Virtual-Hideout.Net | Articles | Mouse Accessories RoundUp

Image provided courtesy of your friendly irc operater in #virtual-hideout
[VH]Escape-Your-Mind

We gave your our fair share of information on the every growing mousing surface market. Now it's time to take a look at a few selected mousing accessories on the market today. By now most users are using teflon tapes to protect there mouse feet, prevent wear and maintain that consistent glide for their day to day gaming and desktop experience. What about the "spoiling yourself on an entirely different level" concept, or simply "fixing your pet peeve" about your current setup?

What about that mouse cord always getting in the way or bunching up against something on your desk? What about the time it takes for a mouse cord to break in and flex properly so the stiffness doesn't become an annoyance? What about people both large and small that have damp palms or have a hand sweat problem while gaming? Some manufactures think they have great solutions to these and a lot of other finicky issues people have with gaming. So I ask you whether you have a lot of money to invest in your hobby, or very little, can these accessories change from a want into a need?

This is X-trac's newest addition to their plethora of luxury gaming products. Their pre-cut slick high grade, semi-teflon coated bronzed tape comes on a 5" sheet of clear plastic allowing you to peel them off easily. Let's spend a little time with their conveniently shaped teflon tapes and see how they hold up.

First off let's take a look at the correct way to apply your new teflon tape so we can insure a consistent gaming experience and not have to worry about damaging your new product during installation.

You might want to check and make sure that you have all of the gunk removed from your mouse feet. When you are applying the tape you want to have it flushed completely against it without any air bubbles or debris underneath your tape. This ensures a longer life of your tape plus it'll be smooth and consistent for the duration of your tapes lifetime.

fUnc Anti-Friction liqUid
Courtesy of Frozencpu.com
Purchase here for $9.00usd

Another interesting product that has sprung up on the market aimed at making your mousing experience as smooth as can be. This little plain bottle contains some magic liquid that is designed to coat your mouse feet and can also be rubbed all over your pad for a temporary frictionless gaming bonanza. Lets throw some of this goo on my MX500 and see how it fairs.

Application

Getting your mouse primed an coated is a relatively easy process but does require some time and a little bit of precision to ensure it's going to work out the way you want it too. Start by going through the same process we've done in the past for cleaning your mouse.

Step 1: Gather Cleaning Supplies	Step 2: Clean your mouse

Here I use my handy dandy anti-static cleaning wipes to wipe the gunk off of my mouse feet.	Here is my mouse after cleaning getting ready to have some new shoes added!

Check and make sure that your mouse feet have been thoroughly cleaned. We are going to want a flat coat on these feet to make sure it will provide the maximum amount of coverage so the friction and weight of your hand is easily spread. This will ensure that each application of your liquid will last longer and provide the smooth gliding sensation you are paying for.

Step 3: Apply a drop	Step 4: Even the coating

Apply a drop to center of each mouse foot.	Even the drop by smoothing with q-tip or a piece of cardboard like you would for applying thermal grease on your cpu.

Step 5: Check each foot to ensure a smooth coat

Repeat process for all of your mouse feet. Maintain a smooth coat on each foot.

Step 6: Wait for it to cure

Grab some food and wait on your mouse to get ready. It says wait 2 minutes for it to cure but for it to completely dry and no fluid to be visible it takes about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Go 0wnz0r w1tH j00r n3W $L1pp3rY /\/\0u$3

Go and give your virtually frictionless mouse a try and see how you like it

Testing

After the goop was completely cured I immediately noticed that my gliding experience was much smoother than with the use of a teflon coated tape. It made the everglide DKT pad I was using go from a semi-tactful pad to having barely any noticeable resistance. I even tried it some of the rougher textures pads such as the Eveglide Giganta and the Ratpadz GS and it felt much smoother than a teflon coated tape on all the surfaces. It definitely put a spin on my notions of each of these pads and gave new life to my mousing setup.

You will notice that the gliding sensation and the coating will go out after about a week or so when using a plastic pad. You won't notice any change for about 2 weeks with a cloth pad even under heavy traffic. So the liquid holds up rather well considering the amount of movement it is actually having to cope with.

Pros

relatively easy to apply
can be used on both your mouse pad and your mouse's feet
bottle contains enough liquid for plenty of applications
water-based solution making it easy to clean off remnants of past application

Cons

more work to keep your mouse in good condition, must apply once every week or two
takes about 10 minutes to completely cure

Final Thoughts

I have to say that I was very skeptical about this product when I received it as a lot of other reviews I came upon complained about having to apply it so often. I found it to be relatively easy to apply and for the kind of glide I got out of a simple drop on each mouse foot it made the extra work seem worthwhile.

At only $9.00usd it is virtually a steal based on the amount of the product you get and how many applications you can get out of one bottle. Buying teflon tape every 2 months doesn't hardly seem worth it considering you can apply this every week and still have enough to last you a considerable amount of time.

I have been really satisfied with teflon tape and its a good protection measure because its an extra layer covering your mouse feet. This solution could easily be scraped off by something hard and sharp so the protection offered by a tape hasn't lost it's value. However, you can always squirt some of this on your tape so you can get the protection and maintain that flat mouse foot. Then have your fresh new coating to keep your mouse in proper gliding order for all your gaming whims to be achieved.

This product seems to be a great new addition to the market and should be given some consideration from any gamer looking to either pamper himself by trying new things or add to their permanent mousing setup.

<< X-trac Mad Dotz | Mouse Bungee >>

Mouse Bungee
Courtesy of Frozencpu.com
Purchase here for $12.00usd

These guys have been around for a while and they are still a hot little item so I figured I might take a peak at one and see if it might be worth it and if would make an awe inspiring change in my desktop setup. Boy was I surprised!

Something with such a simple idea. Get that mouse cord out of the way so it will stop snagging onto items, stop it from kinking and making me miss the last shot. Lets see if its mere commodity or if it's a feasible purchase.

Application

All you gotta do for this little guy is sit it at the front of your mousepad so that the edge is close to the pad or possibly touching it. Simply take the mouse cord and pop it in the holders and it will hold your cord up and out of the way.

Step 1: Lock in cord at top	Step 2: Lock in cord at bottom	Step 3: It's done now position it in front of your mouse pad.

Take your mouse cord and push down so it slides in and locks.	Push it in at bottom clip so it locks in place.	TA DA!!!!!1

Testing

After I got it positioned properly I figured lets throw the mouse around on my gigantic pad and see if it kinks up anywhere. Well it did a great job of keeping that mouse cord high up and out of the way. You will have to adjust it so it has the proper amount of slack because if you don't have some leeway with your cord if u go to the far lower corners of your pad you will see the springs get pulled down towards the desk and that will be somewhat noticeable.

Once it's adjusted properly you should never have a problem with your cord catching again. It does an excellent job of staying in place and not sliding on your desk while moving things around.

The way it holds your mouse cord up in the air will also help when you get a new mouse with the dreaded "stiff mouse cord." This will stop it from bending too hard near the front of your mouse and will allow your cord to break in without being troublesome during a game or desktop use.

Pros

elevates your mouse cord preventing kinks and it getting caught on desk items
eliminates some break-in time for a new mouse
doesn't slide around on your desk keeping your cord in the same place at all times
not too pricey
available with logos of your favorite web sites and in many different colors

Cons

it isn't free
worst case scenario: plastic holder tabs at bottom could break

Final Thoughts

A simple product that virtually everyone could put to use. The Mouse Bungee does a great job of keeping the cord out of the way and having a stylish look and accenting your desk area and even your case. It does what it was designed to do and in my book its worth spending 12 dollars for years of not having a mouse cord get in the way. As gamers and modders we think from an engineering standpoint and we all should see the benefits of having a proper workspace. It's just like a mechanic or modder with only limited tools, you can't get the job done the right way. So if you are fed up with your mouse cord getting caught on things and want to keep that cord up in the air and out of the way this could be the solution your looking for.

<< fUnc Anti-Friction liqUid | Steel Cord Holder >>

Steel Cord Holder
Courtesy of Steelpad.com
Purchase here for $16.50usd

Steelpad, a company which has taken the market by storm with some innovative new gaming products, takes their shot at designing a sleek and stylish version of a cord holder. This heavy little block of solid steel is designed to keep that mouse cord up and out of the way and give you a good looking, modern styled cord holder. So let's take a look and see if they sacrifice anything to get the looks they wanted.

Application

Another snap and go solution to get that cord out of the way. You simply place this guy at the top of your mousepad and go through the following steps:

Step 1: Remove screw	Step 2: Place cord	Step 3: Place and tighten screw

Simply remove the holder screw.	Place your mouse cord in the groove and hold it.	Place the holder screw back in and tighten it down on the cord.

The holder screw is definitely a neat way of keeping that mouse cord in place. With some of the other cord holders you usually snap them into plastic brackets which could eventually break.

Testing

After getting everything all tightened down and ready to go I centered the cord holder at the front of my mouse pad. It does a pretty good job of keeping the cord off the pad and in the air. It would be nice if it kept it farther in the air like the Mouse Bungee preventing it from getting in the way of your hand. Once you put the proper amount of slack in your mouse cord you might want to watch out when you move to the front of your mouse pad because the cord will curl somewhat. I caught my hand on the cord about 2 or 3 times and while it was basically a random occurrence, it would've been nice to avoid that issue altogether by that cord being higher in the air.

The Steel Cord Holder does a great job at partnering some stylish looks with a decent cord holder. You have to admit with that shiny block of steel sitting next to your mousepad and sexy aluminum modded it case it definitely adds to the atmosphere. My only real problem with it is the fact that the Mouse Bungee does a little better job of keeping that cord away from you hand.

The object of these devices is to stop your cord from snagging junk on your desk but we didn't want to create another minor problem in the process. Of course I use a HUGE mousepad so I had to give a lot of slack on the cord so I could move all around which was partly the reason the cord got hung up on my hand. If you use a standard or slightly oversized mousepad then you probably won't run into that problem as often as I did.

Pros

elevates your mouse cord slightly to preventing kinks and it getting caught on desk items
very good at remaining stationary due to it's weight
stainless steel is incredibly stylish
if you are short on desk space it doesn't have a large footprint
screw holder not likely to break

Cons

a bit pricey
doesn't keep cord elevated enough to prevent from snagging with your hand while mousing

Final Thoughts

The Steel Cord Holder is a very simple idea and take on solving the "M0th3r F#%#ing M0u$3 C0rD!" problem. It does the trick and stops it from catching anything on your desk by providing a stationary "pivoting point" for you mouse cord to travel from. I did notice one thing that plagued me with it, which was the issue with my mouse cord bunching up and catching on my hand as I moved closer to it. However I think that is only going to be an issue that is going to bother people that use humongous mousepads like myself.

They definitely take the cake when it comes to the smoothness factor. This little chunk of solid steel looks really cool in my eyes and I can see modders eye's light up right now as they think of how cool another chunk of metal would go along with their favorite brushed aluminum case that has more lights in it than a Las Vegas casino sign.

The Steel Cord Holder basically comes down to whether or not you are willing to sacrifice a little bit heftier chunk of cash to get a good looking solution to your mouse cord problems. So if your one of those people dead bent on having a great looking modern pimped out desk area then this might be the perfect thing for you. You can pamper yourself comfort wise and add another piece to your sleek modern desk setup.

<< Mouse Bungee | Steel Gaming Glove - GG3 >>

Steel Gaming Glove - GG3
courtesy of Steelpad.com
Purchase here for $16.50usd

This is an interesting new product thrown onto the market from Steelpad. This is a glove designed to provide you with a smooth sliding palm, wrist support, and a solution to those of us plagued by damp palms, sometimes even downright sloppy. Let's take a closer look at this glove and see if its just a simple marketing ploy or an accessory that you could really be missing out on.

Application

After taking this guy out of the package and removing the cardboard from it I was ready to take it for a spin. Made for right handed users only, simply take your pinky finger and put it through the small hole on the right side of the glove. Your thumb goes in the left side and the rest of your fingers through the largest hole. Strap it down and your ready to go.

I refuse to take pictures of how to put it on because if you can not figure it out then how in the hell are you using a computer to start with. Go drink some breast milk and take a nap!

Testing

Here is the glove in action

Once you slide the glove on and strap the velcro strap down you should notice the soft comfortable fabric grazing against your hand. I have to admit that this was very comfortable to wear and I didn't feel confined in any way while doing normal activities.

The one size fits all statements seems to hold true. It seemed to fit perfect on me, my near 300lbs friend with lard hands tried it on with no pinching and it also felt comfortable for my 100lbs dainty hand fiance.' No one noticed any pressure points and the strap wraps long enough around the wrist area of the glove to ensure a snug yet comfortable fit on anyone. It would be nice to see a left handed version for the minority out there but at this time they don't have a big enough demand to make one. Most of the southpaws I know mouse with their right hand anyway.

Here you can see how the glove looks on my hand and get a better view of its features.


Top view	Bottom view

You can see the glove appears to fit my hand rather well. The cutout on the top area is somewhat bunched up so that the strap could wrap around and secure properly. If you have a larger hand you simply won't have that area bunched up. I couldn't notice any inconvenience from the material bunching.

On the bottom it contours great to the shape of my hand. This is ideal because like most users the base of my palm rests on my mousepad and sometimes drags along the pad while I am moving around. The material is very smooth and provides a light amount of resistance but you will not catch it sticking or snagging while moving. They took into account that this would happen and by using this particular material it will ensure smooth and consistent gliding.


Very strong velcro.	Virtually no wear after 3 months use.

The strap uses some industrial strength velcro to keep it fastened down. It does an excellent job of keeping the glove in a comfortable position and not sliding up and down on your hand while that friction is happening on the base of your palm. It isn't a very hard and thick material so you shouldn't notice any irritation of your wrist from movement.

The strap seems to be well engineering because with most gloves that use velcro normally have issues with it not holding after time. There is virtually no wear on the section of the strap that the velcro attaches too and I have been using this glove for over 3 months. It seems like it will hold up for a long amount of time because my main concern would be the glove not strapping on, and after months of abuse and taking it on and off hundreds of times it still holds up.

One of the features of this glove that I've heard to be the main purchasing point is the fact that a majority of gamers have a little problem with a damp or sweaty palm, myself included. While I am not plagued with the problem the center of my palm does get a bit damp while using the mouse. After I while I notice myself missing shots or just becoming slightly irritated with it breaking some of my concentration so I was hoping this would solve the problem. The Steel Gaming Glove did exactly that! It seemed to absorb any dampness and I could maintain a dry palm and any moisture absorbed couldn't be felt through the other side of the glove. I was worried that some of that moisture might be soaked up and solve the problem of sweaty palm but turn that into a larger problem of getting my mousepad wet and slowing me down. That luckily wasn't the case and my damp palm problem has a permanent solution.

Pros

smooth cloth surface on palm provides consistent movement even while the glove is dragging on mousepad
one size fits all design actually fits all comfortably
material and velcro will last a long time
provides a little wrist support when properly strapped
perfect solution for gamers to stop damp or sweaty palms

Cons

no glove for left handed users

Final Thoughts

I purchased one of these before one was sent to me for this review and it's definitely been a big factor in my gaming setup now. I simply can't play a good game without it. My hand feels naked, I miss shots, I simply need this thing to play. I solved my damp palm problem and its really nice to have that smooth cloth gliding on my mousepad so my skin doesn't stick to it, making my experience even smoother.

The glove was definitely worth the money for me just to solve that issue alone. Not to mention the fact that its very comfortable, provides a smooth glide for my palm on mousepad contact and I am getting my money's worth because it hasn't started to come apart at the seams.

The only negative aspect has to be for the minority that is being excluded. Left handed users are a very small group but many other companies capitalize on the entire market. Logitech and Razer still make non-ergonomic mice catered to both left and right hand users and I think it would be nice if Steelpad would follow their mission statement and try and provide this product for ALL gamers worldwide.

<< Steel Cord Holder | Conclusion >>

Conclusion

I was pretty satisfied with all of the products I reviewed. Just like most people I'm pretty skepticle when it comes down to these things but I can't help but wonder if it's all hype and just a moneymaking scheme or something I really could be missing out on.

The mousing accessory market is a dangerous gimmick zone and you need to basically just use your noggin' and think things through and make a good educated decision on whats out there.

Hopefully by using some of the information listed here you could pick out a product that will solve your problems without getting all the a$$-kissing listed on other sites.

<< Steel Gaming Glove | Back to VH FrontPage >>

Step 3: Peel back tape	Step 4: Remove from Sheet

Here you can see me pealing off the corner so the edge of the tape comes off.	Insert your finger behind the edge hanging off. Try not to touch it too much because you will rub off the adhesive.

Step 5: Carefully apply	Step 6: Work out air bubbles

Start by putting the center flush on the pad and work the air out from underneath it.	Then take your fingernail and seal around the edges and push outward to make sure its all flat. Here is a pretty finished mouse foot.