SteelPad
3S Steel Review
Price: $25
from Team 3D PRO Shop
First off, let me give my thanks to John Hag from Steelpad.com for sending this new product for review. Please email John if you have any questions or concerns about purchasing or about their products.
Do you do LAN tournaments? Have you always wanted to have the ultimate surface for the best possible gaming experience? Chances are, you have had your optical mouse skip or just automatically reset itself during important rounds of UT 2003.
You ask yourself “What just happened?” Your mouse pad probably has bad or lack of tracking speed. Some of us have never understood the reason why mouse pads are important. Including me.
Some
people have plastic mouse pads that they picked up for a dollar or so.
These do the job, but don’t do it very well.
Also the surface of your computer table may not be compatible with your
optical mouse eye, thus skipping or freezing.
What is the solution? The solution is a specially designed mouse pad
that will work with all types of mouse. Disregarding the level of sensitivity.
Today we evaluate Steelpad’s newest mouse pad. The Steelpad 3S Steel.
About Steelpad
”Steelpad is a new way to demand more from your mouse. A new surface based on the durability and smooth surface that metal brings you. Steelpad offers a unique surface treatment, so you get optimal performance, whether you use a ball mouse or an optical mouse.”
Is the Steelpad really made of steel like the name suggest? The answer is taken off Steelpad’s site:
“The
pad is made out of 3,5 mm aluminum plate. The surface is treated, to
ensure both comfortability and traction. It is also hardended to ensure
durability under all conditions.
After the hardening ensues the patented Steelpad surface treatment,
to make the pad even smoother.
Post treatment consists of fiber polishing of the edges, and a cleansing.
Then the logo is inserted and finally six rubberfeet are glued on.”
As you read, it is made out of an aluminum plate.
First
Impressions
When it arrived in my mailbox, it came in an bubble wrapped envelope. I was impressed how quick it was shipped from Denmark. Great service I must say.
I was really amazed that the Steelpad was not damaged along its journey. The box itself had only a dent but the unit itself was perfectly fine. Opening it up introduced the mouse pad. One word came up in my head. This mouse pad OwNs! The pad was really strong and rugged. No wonder it hadn't’t been broken in any way. The Steelpad is so strong that if you dropped, it wouldn't break. Obviously I didn't try this, but I am 100% positive. Heck, come to think of it you could club someone with this mouse pad…LOL
This has got to be the most attractive looking mouse pad I have ever laid eyes on…PERIOD. The design and the quality of the surface was very well done. The design is short, simple and sweet.
The black box it was included in was equally impressive. Quality is what I experienced.
Behind the mouse pad, there was 8 little rubber feet’s so the Steelpad would not slide in anyway. Included was a piece of Teflon tape. The Teflon tape is included to put on the four corners of your optical mouse. It provides the smoothest possible surface for your mouse on the Steelpad. Remember to put it on, if you don't, you will hear a loud sound when moving your mouse. Besides, it's included in the package.
The Steelpad’s dimensions equal 250mm wide, and 3.5mm in height.
Testing
Testing will consist of using the Steelpad 3S for a period of one week during many types of tasks. Photoshop, UT 2003, and web browsing are just a few to name. My mouse is the Logitech Optical Mice featured here:
End
of one week: I have been using the Steelpad 3S for about a week
now and there is only one word that comes to my mind. “Astonished”.
This has to be the best all-around mouse pad I have ever used. I was
so convinced that this was the ultimate mouse surface. Troubles with
my mouse randomly resetting itself have also gone away. The Steelpad’s
feel and tracking ability was bar none...Perfect!
Playing around UT 2003 proves to have a similar effect. I can now move
around easily. Accuracy has improved due to the excellent mouse tracking
that is acquired from the Steelpad 3S.
Working on projects off of Adobe Photoshop was very good. Moving the mouse very slowly to move the Lasso Tool is very easy and accurate.
Whether playing or doing business, the Steelpad excelled. I found that the sensitivity was very good due to the great mouse surface.
The only downfall I could come by was the small noise that the Steelpad produces when moving your mouse. It is a small sound. Kind of like sanding something small. This could be annoying for some. I found that using some more Teflon tape on the sides will help drown out the sound a little more. However this wasn't the case with me. I was not annoyed with the sound. It was a very small.
Conclusion
If you have been on the market for a mouse pad that will last as long as you own a mouse, then the Steelpad is an excellent choice. I wouldn't have thought that a mouse pad can make such a difference. Everything I threw at the Steelpad worked flawlessly with pure smoothness.
I give the Steelpad 3S mouse pad a…
9/10! GAMERS GALORE! The Steelpad is a Gamers MUST! You have to use it to believe it!
Pros and Cons
+
Versatile
+ Strong and rugged
+ Improved mouse tracking
+ Made mouse move smoother. Not once it skipped.
+ Fixed mouse resetting problem
+ Aesthetics
+ Teflon tape provided
+ Design and build quality
+ Instant Gratification
- Gets fingerprints/smudged easily
- Some may not like the sounds that it makes when gliding the mouse
- May be priced to high for some, but its damn worth it.
For more information on the Steelpad 3S or it’s bigger brother,
the 4S, please visit www.steelpad.com for purchasing inquires and more.
Thanks again to John Hag for making this review possible.
