsive my mouse was. If Wow!Pad had the marketing smarts, they would set up actual demos in stores or at least put up a video on their web site. As it is, I bought mine solely because of the size.
As a laptop accessory, it's really great. It is so thin that you can sandwich it between your keyboard and screen (but make sure you put it there with the mouse surface, not the bottom, against the screen). The bottom of the Wow!Pad is some kind of high adhesion material, like those pads they sell for holding stuff temporarily on your dashboard.
So there it is: a review of a mouse pad. But, seriously, the Wow!Pad is unique, truly makes a difference in the responsiveness of your mouse and, in the smaller size, is a greatr laptop accessory.
Jerry WOW!PAD 5" x 7" Laptop/Notebook Mouse Pad--Black Graphite Tech ( 57LT29-002 )
I happily used the similar 3M one for years until I moved and had to buy a new one. Thought I'd try this to see if it lived up to it's name. In my case - it definitely has not. I have used if for a few months now, and found that the "patented non-slip backing" has never worked, and have recently noticed that my hand has unconsciously modified its mousing technique to basically hold the pad down to prevent it from slipping while using the mouse. If I don't do this, it slips around everywhere. I've tried on different surfaces, and cleaning it, with the same results.
I also get a lot more tracking errors than the 3M, which send the screen pointer flying to a random corner of the screen - a real pain if you use "hot corners" to activate your screensaver etc.
I recently bought a $2 no-brand cheapie from the local supermarket that appears to be the same weight and size, and stays put on the desk. Using the same mouse, I haven't had any tracking errors yet either. I wish I had tried the cheapie before buying this product.
The surface is extremely slick, so the mouse glides across the pad with ease. This makes finer movement easier.
My optical mouse always goes where I intend on this pad versus jumping or not moving at first as I've experienced with conventional pads. (I haven't tried a ball mouse on this pad.)
The pad is extremely thin so if you roll the mouse off, it's easy to get it back on without lifting the mouse. Nice feature when gaming! Either the thinness or material of the pad transfers the temperature of the desk to the wrist. While it tends to be cool on a wood surface, I have to protect my wrist with a pad when using it on metal topped desks as it's too cold.
While not enough to rate a 1 star deduction, it does have what appears to be a minor manufacturing process problem. The edge of the pad has small sharp pieces of plastic, as if leftover from the pad being punched out when manufactured. When I handle the pad to travel or move to another location, it scratches and can catch on cloth. While it would be nice if the manufacturer cleaned these edges off, it's not enough of an annoyance to keep me from buying several sizes of these great pads.
I purchased both the 5 x 7 and 12 x 12. The 5 x 7 is way too small for gaming and even too small for general text work such as emailing. The 12 x 12 is great as I don't have worry about where I place my mouse. I can even scoot my mouse to the side and use my desk space and still have my mouse on the pad and usable. I wish I could buy one the size of my entire desk!
If you remember the days of foam-padded, cloth-covered "mouse mats," then you probably would like to forget them: foam coming apart in little balls, fabric collecting a mixture of oils and dust and then transferring it to the inner workings of the mouse. Yuck!
There's a lot to be happy about in the new generation of mousing surfaces. This pad is thin and lightly textured, which works great with both the optical and mechanical mice I've used it with. The plastic surface is easy to clean (and doesn't pick up much dirt anyway); the non-slip backing is neat stuff, as it can be washed off and still return to its original state.
Though this particular size is labeled as laptop/notebook, I find that it's great for a desk where there's not much space. There are two bigger cousins, if you prefer: WOW!PAD 8DG55 8.5" Diameter Graphite Tech Mouse Pad and WOW!PAD LFR48 11.5" x 12.5" Graphite Large Format Mouse Pad. They work well for desktop spaces, assuming there's plenty of room.
I've tried similar products by other companies, but haven't been as happy with them. Maybe I was just lucky, but none of the Wow!Pads I've bought have had sharp edges, and the non-slip backing works great on all of them. This is a superior product at a fair price.
If you have a laptop (and this product is intended for that) then it'll suit you perfectly. If you are looking for a gaming pad, then save the trouble and get something else. This mouse pad simply won't stay in place while you move your hand quickly during FPS battle heat. Maybe I'll try using Windex on the adherent surface (as suggested) to clean it and see if it sticks to my furniture's plaidwood. So far not working good here. I'm back with my old thin Dell mouse pad. - Gaming Mouse Pad - Computer Add-ons - Laptop - Mice'
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