Rocketfish Dual-Sided Aluminum Mouse Surface

Those of us who are serious about our mice have their preferred mousing surface. Even though the optical and laser mice today technical don’t require a mouse pad, a good mousing surface can transform your input experience. Today’s high-performance mousepads (now called mousing surfaces) have evolved from a simple rubber mat to metal and textured polycarbonite to customize the amount of friction the mouse encounters.

Rocketfish has engineered a high-performance mouse pad with both the gamer and design professional in mind (and why not throw in the casual office user, too?). This pad features two textured sides, providing an ultra-smooth surface for PC gamers, and a more textured side to provide more precise control.

The pad consists of a very thin and rigid sheet of anodized brushed aluminum (in this case, bright red). The pad measures 10 inches by 13 inches, so it’s large enough to accomodate your freakishly-large hands, but not so big that you have to clear all the Pepsi cans off your desk. I like to use part of the pad as a wrist-rest, as well, so not all of the mousing surface is occupied by the plastic rodent. Affixed to the aluminum are two polycarbonite layers, which provide the actual traction. On top of this are eight curved rubber feet (four on each side) which keep the pad in place.

Specifications

• Anodized aluminum with dual sided polycarbonate mousing surfaces for maximum performance
• Smooth side for speed
• Control side for low-sensitivity and professional design users
• Non-slip feet
• Over-sized and uniquely shaped
• 10.4″ x 13″ x 0.1″

Since this mouse is designed for optical and laser mice, there is no need for the kind of surface texture once necessary to “grab the mouse by the ball” if you pardon my French. All optical and laser mice are able to “read” the pattern of the all-black polycarbonite sheet rather well. The little texture the pad does provide alters how the mouse feels: from an ultra-slick glide to a rougher slowdown.

The smooth side feels very slick, and the mouse glides effortlessly on it, which is perfect for PC gamers that like to twitch around alot. The control side does feel different, but it is still just as easy to throw the mouse around on. The control side just feels more comfortable when you’re not making quick swinging movements, like when doing photoshop or office work.

Using the pad feels very good. There have been absolutely no skips or jumps using a variety of optical and wireless mice. Microsoft wireless mice of (both optical and wireless) had some issues using this pad… they would not track at all until I moved the receiver within 10 inches, at which point they worked just as fine as any other mouse. I guess the aluminum blocks or interferes with the low 27Hz signal that the Microsoft wireless mice use. This hasn’t deterred me from using this pad, because it just feels too good.

The two polycarbonite sides are clearly marked with the Rocketfish logo, along with the Control and Speed printed on the surface. The printing is very good, so it doesn’t look like the ink will come off with repeated wear and tear.

The rubber feet aren’t very intrusive, and the pad really does stay where you put it. Many mouse users tend to “creep” a little, so I eventually end up running over the top left foot, at which point I correct the mouse’s position. If you prefer only one side of the mouse, just rip the feet from the other side.

Since the pad is aluminum, it feels a little colder than the average room temperature, and feels warm in a hot room. This could be annoying or uncomfortable for some users, because you don’t expect a cold shock when you reach down for your mouse.

All things considered, this is one of the best mouse pads I’ve ever used. I’ve had other polycarbonite mouse pads, but they were usually too small. This pad is directly comparable to SteelSeries mousepads, but costs about half as much. Not only does this pad look great, but it covers an annoying crack between two sections of my “assembly required” computer desk. Rocketfish has done an amazing job with this product. Everything about it says high quality, but without the high price.

	REPORT CARD : Rocketfish Aluminum Gaming Mouse Pad category rating comments Quality 5 The anodized brushed aluminum has no sharp edges, coloring is consistent, and the mousing surface extremely smooth. Innovation 4 How innovative can a mouse pad really be? It is engineered with optical and laser mice in mind. Performance 5 Mousing feels smooth and fluid, with no hiccups. The problems with MS wireless mice are not the fault of this pad. Installation 5 You won’t have to clear the Pepsi cans off your desk, and is rather portable considering the size. Value 4 Cheaper than SteelSeries, although you could find some deals online. FINAL VERDICT: 5 out of 5 stars