i swear by the trackball. used to use regular mice, but used a trackball for a week and have never gone back.

I don't know why everyone's making a big deal about dropping 40 bucks on a mousepad. Like I said, it came out before laser mice (and laser mice don't work inherently with it, just the way the technology works) and I wasn't aware of this. Well, it WORKS with the mx1000--but if I try to move it too fast it just screws up.

Also, 40 bucks isn't much. Most places you get a paycheck for 200-250 every two weeks (as a teenager). That's not even 1/5 of your paycheck. PLUS, it'll last longer than any cloth or polycarbonate mousepad, and it keeps the life of the mice's teflon feet a lot better (along with extra teflon discs from cshyde.com, thanks to Emon's suggestion). And I really do notice a difference in the movement of my mouse, although, like I said, I guess no one but a true gamer could understand it.

My mousepad cost $1.

If any of you Aussies want a really good cheap mouse surface, go to Safeway or Woolworths and buy one of those green eco-friendly reusable shopping bags. Take the rectangular plastic bottom bit that keeps the bag in shape out, tape it to your desk, and enjoy.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]stuff[/QUOTE]

Or you could just get an awesome trackball and have no need for a mousepad.

I just got a MX518, and I'm loving it. I highly recommend it. I'm using it with the standard cloth mouse-pad and it's working great. I'm looking to get an Icepad soon, though.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]Because I have money to spend. I'm not some 15 year old punk who thinks he's all that.

And I dunno who you're calling the fool--I'll whip your *** in CoD and/or CS any day.[/QUOTE]

I don't think I'm all that, I KNOW I'm all that. :em321:
I too have money to spend, I work weekends at the local grocery store. It's a humble job, but it pays. I just choose to spend my money differently I guess, and not on a piece of window glass, stamped with a $40 pricetag and marketed as a "gaming mousepad".

I can't game with a trackball, personally.

Just take a flat piece of plastic, get it cut real nice, put some grip on the bottom, and gloss over the top. $20 mousepad that's smooth as hell, $10 if you recently either finished a wall or built something out of plastic (as I did). As for the mouse, I got a Logitech M-BJ58 for $5. Works well, never skips, accurate to a pixel even with the sensitivity all the way up. "Gaming mouse" my ***.

EDIT: I just was that post about the reusable shopping bags' plastic. Any plastic will work as long as your finish, gloss, or whatever will stick.

[QUOTE=Compos Mentis]I can't game with a trackball, personally.[/QUOTE]

use one for about a week, and you might change your mind

trackballs just never work for some people, but everyone I know who's used one for a decent period of time swear by them and never want to go back

I worked 5 days a week, 4-8 hours a day during the summer, making 7 bucks an hour. It's not window glass, it's frosted glass (like I already stated) shaped, rounded, came with teflon tape and teflon feet for the mice (which are a big help, even though I use the stuff from cshyde.com now) and it has rubber feet on the bottom for traction. Not only that, but it'll never wear out, or at least not at any feasibly attainable point in time as I can see it. Trust me, I opted for a steelpad before an icemat, mainly because I'd heard bad things about them, but then I heard they work with any MX optical engine and I decided to go for it since I was getting an MX518 anyways. Like I said before, it worked moderately well with my MX1000, but at anything greater than normal speeds it completely ****ed up.

Hey man, I'd work that man hours if I could, I work as many hours as legally possible. I do what I can. Anyways, congratulations on your mousepad. I'm glad you like it.

Icemats are frosted, tempered glass. Tempered meaning they are hardened and heat treated. You could drop one down the stairs and it wouldn't break. Only problem is that it wears out the teflon feet (made by CS Hyde) too fast. Those feet are made for plastic mousepads which aren't as abrasive. I have to replace the feet way too often. If I had the money I'd probably buy a plastic mousepad, even if it would wear out. I've found that they are better for performance anyway.

I've got the same mouse as JG, and its served me great over the last 4 years. Almost 5 now.

I picked up a decent pad with a wrist rest from the campus bookstore. Works great with my optical, but if I need the room for gaming I just use my desk.

Yeah, but it works well enough. Besides, those things are only like 6 dollars per 140 feet anyways :p