Not so long ago we had the chance to review the 4S Steelpad. All things considered it was a fine mousepad made out of aluminium. For more details, feel free to read our review on the 4S but long story short we had some trouble with some of our optical mice working on the aluminium surface. Today, we are going to introduce you to another Steelpad...the 4D.
The 4D is made out of plastic, which in our eyes is a fine thing. Firstly, it lowers the cost of the 4D when you compare it to the 4S and secondly every mouse we tested really liked the surfaces. First things first, let’s give you the specs of this pad. This is what we took off the box:
• 2 Sided surface - all in one
• Super non-slip base
• Provides perfection in accuracy and precision
• Compatible with all mice
• Dimensions: 290 x 267 x 2,5 mm - 11" x 10" x 1/10"
Two things you can take from this information are:
1) It’s really big.
2) It’s really thin.
When we got the package we noticed that the 4D came in a slim cardboard envelope. I know a lot of people prefer sturdier packaging but let’s be realistic, it’s made of plastic not crystal. We opened up the envelope and everything was fine. Inside the envelope we received the 4D, a special non-slip pad to put under the mousepad and a strip of Teflon tape (called padsurfers) to put on the mouse feet. When you think about it, that’s a fair amount of stuff considering it’s a mousepad.
Here’s how things are set up. The mousepad itself has two surfaces. A shiny side and a rough side. Apparently the shiny side is for ball mice while the rougher side is for optical. We actually tested this mouse pad using both surfaces and, at least with our Logitech, it didn’t make any difference. It is nice to have the option though so that if one side doesn’t work you can flip it.
Another thing we discovered is the Teflon tape is a Godsend. We tested out the pad with and without the tape and the mouse actually glides much more smoothly when the tape is applied. Now, the non-slip mat that you put under the mousepad is a bit of a pain in the neck if you move the pad on a regular basis. The mat has to be aligned just right in order to keep everything nice and solid. Once everything is set up though, that mousepad is rock solid. This is the first mousepad we have had the pleasure of using, which has not slipped around a bit during intensive use. This pad feels like it has been glued to the desktop!
So, to sum up how this mousepad performs, we put it through a week of intensive use. Everything for the relatively sedate (word processing, web surfing, etc), to the intensive (multiple hardcore gaming experiences). This pad is simply amazing. It’s much thinner than the old school foam mousepads and you have a huge amount of pad to manoeuvre on. The mouse glides over the pad without problem and it’s extremely quiet (especially when compared to the 4S, which made a scratching, sound when used). This has become my mousepad of choice. Hard to beat if you’re a gamer.
Pros:
• Dual sided. Made to work with both ball and optical mice.
• Nice and quiet. No scratching sounds when moving the mouse around.
• When they say non-slip mat, they really mean non-slip!
• Comes with “padsurfers” to improve mouse movement.
• Lots of room to manoeuvre on.
Cons:
• The two piece design needs to be lined up just right to be functional.
• It may be too big for a small workspace.
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