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XtracPads Ripper


Date
: 09/21/07 – 04:40:33 AM

Author
:

Category
: Misc

Page 1 : Index

Manufacturer:
XTracPads

Price:
$13.00 US

We were introduced to XtracPads here at OverClockersOnline not long ago when I took a look at one of their plastic surfaced mousepads, the HS Pro. I had mentioned that they are a company that offers a wide array of products for your mouse, including of mousepads of varying materials and sizes.

Today I have the pleasure of checking out one of their soft surface, or cloth mousepad if you will. How does it stack up to its plastic brother? Read on to find out.

Page 2 : Package and Specifications

Let's start off by taking a look at the package the Ripper comes in.

XtracPads Ripper comes in a clear plastic tube with a black and red paper insert. The front (well, really isn't any front so to speak) of insert has the name in large type along with a statement letting you know this pad is built for gamers.

Along the 'back' they list the specifications and an excerpt from a review. All in all very similar to the packaging for the Pro HS, aside from it being wrapped up in a tube.

A quick peek at the product page for the XtracPads Ripper gives us a list of the Ripper's features and specifications.

XtracPads Ripper highlights:
– Whisper quiet cloth surface
– Soft and comfortable
– Frey resistant edges
– Sure Grip rubber backing
– 11′ x 17′ x 1/8′ (H x W x T)
– Tested and 100% compatible with the following mice:
* Logitech MX300/500/510/518/700/1000 G5 & G7
* Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0/4.0 Laser Mouse 6000
* Apple Mighty Mouse

Page 3 : Contents

Once again, the packaging is nice, but it's what is on the inside that really counts.

Upon removing the contents you find the Ripper rolled up in a plastic bag, an additional layer of protection beyond the plastic tube.

After you unroll the Ripper, you finally see the size of this massive mousepad. The Ripper is all black with the XtracPads logo and Ripper in white on the lower right hand corner.

Here is a close up shot of the woven cloth surface. Oddly enough it looks a less smooth here in this picture than it actually feels with the mouse.

An up close and personal shot of the Sure Grip rubber backing.

Just like with the HS Pro, XtracPads includes a small sticker.

Page 4 : Testing and Conclusion

For testing I used the XtracPads Ripper for the last few weeks with my trusty Logitech MX700, running through daily use as well as firing up some first person shooters.

Once again you can see the size of the Ripper. There really is not possibility that I might run out of room in my setup, and oddly enough I didn't. One thing I should comment on, since it was obviously wider than the mousing area I had to use, I did have to put a portion of it under my keyboard. Thanks to the thinness of the Ripper I never even noticed it was tucked under there, as I never experienced any tipping back and forth on the keyboard.

The Ripper provided a smooth and consistent surface for a cloth pad and didn't leave any truly negative impressions. I not once had any erratic movements from my mouse and even use in Photoshop was as smooth as you could ask for.

About the only concerns I had with it are pretty much inherent to all cloth pads, the main one being keeping it clean. Dust and dirt seem attracted to it and while a simple brush with your hand will get rid of most of it, sometimes it takes a little more effort. Taking a wet cloth and simply wiping it doesn't work like it does with plastic mousing surfaces. The second issue is, I have gotten used to hard surfaced mouse pads, and I have yet to find a cloth pad that can match the feel of a hard surfaced pad. This isn't exactly a fault of the Ripper, but more a limitation of cloth surfaces. As far as cloth surfaces go I don't believe you will be disappointed with the performance or size of the XtracPads Ripper.

Positives

• Large surface area

• Smooth
• Inexpensive

Negatives

• Cleaning can be difficult

• Not as smooth as hard surface pads

Overclockers Online would like to thank XTracPads for supplying the Ripper for review.