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Xtrac Eels & Mad Dotz Mouse Enhancers |
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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
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Thanks to XtracPads for the product samples.
Computer mice underwent a complete overhaul over the past few years. Optical technology (and now laser) made a world of a difference. Ball mice are all but extinct. After this technology was harnessed, there wasn't much left. Manufacturers have since upgraded their engines, changed button placements, offered colorful varieties, and even went as far as light integration. In order to provide even more enhancements, third party manufacturers turned to the enthusiast community for answers.
The result was a set of products based off a preexisting, widely used material: teflon tape. Particularly effective on plastic surfaces, small applications of this tape on mouse feet allowed for much smoother and easier movements thanks to reduced friction. Since then numerous mouse enhancement items have surfaced. Today we're taking a look at two such products, XtracPads' Mad Dotz and Eels. Both are essentially the same product and come in the retail packages shown.
Eels is nothing more than a piece of tape with teflon on one side and adhesive on the other. It comes with a short instruction sheet on how to install it. It's rather simple: measure the mouse feet in question, cut an appropriate size, peel off the backing and paste it on. The hard part is separating the tape from the backing. There's nowhere to hook the tape and I spent a good 10 minutes trying to pick in with my fingers (which are in no way "large" mind you). Eventually I gave up and split the two pieces by wedging a pocket knife in-between. I also found it next to impossible to cut out small pieces and then attempt to peel them off. Instead, it's a lot easier to peel off a good portion of the backing and just cut as you go. Fortunately the strip is long enough (~5") for numerous installations and forgivable mistakes.
Mad Dotz is a slightly more elaborate approach though at the very basic level no different from the Eels. Instead of having to cut the pieces to size, you get 12 precut portions that'll fit any mouse with room to spare. Of course if you really wanted to size them down, there'd be nothing preventing you from doing so. They're also a lot easier to peel off and the adhesive feels a bit stickier than that of the Eels'. Furthermore, you get a handy isopropyl alcohol pad to clean off your mouse feet before installation.
The only two mice I had that didn't already have some sort of third party teflon product installed were a cheap Mitsumi optical mouse and my Logitech MX310. You can see what the bottoms look like after installation above. If you happen to be a perfectionist, grab an x-acto knife and cut off the extra tape surrounding your mouse feet. I'm lazy so I'll pass. The advantage of this is prevention of the extra tape corners "snagging" your mouse which could result in reduced performance, though I've yet to witness any such thing; my extra tape sticks to the mouse no problem. So long as you cut your pieces as close as possible to the actual size of the feet, you should be fine. This only applies to the Eels.
Testing is of course subjective. I did notice a big increase in the gliding capability of my Mitsumi mouse on Steelpad's S&S surface, but that's due to the crappy nature of the original feet. Logitech's MX310 already has teflon coated feet (at least this is the common consent) so the difference wasn't as noticeable, but still there. Both Eels and Mad Dotz behave about the same. Both are a cheap and effective way of improving performance. The Eels are easier to cut to size, though harder to peel from the protective backing. The Mad Dotz are much easier to install and you get an alcohol prep pad as well. You really don't need to cut them either. Last but not least, both cost next to nothing: about $2 for the Eels and $3 for the Mad Dotz (retail listed price is $3 and $5 respectively, though you can find them cheaper online).
Pros
- Simple concept, simple execution
- Hassle-free installation
- Instant mouse gliding improvement
- Cheap: $2 for Eels, $3 for Mad Dotz (retail $3 and $5 respectively)
Cons
- Eels - hard to peel the tape from the backing
XtracPads' Eels and Mad Dotz are just two versions of teflon mouse enhancers. They're cheap, easy to install, and work well. If you don't already have a similar product and can't get your hands on an even cheaper strip of teflon tape, either of these will do just fine. Do you absolutely need them? No. But they are a nice investment, and an inexpensive one at that. Check out these vendors as well as a few others if interested.
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