My previous review of the Everglide Large Attack Pad mousing surface, was incredibly positive.  I was satisfied with the size of the Pad, but after continued use, I was getting a little bit annoyed with the actual surface area (shape.)  I found that I was sliding my mouse off the edges of the LAP, and I was missing some precision shots in Quake III and the like.

Luckily, the Hardocp guru, Kyle ( kyle@hardocp.com ) came through with a Ratpad for me to experiment with.  Placing the old LAP on top of the new Ratpad revealed that the Ratpad is not much LARGER than the LAP, but is "larger" due to an incredibly smarter design.  If you have both pads in your possession, then you will see what I mean.  The Everglide LAP is basically an oval, with a crescent shaped cut, wasting valuable mousing surface.  The Ratpad is slightly wider, and taller, but is based on a rectangular design which provides a more logical, and larger mousing surface.

As previously mentioned, the Ratpad measure in at 9.5 inches tall by 11.5 inches wide.  The material is pretty much the same as the Everglide LAP, at least it feels that way, because it's a hard slab of plastic that reminds me of a cutting board.  The surface is kind of rough, but that is part of the design nonetheless.  The Everglide LAP would occasionally slide around, because they did not place enough of the rubber feet on the bottom of the mousing surface.  The Ratpadz solves this problem by having nine rubber feet, with five on the bottom portion, three on the top, and one in the centre.  The nine rubber feet provide great stability, and the Ratpadz never slides away from me during a crucial Quake III moment. 

While the increased size has made an impact with my daily computer chores, and gaming.  The Ratpadz have implemented a slightly slicker surface called "UltraslickT".  Many Everglide users are quite satisfied with the slickness of their mousing surfaces, but the Ratpad manages to impress me more.  The Ratpad is definitely slicker, and my Microsoft Intellimouse Optical glides noticeably better with it.  It is not a quantum leap in performance, but it definitely enhances my Quake III games, as well as my more mundane daily computer tasks.

Keeping the Ratpad clean and in tip top shape is relatively simple, a damp cloth keeps the surface clean (though that is not much of a problem because it doesn't attract much debris to begin with.)  The Ratpad does occasionally get "warped" (bent out of shape), but Kyle and the gang recommend just bending it back to shape.  It is THAT sturdy :).  The rubber feet can get dirty over time, using a damp cloth works, but a bit of saliva will work in a pinch. 

Conclusion:

I knew that the Ratpad would be larger than my Everglide LAP, but I did not know that it would be such a significant upgrade over the LAP.  Additionally, I was under the impression that the Ratpad and the LAP were equally slick (freedom of movement with the mouse.)  I was incorrect, the Ratpad is definitely a slicker than the LAP, and is definitely the BEST mousing surface that I've ever been able to use. 

So if you are wondering if a mousing surface can improve your Quake III game, or simply make Windows easier to navigate, then the answer is a resounding YES!  I'm not a Quake III demi-god, but the Ratpad does provide a good advantage over the Everglide LAP, and I'm getting at least a few more frags than I used to...