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Miscellaneous Ramblings

Cool New Stuff from SteelPad: A Cure for Slippery Mice And a Really Big Mouse Pad

Charles Moore - 2005.01.19 - Tip Jar

New from Denmark's Soft Trading ApS is the Steel Grip, a set of self-adhesive appliqués you can stick on your favorite mouse to increase grip and reduce sweat slipperiness. Steelgrip is designed to fit most popular gaming mice and can easily be modified with an X-Acto™ knife (or even scissors) if it doesn't fit your mouse perfectly.

The Steel Grip material has a high-traction, rubbery texture, and the adhesive seems like it should provide secure attachment to the mouse. Five pieces of Steel Grip come with the set:

  • A large, palmar piece for the top of the mouse.
  • Two long side strips
  • Two ovoid pieces for mounting on the mouse buttons

SteelgripTo determine proper placement of the Steel Grip pads, grip the mouse with your hand and mark the points where your fingers and palm normally contact the mouse surface. Then just peel the Steel Grip pads from the protective backing and apply them to the mouse at the determined points.

Steel Grip sells for DKK 39, €4.99, US$5.99 plus shipping

SteelPad QcK+

Do you find your mousepad fencing you in? Well, Soft Trading ApS has the pad for you.

We'll leave it out to the Guinness folks to make an authoritative determination, but the new SteelPad QcK+ professional gaming mousepad has to be one of the world's biggest ever. (Despite the name, none of the SteelPads are actually made of steel.)

With this XXL-sized cloth mousepad, even the most energetic gamer should have ample pad real estate to accommodate free-ranging mouse movements, with dimensions of 17.7" x 15.7" (450mm x 400mm) to work with.

The SteelPad QcK+ is also comfortable, with its smooth, soft, fabric surface and non-slip rubberized base.

SteelPad QcK+Even the largest mouse in my pointing-device arsenal, the ergonomic Quill Mouse (center), is dwarfed by the SteelPad QcK+, as is an Apple USB "hockey-puck" mouse.

Personally, I have somewhat limited desk space and still prefer the SteelPad 4D, which I reviewed in this space last fall, and which is jumbo-sized by conventional mousepad standards. I would rate the 4D to be the best mousepad I've ever used.

SteelPad wants to become the pro gamers' preferred mousepad, pledging to strive hard to keep up with the pro gamers' increasing demands for optimal accuracy, and constantly attempting to improve the performance of their products.

Soft Trading ApS believes that gaming can expand to become the largest sport worldwide, and by cooperation with several global partners, the company works to ensure the existence of a justified worldwide Gamer Scene.

The QcK+mousepad provides a huge gaming surface, so you should never run out of mousepad when tracking opponents, and a unique smooth surface, that ensures maximum precision when aiming.

QcK+ features

  • XXL sized cloth mousepad - your mouse should never run out of room
  • ideal for low sensitivity mouse settings
  • compatible with all mice
  • specially designed non-slip rubber base
  • 450mm x 400mm / 17.7" x 15.7"

Price: DKK 129, € 14.95, US$19.95 plus shipping

The slightly smaller SteelPad QcK also provides a smooth, high quality cloth surface which offers soft feel and precision control at the same time.

SteelPad QcK features:

  • super durable cloth mousepad
  • ideal for low sensitivity mouse settings
  • compatible with all mice
  • specially designed non-slip rubber base
  • 320mm x 285mm / 12.6" x 11.2"

Price: DKK 79, € 9.99, US$14.95 plus shipping

SteelPad 4D Upgraded

The SteelPad 4D, which I mentioned above, has been enhanced with a new hardened surface and is claimed to be the only double-surfaced mousepad made for both ball mice and optical mice.

Soft Trading says that when evaluating the rough side of the SteelPad 4D (the one meant for optical mice), it was brought to their attention that gamers wanted that side to be harder, so the challenge was to develop a layer that meet the following criteria when applied to the rough side:

  • strengthening the surface without damaging the pad's great performance abilities
  • optical mice were to maintain top performance
  • a hard surface that would increase the durability of the SteelPad 4D
  • keep R&D costs low to retain the same price

The challenge has been been successfully met, and Soft Trading offers the new and better SteelPad 4D without increasing the price, which remains DKK 149, € 19.95, US$24.95 plus shipping

The aluminum SteelPad 4S is also still available.

Price: DKK 299, € 39.95, US$49.95 plus shipping

USA distributors: Team3D, Web2zone, and Shadowknight Systems LEM

Charles Moore has been a freelance journalist since 1987 and began writing for Mac websites in May 1998. His The Road Warrior column is a regular feature on MacOpinion, and he is a news editor and columnist at Applelinks.com. If you find his articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

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