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Vantec Spectrum Mouse Pad |
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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Sunday, 01 July 2007 |
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Thanks to Sidewinder Computers for the product sample.
What started out as a simple light modification (I'm referring to the original neon tube) has evolved into a glowing frenzy. These days everything from fans to keyboards are visible come nighttime. Vantec decided to illuminate another computer accessory: the mouse pad. As part of the vast Spectrum line, this blue pad uses an internal cold cathode tube to provide a nice soft glow when the lights go out. Let's see if Vantec has what it takes to capture the enthusiast crowd they're after.
Packaging is pretty straightforward though very annoying to remove. Supposedly the pad is available in 4 other colors (red, yellow, green, and white/silver), but I've only seen the blue version. The first thing that struck me as being odd was the size difference between the actual tracking surface and the rest of the pad; as many have pointed out the former is too small. Another interesting design choice was the cutout in the wrist area. I'm guessing your wrist is supposed to rest in this gap (on the main surface), but that puts your hand too far away from the mouse itself. The pad being half an inch tall doesn't help either.
Out of the package the Spectrum pad is unique if nothing else. The round mouse surface is really finely gritted plastic. The rest of the pad is semitransparent smooth PVC. Now the mouse will actually track on the blue surface as well as the intended black, but the latter is elevated about 1mm (most likely just glued on, albeit very well) so moving between the two isn't very comfortable. This restricts tracking to the black circle. In terms of smoothness, my Logitech MX310 glides very well on it. The only downside is the noise of gliding plastic though it doesn't detract from gaming and is barely noticeable during office work.
On the flipside is a ribbed rubber backing ensuring that the pad doesn't slide on the host surface. Here you can also see the electronics that make it work. The unit is powered via USB and you're provided with a pass-through cable. Once connected you can turn the pad on and off with a switch at the top. It's a nice addition since you won't be able to see any difference during the day and it'll make the bulb last longer. The overall dimensions are 258 x 230 x 12 mm. For a normal pad this is fine, but for gaming it's too small (either barely or significantly depending on your playing habits and mouse sensitivity).
Operating on the 5V line and using up 300-500mA gives us a maximum of 2.5watts of energy usage, hardly enough to cause any heat issues. Above is a sample connection diagram. You can either plug your mouse into the spare port or leave it open for other devices. The cable length for the pad is 140cm, more than enough to reach your PC anywhere on a standard sized desk. Other than the hookups there's no other installation, just plug and play.
One of the claims on the package is that it's "ultra bright" - I beg to differ. The image you see above is a night shot with the lights off and the contrast way up; in reality it's more of a UV-type glow that lets you know it's there, but won't light up anything more than an inch away from it. I personally don't see this is as a drawback because I don't want to be distracted by a mouse pad. Given this it doesn't glow blue, at least not by my definition; it's got a slight purple tint to it. The reason it's not bright is due to 1) the diffusion of the light throughout the plastic and 2) the relatively small size of the actual bulb, located beneath the black tracking surface.
Testing is of course subjective. I never got around to beating WarCraft 3 so I fired it up for a few hours along with some Doom 3. Depending on your mouse speed/sensitivity within a game, the Spectrum pad may be too small and a bit annoying to use. I rarely ever lifted the mouse playing WC3 (probably because most of the navigation is done using the arrow keys), but Doom 3 was an entirely different story; same goes for any other game that requires sudden dramatic movements. Finally, if you're running at a really high resolution, be sure to up your mouse speed/acceleration or you'll find yourself lifting and resetting the mouse on the pad more than you'd like to.
Pros
- Novel idea
- Simple yet effective execution
- Slick and highly responsive tracking surface
- On/off switch in front of the pad
- Pass-through USB cable
- Soft unobtrusive glow
- Cheap (about $12)
Cons
- Tracking surface is too small
- Pad height is a bit large making hand placement somewhat awkward
- Noise generated when mouse slides over the gritted plastic
- Not really blue
The Vantec Spectrum mouse pad is an interesting novelty and a pretty effective one at that. For daily 'net surfing and some casual gaming it does the job and does it well. It also looks neat and will undoubtedly get people's attention at LAN parties, but serious gamers should dish out the extra cash for a pad made specifically for that purpose. There's nothing wrong with the pad and for $12 it's a worthy investment if you truly have a need for one. You can pick one up on sale at Sidewinder Computers. Enjoy.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 20 July 2007 )
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