People have always wanted to be special and unique , to have different features or different clothes from the others, to make something to prove that he is unique and nobody is like him. That is why all the things that come in a limited edition are considered very unusual and , as a consequence, they are wanted by many people. Young people especially want to make everything possible to be difeerent, even if this sometimes means to be the only one in town with purple hair and look ridiculous. Why do you think that a fur coat made of polar fox skin is so expensive: polar foxes are really rare and very few people have access to them. Well, as a parallel I could ask you what do you think is the most unusual material for manufacturing a mouse pad? I am sure that you could think of all the things possible, except for the right answer: glass. But what makes glass such an unusual material for mouse pads? First of all it is the material itself. It is commomn knowledge that optical mice do not work or work imporperly on glass surfaces due to their reflexivity that diverts the infrared beams sent by the mouse and the computer mouse loses signal. However, some people thought it would be the perfect material for some very special mouse pads: SteelSeries Experience I-2 and Icemat are only two of the most famous names of such interesting mouse pads.

These glass mouse pads are designed especially for laser computer mice and some optical mice that can operate on their surface. Of course the target customers are gamers who need a lot of precision, a wide area of action and high speed of the mouse. The glass mouse pad can do all these things incredibly well.



I will start with the beginning, describing Imat 2, though the other models and brands are very similar to this one: the mouse pad comes in a heavy box, protected between two sheets of foam in order to avoid damages that could be done during shipping. The design of the box is simple, but it draws attention. I was amazed to see that this mouse pad is really heavy: almost half a kilo. So you can forget about taking the mouse pad everywhere with you, as it is really uncomfortable when travelling due to its fraility and weight. The logo is printed on the bottom, so it does not cause any bumps in the mousing area and because of this it is also a bit blurred. You realized so far that the glass surface has a coloured layer at the bottom and this is important because now the mouse pad is not transparent any more, but opac. You can even have the possibility to choose from six available colours of the back side of the mouse pad. It is delivered together with five pieces of Teflon tape that are supposed to be put on the feet of your mouse in order to avoid scrathcing the glass surface and at the same time to ensure a better movement of the mouse. If you try to use your mouse withour putting the sticky tape on, you will be annoyed by the shrieking sound of the mouse feet rubbing against the glass and probably in a few weeks time you will notice marks left on the mouse pad.



It looks fosty and just nice: I must admit that the design and looks are impressive. Because it is pretty heavy it gets attached to the desk with four rubber feet that prevent it from slipping, although there have been some complaints that these feet detach rather easily from the surface they are stuck on. The big inconvenient in this case would be the possibilty to fall off the desk and break or hurt somebody's foot.

However the glass mouse pad is a dream for gamers, as it offers them a large area for mousing, wide moves and an increased speed of the mouse. Because this sort of mouse pad is usually compatible with wireless computer mice, all these features also lead to the decreased consumption of batteries, so a longer life for them. Although it is thicker and heavier than a normal mouse pad, it is very efficient when playing games that require speed and accuracy. The edges are not sharp, but rounded and so are the four corners, but it can be pretty cool for the hand, especially in winter.



When talking about performance you can see that in programmes that require precision and accuracy: Photoshop or Painter.

Besides the really cool look on your computer desk, this mouse pad also offers stability andresistance. If a regular mouse pad usually wears after three or four months, you can be sure this time things will be different. A glass mouse pad is going to last a lot more, because the material it is made of is not one to deteriorate fast, but on the contrary. You are likely to get stuck with it for a reaaaally long time.



In conclusion, it is not enough to purchase the best computer mouse and the best hardware and also the best software. You can improve your results in your field of activity (either creation or entertainment - games) by also purchasing the best mouse pad you can find. All the tiny differences brought by every item that you have improved lead to the final much better result, the mouse pad included. So if you are willing to pay a fairly high price ($35-40) for this purpose that means that the glass mouse pad is perfect for you.