Axillary fighters

Careful traffic!

By a lucky chance, almost all the Razer carpets and a couple of products of the same class met at the same space-time point. As they say, I was there ... Having eaten with the mouse here and there, I want to tell about everything in order and share my impressions.

I will begin, perhaps, with some reasoning. Do you really need a rug for a modern mouse? As far as I remember, it all began in the time of mice with a mechanical principle of action - which frankly stupid on some types of surfaces. At about that time (and maybe much earlier) people began to buy rugs before the full ammunition - at that time they were cracking carpets with all sorts of drawings, from the back of which smelled incredibly all kinds of chemosis. But how many memories associated with the extraction of dirt from the three rollers of the mouse!
')
Time runs. Optics replaced the mechanics (approximately in 1999) - a bright light from the “keyhole” and a wide range of supported surfaces. Marketing DPI grew by leaps and bounds, but progress did not stand still - after a while laser rodents appeared, capable of driving along any kind of impassable road. In this regard, you can read an interesting IXBT- article .
But ... but the carpet industry has not disappeared anywhere - why in the era of powerful lasers continue to produce new coatings, which are in abundance in almost any computer store? All to meet the old habit? Well, maybe so ... maybe someone has his own arguments on this subject, and the third is guided by something else ... well, the carpets have remained and are not going to leave anywhere. Actually, I offer an overview of the most interesting, in my opinion, that is on the market.

Slightly below there will be photos of any spider bugs - the fact is that the Razer company calls all its products with the names of creatures. Mice - the names of snakes, keyboards - the names of spiders, speakers - the names of fish, and carpets, respectively, the names of beetles. So do not be scared - where else read about beetles!

Goliaths

Razer Goliathus . Perhaps the most common carpets - gained popularity, apparently due to the fact that they have the lowest price and are suitable for most users. There are two versions - Speed and Control : on a rather thick porous rubber base two different types of fabric surfaces are pasted.
Speed - designed for active movements, including high-amplitude - in shooters, arcades and other dynamic games involving the mouse. The most smooth carpet, on which any mouse drives almost without sound (even just a finger literally slides on the carpet). Due to the fact that the distance between the “elements” of the fabric is very small, microscopic dust particles clog there over time - this is not visible to the naked eye, but if you hold it on the surface with a fingernail, then there will be a bright mark. It is easy to deal with this - it is enough to periodically wipe the carpet with a damp cloth or cleaning cloth.









Control - designed for more measured movement and "pixel-by-pixel" cursor control - suitable in strategies, RPG, as well as when working in graphic editors and for other office routines. Has a surface made of a complex highly textured woven fabric - all for control. I do not exclude that larger “pores” will also become contaminated over time. The mouse-type manipulator moves perfectly along the carpet, also almost silently.







Absolutely black, with a green and white name and company logo. There are three sizes of Goliath - Alpha (large, 444x355x4.3 mm), Standard (standard, 355x254x4 mm) and Omega (compact - 270x215x4 mm). Omega is just such a carpet as most users imagine. What can not be said about the "Alpha" - the size of this carpet is really impressive! They are so big that I have a keyboard on the rug and there is a little space under it to work with a mouse - accordingly, there is enough “clean” space for absolutely any gaming activity.





They are delivered in an oblong cardboard box, in a twisted form - after unfolding the carpet lies flat on the table and does not attempt to assume a rolled up shape.



With a slight pressure, the carpet is slightly pressed through - due to the rubber layer. Both carpets are suitable for any type of sensor and sensitivity settings.

Omega will cost the owner 600 rubles, the standard - 840, and alpha - 990.

Named in honor of Goliath, the heaviest beetle in the world (males weigh up to 100 grams).

eXactMat

Razer eXactMat is an expensive, but very unusual carpet.



It is solid - its base is a thin sheet of anodized aluminum (about 2 mm thick) with rounded edges. As you know, “luminescence is the lightest iron on earth”, so the rug is quite light ... and on both sides it fits on the working surface - again, Speed ​​and Control. But, in contrast to soft rag Goliaths, the black surfaces here are somewhat different - smoother. In the four corners of the carpet there are small rubber pads - during the game they do not interfere, but they allow to keep the carpet securely in place and practically exclude the wear of the bottom surface on the table itself.







But the main bonus of this rug is its second part - the eXactRest gel stand under the wrist. Yes, about the same as they were in the old black / blue carpets that filled all the shops.



This cushion additionally has a rubber sheet, which is enclosed under the aluminum part - in this case, the height of the carpet increases and, again, the contact area increases, which is why the carpet does not move at all.



I don’t know how useful this stand really is, but what’s much more convenient with it is for sure.
What did not like - the mouse glide on such a carpet is quite loud (as in a normal tabletop).



Dimensions 265x330x2.5 mm. Find a carpet for sale is difficult, but possible - at a price of about 1,400 rubles. The fact is that he is already out of production at the request of the Scandinavian pro-gamers. It is rumored that in the cold regions the hands of the guys were cold when they just sat down to play - as a result, another carpet was born, Razer Vespula.

Razer destructor

It all starts with a paper "skin", on which are drawn some graphics, portraits of cybersportsmen, etc. - we are far from them, so just pull out a smart black folder in a fabric sheath.



It is solid and lightning-in principle, it can be used as a hollow carpet of the Control-type series) On one side is the green logo of the company, which only adds charm.



After opening the zipper, in the thick of the protective material is ... yes, a solid Razer Destructor carpet! The one that was built to meet the requirements of some players of famous teams.



Actually, it is remarkable by the fact that it bears on itself a highly textured Razer Fractal surface, which is based on a special metallic coating. It gives the sensor a contrasting uniform distribution of dark and light “spots” - for high-speed movements of the mouse, both laser and optical.



The rug is one-sided - a thin rubber layer is located below, and the final dimensions of the device are 350x280x2.3 mm. In addition to the dark gray, there is a white version - in either of the two cases only positive emotions remain.



It seems that this is the most expensive carpet - the price per piece on the official website is 1,790 rubles.

Razer megasoma

It would seem, well, what else can you think of this? It turns out you can. As a result of long engineering torment, Razer Megasoma appeared - a hybrid of soft and hard carpets.



Those. as rubber, it can be twisted into a tube, but when it lies on the table, pushing it with a finger (and even more so with a mouse) will not work - very hard. The rug is made of transparent wear-resistant silicone, the upper part of which has a white matte coating. Bottom left black and white - the name of the carpet with some kind of beetle, and at the top right - barely noticeable logo Razer, glowing in the dark with a soft green light.

Non-standard carpet sizes (by the way, the male beetle reaches 12 cm in length and weights 35 grams) - 350x230x2 mm - ideal for dynamic games that require sweeping movements, i.e. for action The reverse side perfectly keeps on any surfaces - perhaps even better than just rubber bases of other carpets.



Well, another nice bonus of this carpet - complete with an oblong box made of thick Plexiglas, in which the rug can be compactly laid and transported.





The mouse mixes well on the carpet, but the sound of movement is louder than that of rag fellows. But also much quieter than the ride on the table. The only drawback - the first time the carpet smells of chemistry, which is characteristic of many rubber products;)

Wikipedia says that Megasome is one of the largest beetles in the world.

Razer sphex

The next interesting development is the Razer Sphex rug - I even guess where its roots grow from)



That's right - in fact, this is a regular sheet of paper. More precisely, with such characteristics sheet is not found, but the thickness is the same.



The size of the carpet - 320x230mm. On the one hand there is a rough surface, on the other - a lot of point sticky tape designed for multiple gluing-peeling. A4 sheet does not know how;)



It is easily glued to wood, metal, glass, marble, but it is better not to stick to the fabric. Due to its thickness, the carpet is placed in a laptop, in a folder or between the pages of a magazine, and when its time arrives, it sticks firmly to the table without imparting itself.







Ideal for most tasks, with a random congress beyond the carpet will be almost imperceptible.

There is practically no noise at work, since the roughness is quite small (close to the speed category of carpets). Not Marked.

Name - in honor of such a little bit:

But that's not all!

Calling right now ... In general, the Razer Kabuto is also a very interesting carpet. It is very thin (280x195x1,2mm) and also fits easily between the covers of the laptop, but, unlike the Razer Sphex, it has a rubber base.







Neutrally dark surface (without any contrasting elements) is made of rag material, macrofibre - perfect for wiping a laptop screen from prints :)
It will cost the owner 800 rubles.

Named after the Japanese name for the rhinoceros beetle (branchhorn), Kabuto Mushi:



Now I went to the site of the company and saw a novelty - the Razer Vespula . It was he who replaced the eXactMat carpet - instead of an aluminum base, plastic is used.



Otherwise, it is a hybrid of Destructor and eXactMat carpets - hard and durable, double-sided (speed / control), with a wrist pad and the same way) But a little more - 300x240x4 mm.

Named after an ordinary wasp.



In addition to these black carpets, the company offers many bright solutions that are not in the article. The choice is not great, but graceful in its own way.
A lot of carpets from different companies were left without attention, but ... almost all of them either have much in common with those described above, or do not represent any interest at all. Of the worthy ones, we can note, perhaps, the SteelSeries company - there is nothing unusual in their assortment, but the carpets are generally quite good. For a long time I used a representative of the QcK series, but once he had baby milk spilled on him :)

* Bonus *

Regular mats of 50 ... 150 rubles. Often, these carpets are distributed free of charge - as a small bonus to buying something. As a rule, they have standard sizes - slightly more-less than A4 sheet. The base is some kind of finely porous material.



Strong grip with the table may not be - I have a couple of times the rug slid down with the mouse. The front side is a smooth matte plastic sheet with all sorts of drawings. It is scratched and, as far as I know, cracks when strongly bent. Actually, it will suit absolutely undemanding users, for whom the decisive reason for buying is the drawing on the mat itself.

A4 sheet. It is remarkable that you can not buy it - it's easier to find at home or to steal at work :) And, if you pull a pack, then just a pack - then you can change it every day. In this situation, packs will last for almost two years, and if you take 4 packs at once (on average, 150 rubles per pack, you can buy the same thin Razer Sphex for this money), then you can use it for an entire era. No rubber or rough surfaces - on a smooth surface will hold on the word of honor, but more often - ride with the mouse)
Marky - after half an hour of "driving", traces will remain even from the cleanest hands, however, you can write something down on it at any moment. Breaks, bends, hesitates - but then the price of the corresponding consumables;)
By the way, they say that the manufacturers use the white sheet of paper with a 50% fill in black to test the “speed of disruption” of the mouse. This print gives a set of very small black dots on a white background, which is almost ideal for the sensor.

Armrest sofa. Here a lot depends on the model of the sofa. If it is fabric (or, worse, fleecy), then the inevitable dust will be intensively clogged in the sensor hole - to make sure of this, you can hold the mouse back and forth on the sofa and look into the "keyhole". If the sofa is leather, then it is quite another matter. But in this case, the armrest should be very wide and even - only in this case it will be more or less comfortable to crawl with a mouse. And this is one sofa out of 10, if not less. In all other cases, the wrist will be very tired.



In short, this option is suitable only in two cases - when you control a mouse, for example, a media center (nettop), where the usual rug is simply not needed - there is nothing beside the sofa. Or in the case when you temporarily work on the couch, for example, on a laptop - there is no space under the rug, the touchpad is inconvenient, but you need to move the cursor somehow.



But in all other cases, this is a complete mockery of the body - the work is “on weight”, 99% is an uncomfortable level of height, 99% is not enough area for movement. Well, and more cons - markiness, high cost and lack of mobility. So, seriously considering this option, the purchase of a sofa should be taken very responsibly.

Just a table. And what is the most obvious option. You don’t need to buy anything besides the table itself - you can just sit down and work right away. I suspect that many use this option.
Much depends on the tabletop itself - if it is a lacquered solid wood or stone (marble), then the teflon legs of the mouse will elegantly and silently slide over it and, most likely, transfer all movements well.
If this is something from the chipboard series, then one of the main drawbacks will be the noise from work - with an active game there will be a noticeable unpleasant rustle (in a quiet work in applications it is not so noticeable); but hit the slightest grain of sand, this rustle will turn into a terrible crunch, and scratches will remain on both touching surfaces. On some chipboard, varnished veneer and other semi-glossy surfaces, “cursor improvisation” is not excluded - when the cursor can either move itself or randomly move to an arbitrary place.
If glass is used as a countertop ... then everything is very bad. Firstly, the glass itself is cold even in summer - as far as I know, when it comes into contact with the hands, this negatively affects the blood vessels. Secondly, when choosing a mouse, you will have to limit yourself to a small number of devices - there are really few of them and, as far as I know, Razer does not have such models. But for example, Logitech has two DarkField mice capable of flaunting glass (the minimum thickness of which is 4mm).



But they are not game and just expensive. If the glass is frosted is another matter, but, IMHO, it's easier to just buy a rug.

The end

I repeat once again - I am never a professional gamer, and even the pixel-by-pixel control in graphic editors is needed not so often. But this does not interfere with working with different mice on different carpets, in order to understand what and how, to compare. After I tried to work on different carpets, I made a conclusion - for a regular user this is NOT a mandatory attribute, BUT and not superfluous. It is quite possible to work without a carpet - the existing technologies perfectly allow you to do this on virtually any surface, but only using a good carpet, can the sensor be provided with a consistent surface and precise positioning. And the noise from the work will almost always be quieter.
As for professional players (which, perhaps, among the readers can be counted on the fingers of one hand, if they exist at all), then there, of course, the requirements are completely different - in fact, it is for these users that Razer initially creates its products. And, which is nice, players have plenty to choose from.
Someone will say that all this is marketing gibberish, sucking money out of parental wallets and simply unnecessary gadgets to anyone - hardly any of us really has an urgent need for these super-precision and other things. But such examples can be given a great many ... but at least the recent winter Olympiad, where skiers, due to the slightest change in the ambient temperature, put a certain composition on skis on skis. It would seem, yes, what is already there - will go, what not to smear ... but then, no one discusses these disputes - who needs it, it uses. Approximately the same here) The rug is not a means for winning and is not a guarantee of exact frags, but only an auxiliary accessory - everything else depends on the user himself.

Summing up: everything is good in moderation and the main thing - not to bring it to fanaticism.Razer once again proved that they know their business and provide players with a really rich selection of tools for victory. Perhaps it should be.

Successes!