For the free Unix text editor, see Mousepad (editor)

A typical mousepad with an optical mouse

A mousepad (sometimes mouse pad, mousemat, or mouse mat), is a surface for enhancing the usability of a computer mouse. Mousepad is a very light text editor developed by the Xfce project. ... Mouse on a mousepad This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mouse on a mousepad This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. ... Operating a mechanical 1: Pulling the mouse turns the ball. ...

History

Mousetray screenshot from Engelbert's video

During a 1968 presentation by Douglas Engelbart marking the public debut of a mouse,^[1] Engelbart used a control console designed by Jack Kelley of Herman Miller that included a keyboard and an inset portion used as a support area for the mouse.^[1][2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart (born January 30, 1925 in Oregon) is an American inventor of German descent. ... This article is about the American manufacturer of office furniture and equipment. ...

According to Kelley^[3] and also stated by Alex Pang,^[4] Kelley designed the first mousepad a year later, in 1969. Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

Details of a mousepad designed by Armando M. Fernandez were published in the Xerox Disclosure Journal in 1979 with the description:^[5] Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

CRT CURSER CONTROL MECHANISM PAD
To assist the operation of a cathode ray tube pointer 10 wherein a metal ball is rolled on a hard surface, the disclosed pad may be utilized. A resilient, rubber-like material 12 is bonded or otherwise attached to a hard base material 14 which keeps the rubber-like material flat. The base has four rubber-like pads 16 on the opposite side from the resilient material to refrain the pad from sliding on the surface of a table, for instance.

—Xerox Disclosure Journal, Volume 4, Number 6, November/December 1979

By 1982, most users of the Xerox ball mouse were using mousepads.^[6]

The OED tracks the term mouse pad to the 25 August, 1983, publication of InfoWorld, and the predominantly British term mousemat to 17 October, 1989, in the publication 3D.^[7] OED stands for Oxford English Dictionary Office of Enrollment & Discipline This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Benefits

The three most important benefits of the introduction of the mousepad were higher speed, more precision, and comfort for the user. A secondary benefit was keeping the desk or table surface from being scratched and worn by continuous hand and mouse rubbing motion. Another benefit was reduction of the collection of debris under the mouse, which resulted in reduced jitter of the pointer on the display.

When optical mice, which use image sensors to detect movement, were first introduced into the market, they required special mousepads with optical patterns printed on them. Modern optical mice can function to an acceptable degree of accuracy on plain paper and other surfaces. However, some optical mouse users may prefer a mousepad for comfort, speed and accuracy, and to prevent wear to the desk or table surface. Two wireless computer mice, with scroll wheels A mouse is a handheld pointing device for computers, involving a small object fitted with one or more buttons and shaped to sit naturally under the hand. ... Hello--80. ...

Types

A variety of mousepads exist with many different textured surfaces to fit various different types of mouse technologies. Vinyl board cover, because of its tackiness, was a popular mousepad surface around 1980. ^{[citation needed]}

After the rubberized silicon surface was incorporated onto the surface of the steel roller ball mouse, the popular fabric-surface mousepad was found to be the most appropriate. It helped keep the rubberized roller-ball surface cleaner and with better tracking, speed and accuracy than just a desk surface, which collected dirt and slowed the mouse's motion.

Optical mice have the problem of not working well on transparent or reflective surfaces (such as glass or highly polished wood). These surfaces, which often include desk and table surfaces, cause jitter and loss of tracking on the display pointer as the mouse moves over these reflective spots. The use of mousepads with precision surfaces eliminates spot jitter effects of modern optical mice.

Designs

Mousepad with built-in wrist rests made of silicone gel

Originally, mousepads were available in a simple rectangular shape. In recent years, though, they have been available in many shapes and designs. Ergonomic designs are available with built-in wrist rests made of silicone gel, foamed and beaded materials. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 851 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 851 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Ergonomics (from Greek ergon work and nomoi natural laws) is the study of designing objects to be better adapted to the shape of the human body and/or to correct the users posture. ... Silicones (more accurately called polymerized siloxanes or polysiloxanes) are inorganic-organic polymers with the chemical formula [R2SiO]n, where R = organic groups such as methyl, ethyl, and phenyl. ... In optical filters and theatrical lighting a color gel is a transparent or translucent colored panel used to change the color of transmitted light. ...

Companies often give away mousepads for promotional reasons, and computer manufacturers often include a mousepad with their logo on it, usually with technical support information. Many artists have published work on mousepads. Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Scale model of a Wheaties cereal box at a pep rally Promotion is one of the four key aspects of the marketing mix. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

There is now a fairly large variety of high quality "gaming grade" mousepads. In the beginning there were only a few such manufacturers: Everglide (arguably the first to come onto the market), fUnc Industries, Icemat, SteelSeries and Ratpadz (made by [H]ard|OCP). In 2005, several more companies followed suit, including Razer, Qpad, Corepad, Xtracpads, X-Ray, Gamerzstuff, Ideazon, and Allsop. These pads are available in a wide variety of sizes to suit the different sensitivity settings that gamers choose. The Corepad Deskpad XXXL, one of the largest pads on the market, measures 90cm x 45cm.^[8] “Computer and video games” redirects here. ... SteelSeries is a manufacturer, distributor and online retailer of a line of products targeted primarily at computer gamers. ... [H]ard|OCP (Hardware Overclockers Comparison Page) is an online magazine that offers news, reviews, and editorials that relate to computer hardware, software, modding, overclocking and cooling, owned and operated by Kyle Bennett. ... Razer USA Ltd snake logo Razer is a privately held computer peripherals manufacturer specializing in products specifically catered to gamers. ...

Materials

Modern mousepads are typically made of foam rubber with fabric bonded to the upper surface. However, many other types of material have been used, including fabric, plastics, recycled rubber tires, silicone rubber, leather, glass, cork, wood, aluminum, stone and stainless steel. High-quality gaming mats are usually made from plastic or high-tech fibers. Fabric may mean: Cloth, a flexible artificial material made up of a network of natural or artificial fibres Fabric (club), a London dance club Fibre Channel fabric, a network of Fibre Channel devices enabled by a Fibre Channel switch using the FC-SW topology This is a disambiguation page, a... The term plastics covers a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic condensation or polymerization products that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or fibers. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about pneumatic tires. ... Silicone rubber is a polymer that has a backbone of silicon oxygen linkages, the same bond that is found in quartz, glass and sand. ... Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. ... This article is about the material. ... A cork stopper for a wine bottle Champagne corks Varnished cork tiles can be used for flooring, as a substitute for linoleum or tiles. ... For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... For other uses, see Rock (disambiguation). ... The 630 foot high, stainless-clad (type 304L) Gateway Arch defines St. ...

References