Maxdy FlexiGlow FX GamePad Review
Date : Tuesday, 20 July 2004
Author : Mr. FanTasTic
Provided by : Maxdy
Introduction
Maybe
you can't build a better mousetrap, but Flexiglow has managed to improve on
the mousepad idea with their new Illuminated Fx Game Pad, provided by Maxdy.
It combines a slick (but not too slick) hard plastic gaming surface with a stylish
lighted border. Not a lot of benchmarks to run on this piece of hardware,
but it's a functional item so I'll give it a look.
Overview
The usable portion of the Gamepad measures 9.5" x 7.5" (240mm x 187mm) for a total area of about 71 square inches (448 cm² ). The corners are rounded off, so the actual usable area is somewhat smaller. The surface texture is a slick plastic that feels a lot like UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) plastic, a common material similar to that used in plastic cutting boards for the kitchen. It seems to be pretty durable. The border is constructed of a centimeter-thick transparent plastic material that feels very solid. It is very hard, and has good optical qualities. There looks to be a fair amount of trapped gas bubbles within the border, giving the LED illumination a way to scatter and diffuse. The top edges are rounded off, making a smooth transition to the desktop when your hand is resting on it.
What makes this pad interesting is the illumination. It draws power from a USB port to power it's twelve(!) LED's embedded in the plastic base. There is a small rubber button that is located on the top portion of the pad near the cord exit. When power is applied, the button controls the lighting function. When pressed and released, the lights rotate through the possible combinations. There are four groups of LED's arranged at the corners of the pad, and each cluster consists of a red, green and blue LED. With the three primary colors and mixing, you get these combinations, plus a rotating mode in which the lights cycle through the colors.
Installation
If the idea of plugging in a mousepad seems weird to you, well, it does to me, too. If you have a wireless mouse and keyboard, then this kind of defeats the purpose of going cordless, but for the majority of us, it won't make much difference to have one more cord hanging around. I have a USB hub that sits right next to my computer anyway, so the cord doesn't have to go far. It's plenty long if it has to reach, though. I hooked it up and have been using it for about a week, now, and I can report that when compared to my traditional mousepad, the hard surface just seems to work better. I haven't reviewed any of the competing game pads out there, so I can't tell you if it is identical in feel, but I suspect it is very close. The surface area is decent, but not massive. If you tend to move the mouse a lot while working, it might take a little while to get accustomed to it. It's actually larger than my previous pad, so no complaints. The pad comes with two additional rubber mounting feet so that you can level it to your dsktop if you need to. I needed to use them, since the pad straddles a crack in my particular desk. Since it is rigid, it will wobble a little bit if the surface below it isn't perfectly flat.
Conclusion
I like the way the pad lights up. It casts a soft glow when the lights are out, bhut it is bright enough so that it still looks good when the lights are on. Along with some of my other accessories, it adds a nice touch to the overall theme. Here's a few shots of the pad with the lights out.
Pros
Cons