3M
Precise Mousing Surface Mini-Review by Blue
I am playing around with the updated version
of one of the few products that I can endorse without the
slightest hesitation (or compensation for that matter),
the 3M Precise Mousing Surface. I think I can lay claim
to being one of the first to spill the beans about this
little wonder some time ago, and I've seen others mention
it since, but if you're not familiar with the PMS, it's
a terribly thin mousepad with tiny fingerprint-like ridges
that help maintain traction on your mouseball. The increased
precision (hence the name) this provides can actually help
increase your frag count (a bit), and I can easily call
this the best mousepad I've ever used. 3M has addressed
complaints that the pad was too small by increasing its
area a bit, while addressing the other major complaint as
well by lowering the suggested price (it was original close
to $20). About the only bad thing you can say about them
is that they are fugly: They were originally a mainstream
product, and though 3M now realizes they appeal to gamers,
the designs on these things look like Formica countertops.
A basic black would have been so nice. Anyway, a mouse pad
is not easy to get enthusiastic about, which makes this
one all the more remarkable. Highly recommended.
3M PMS Tips
by Tony Fabris
1) The pad is flexible and somewhat fragile.
If you bend or scratch it seriously, it will create "dead
spots" in the surface that will make the pad useless.
So if you spend a lot of time going to LAN parties (like
I do), you should make sure to keep the original packaging
that the pad came in.
2) Since the pads
are so thin, they sometimes tend to curl quite a bit, causing
them to not be perfectly flat on your desk at all times.
This also makes them nearly useless. So if you have a problem
with the pad curling, do what I did: Buy some spray-mount
adhesive (coincidentally made by 3M, too, go figure), and
use it to stick the pad to your desktop. Don't worry, it's
not permanent and it peels off nicely without leaving a
residue behind. (This assumes that your desk has a standard
kind of top surface and it's not painted or anything odd
like that.) The label gives instructions on how to
create a permanent mounting or a temporary mounting.
