The Corepad Magna:

  The Corepad Magna is a mousing surface made out of thick safety glass, with dimensions of 315x255x4.0mm (12.4"x10.0"x0.16"), which makes it about as big as the medium-sized Eyepad. Thus, it's quite large, and I doubt you'll find its size a constraint. It's available in both grey (pictured) and blue versions, though the differences are slight. Both feature a "fencing" pattern etched into the glass that gives the glass some grip and provides a durable surface that also makes the surface look like a metal grate. With this industrial look, the Corepad Magna certainly looks good.

  The Magna also comes with a strip of the Corepad Skatez, which is a strip of Teflon tape that can be cut to fit on your mouse's feet to make it move better.

Corepad Magna Grey.

Magna, rubber base and Corepad Skatez.

Magna on top of rubber base.

  The Magna differs from a regular mousepad though, in that the glass surface is separate from the rubber base. To use it, you simply place the glass surface on top of the rubber base so that it doesn't slip and slide everywhere. However, this two-piece design makes it a little troublesome to move around; I would have just liked the two to be attached. Also, because the Magna's made of glass, it's quite heavy - it'll add a bit of heft to your LAN party luggage.

  The Magna also seems very durable since it's a hard surface, and should be easy to clean with any sort of glass cleaner. However, you won't want to drop it; even though it's safety glass, it can still break.

Surface and "fencing" etching.

With mouse for comparison.

  Using the Magna for the first time, to be honest, it didn't feel too good, as the combination of the glass and etching made movement a little more difficult than on a cloth or slick surface. Thus, while the Magna felt to be a quality unit, it didn't really work well for me. You really have to use the included Teflon tape on your mouse's feet in order to get it to move better on the Magna, and since it's just a strip of the Teflon tape, you have to cut it to match your mouse's size yourself, which can be tricky. The Magna was just a bit over the top for me, in terms of construction and usage.

The Corepad Victory:

  The Corepad Victory is a plastic-surfaced hard mousepad obviously designed for gaming. With dimensions of 330x285x1.8mm (13.00"x11.23"x0.07"), it's quite large and should provide enough space for even the most intrepid of mouse users. The mousepad is not stiff, but it somewhat flexible as the hard plastic surface is very thin and is adhered to a rubber backing. It's still a very durable surface and isn't heavy at all.

Corepad Victory.

Textured plastic surface.

  The Victory will work with all laser mice, and textured plastic surface feels great to move on. It's very slick, but provides enough control so that you're not slipping and sliding when you don't want to. For people used to slick mousepads, the Victory will be a joy to use, as the low-friction excels for use in FPS and other games that require quick response and movements. It also makes regular desktop usage easier, and slick plastic surface means it's easy to wipe clean when grime builds up, unlike cloth mousepads.

Construction.

Rubber backing.

  The rubber backing does the same job as on other mousepads, and I never found the Victory sliding underneath my hands during usage. The ample space means that the Victory might not fit on smaller keyboard trays, but means that you'll never feel cramped. Also, being lightweight and flexible, the Victory is an ideal candidate for carrying around on LAN party outings.

Texture.

With mouse for comparison.

  Overall, I was impressed by the Victory, as far as hard, slick mousepads go. It worked great with laser mice like the G7, as well as an optical mouse. If you're used to the feel of a slick mousepad and hate friction, the Victory is a good choice; if this is going to be your first slick mousepad, it might take some time getting used to.

Corepad Skatez Pro and Corepad Wax:

  The Corepad Skatez Pro are meant as replacements for the feet that come with your mouse, but unlike the Teflon tape that comes with the Magna, these babies have already been custom-cut to fit on to various mice. You just need to peel of the backing and stick them on.

  The Skatez Pro are available for many types of mice, including the MX300, MX500, MX310, Razer, MX1000, G5/G7, Intellimouse and others. (A full list is available.) They're meant as a replacement for you mouse's current feet, so you'll need to remove them before sticking these ones on, otherwise the feet will become thicker, moving the optical or laser sensor further from the surface and perhaps causing tracking problems.

Skatez Pro for G5/G7 mice.

Skatez Pro and the G7.

Skatez Pro for the MX500/MX700 series.

  The thing with mouse feet is that they can get worn down and scratched over time, especially if you're just using a mouse on the desk's surface with no mousepad. (The problem is less pronounced if you're using a soft or cloth mousepad.) This translates into a mouse that doesn't move as well, and sometimes one that responds irregularly if the feet are worn down differently. Thus, you'll get the greatest benefits from the Skatez Pro feet if your mouse's feet have taken a beating; even on feet that didn't look worn on my G7, the Skatez Pro made movement seem that much slicker.

  Since everyone's mouse feet will get worn down at one point or another, the Skatez Pro aren't just for hardcore gamers, they're for everyone and are a good set of replacement feet. Think of them as like a set of new, quality tires for your car.

  In contrast, the Corepad Wax is a hardcore product. Wax? What's that? That was my first impression as well. Corepad Wax is a liquid carnuba wax meant to be applied to your mouse surface to help decrease friction. Used on a slick surface, this can make things seem like ice, if you're really into near-zero friction. It's only meant for hard surfaces, either plastic or glass.

Corepad Wax.

Liquid.

  Basically, you use it this way - after shaking to mix up the contents, you apply some to a cloth and then spread it on your mouse pad, buffing it to a smooth feel. This layer of wax then cuts down on friction, making your mouse work better. This, combined with the Skatez Pro, can really make your mousepad feel quite slippery; I had the best results when using the wax on the Corepad Victory surface. I hesitate to recommend this to everyone though; not all people will like a super-slippery feel, and having to re-apply the wax everyone now and then might seem a bit too much for people. However, for gamers wanting the absolute slickest and friction-free movements, the Corepad Wax helps every bit.

Conclusion:

  Corepad has a really solid line up of products that are sure to meet everyone's needs, one way or another. From the hardcore gamer, to the regular office user, they have something to offer everyone.

  Personally, I was impressed by the Corepad Victory for gaming. The combination of a slick, durable plastic surface, while still being lightweight and flexible, makes it a good choice for gamers. Its ample space also doesn't hurt either. Furthermore, if you're really hardcore, you can get some Skatez Pro and use Corepad Wax for even less friction, though this may be too much for some people. I'd be happy with the Victory alone.

  For people used to regular mousepads, (me being one of them), I would suggest either one of the Eyepads or the Deskpad. (Provided you have space for the Deskpad!) They've taken a traditional idea like the cloth mousepad, but turned it into something that's high quality and feels great to use. If you're reluctant to switch over to a hard surface, but want something more than a regular mousepad, the Eyepad and Deskpad are for you. The Deskpad additionally doubles as a desktop cover, helping to making cleaning/dusting easier.

  I have a hard time recommending the Corepad Magna because I didn't like the feel of the etched glass surface. Additionally, it was quite heavy, and the two-piece glass/rubber backing design seemed a bit impractical. However, if you like the glass feel and aren't going to be moving your mousepad around a lot, the Magna could be good - I just think that the Corepad Victory would be a better choice for most.

• Gaming Recommendation: Corepad Victory

• Desktop User Recommendation: Eyepad or Deskpad

  Many thanks to Corepad for making this review possible.