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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
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Page 2 of 2
The pad is made up of three layers. The top is a combination of cloth and plastic (hence the Hybrid name) - that is all we know. It actually feels like it too: it's a lot slicker than a pure cloth pad but not as rigid or tough on the palms as a plastic one. In the middle is thick foam used for padding. The bottom is Sure Grip rubber backing. Even this is an improvement over the rubber backing found on Xtrac's all-cloth pads.
Above are a pair of macro shots detailing the front and back surfaces (respectively) of the Hybrid. The front does indeed appear to be some sort of treated cloth-like material. The back's Sure Grip angled design is more effective than the straighter pattern found on their cloth pads. The only issue that's still left untouched is a frilly one. Cloth pads tend to frill at the border over time (I'm beginning to notice this with a couple of their older pads which I've been using for several months now). Although the Hybrid seems to be less prone to thread separation, it's still something that hasn't been resolved. Some sort of sealant along the edge should do the trick and we encourage Xtrac to look into this if they want to come one step closer to creating the perfect mouse pad.
With that out of the way, it was time for some testing. Having used the Hybrid for about a week now doing school work, site work, and CS:S gaming, I got a pretty good feel for its abilities. Without a doubt this is Xtrac's best mouse pad to date and out of all those I've personally reviewed, the best one overall. Tracking is flawless, the grip is impressive, the thickness is ideal for cushioning, the cloth-like feel is still there (so palms don't get irritated or sweaty), and it's noticeably slicker than a cloth surface. In short, the Hybrid combines the comfort of a cloth pad with the low friction of a plastic mat. It's not perfect, but it sure is close. More color/pattern/size choices and some sort of frill prevention would make it even better. Maybe with the next revision.
Pros
- Retail kit including Mad Dotz
- Flawless tracking
- Good grip
- Thick cushioning
- Easy on the palms
- Slicker than cloth pads, yet not as irritating as plastic ones
- Good size
- Rolls up for transportation
Cons
- Still frills slightly
- Only one size and pattern to choose from
I was impressed with the first set of Xtrac mouse pads and the Hybrid is a combination of everything that's right with the earlier versions. It's not perfect, but it's closer to my personal ideal than any other mat I've tried. If you're in the market for a new mouse pad, the Hybrid is a very tempting choice. You can find a list of resellers here.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 15 June 2007 )
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