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Product:
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Compad Speed-Pad + Speed-Fix Spray |
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Price:
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$18.95 (EUR) / $30 (CAN) / $19 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Compad
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Author:
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Shennon & Hi-TEK
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Date:
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October 21st, 2002
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Speed-Pad plastic support pads
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On the underside of the Speed-Pad bears Compad’s country of origin, web address and copyright information. Nine clear rubber feet assist in
keeping the product stationary once positioned on a desktop. One difference immediately noticed with the Speed-Pad is that the feet
have all been recessed inside the product to keep the height down to a more manageable level.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The Speed-Pad is thinner the Ratpadz Gaming Surface by three to four millimeters, putting the surface closer to desktop. While this may not
seem to be a major issue, keep in mind your hand is now closer to the desktop level and this will take a bit of strain off your wrists. The
construction of the products are also different where the Ratpadz has a machined beveled edge and the Speed-Pad appears to be injection
formed. The grain of the Speed-Pad was finer than that of the Ratpadz, enabling the mouse to glide that much smoother and more accurately.
Included with the Speed-Pad review package was a can of Speed-Fix Spray which is a seperate purchased add-on product. Speed-Fix is
designed to increase the sliding effect on the Speed-Pad. It does this by reducing the frictional resistance between the mouse pad and the
mouse feet. You may spray it directly onto the mouse pad or onto a clean cloth and wipe the pad down. I sprayed a little onto a cloth and
wiped both the Ratpadz Gaming Surface and the Speed-Pad down as well as the mouse feet and I can happily say there was a vast improvement
in the gliding properties in both mouse pads. There was no oily residue on the surfaces, which does coincide with the non-silicone spray.
I do not speak any German and cannot read the cans label, but my guess is that its Teflon based and thankfully doesn't smell too bad when
applied.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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To test the Speed Pad against the Ratpadz Gaming Surface, I will be presenting my results as well as additional second party results taken
by Hi-TEK. To round out the competition, a cloth covered foam backed traditional mouse pad will also be included in the testing process.
I will be using a freeware utility called Mouse Rate Checker v1.1b by Oliver Tscherwitschke (you can download the program from this
location). This little program measures and displays the sample rate of a
mouse in Hz and tells you how often (per second) the mouse sends information to your computer. The mice I will be using are the Microsoft
USB IntelliMouse Explorer, Logitech OEM USB Pilot Wheel Optical and a Logitech PS/2 Cordless Wheel Mouse. Hi-TEK will be using a traditional
Microsoft Wheel Mouse and a Logitech Optical Mouse.
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Shennon results - Click image for larger view
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Hi-TEK results - Click image for larger view
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Shennon:
Well, as the data shows, the mouse rates on all surfaces did not change at all. This is due in large to the fact that all
surfaces were of a solid nature. Clear or transparent pads can have an effect on performance with optical mice as the sensor cannot fully
track properly. However during extensive testing I did notice the Speed-Pad was the smoothest overall. During such games as Counter Strike,
Unreal Tournament, and the newly released Unreal Tournament 2003, I find the Speed-Pad just that more accurate than the Ratpadz Gaming Surface.
Hi-TEK:
Data results between the Ratpadz Gaming Surface and Compad Speed-Pad were too close to call. I only noticed a slight 1-2 Hz
difference between both pads with the cloth pad having the lowest recorded results. I have been a die-hard Ratpadz fan from day one and I
was surprised how well the Compad Speed-Pad peformed using Unreal Tournament 2003, Serious Sam 2, Quake III Arena and RTCW. The product
does perform as advertised and is a solid contender for the popular Ratpadz Gaming surface.
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Conclusion:
The Compad Speed-Pad is a solid performer whether you are working on normal application software or fragging on a gaming platform. The
product works as advertised and is designed extremely well. Consumers will appreciate the solid construction, variety of colours options,
add-on Speed-Fix Spray which make this package very attractive. There are currently a large variety of gaming surfaces available on the
market and its a shame that this particular product is not available as of this review for the North American market. It is our belief
that the Compad Speed-Pad would give the Ratpadz Gaming Surface a run for its money in the long term. Overall, I'm rating this product a
9.5 out of 10 and would recommend this product to those of you in the gaming
community who need that extra added advantage when playing your favourite games or extra sensitivity for graphic applications. If you have
any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the Compad website for more
information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Excellent mouse tracking capabilities with optical mice with the anthracite version
- Easy to maintain and highly durable
- Rubber feet keep the mouse pad stationary on your desk
- Price
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Cons:
- Size (depends on personal preference)
- Transparent pads may have tracking problems with optical mice
- Availability
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