Do you still use a mouse pad?

[Bob Hahn]

With an optical mouse, mouse pads are no longer needed. But do you still use one? Or are mouse pads gone like the floppy disk?

[handrawn]

humm.. put an optical mouse on the wrong sort of surface and it will mis-behave... but it is no longer tied to a mat agreed

[Soquili]

I still use a mouse pad with wrist support.

[ss-kalm]

I found that the optical mice were behaving badly ON the mouse pads ......

[handrawn]

l

[spondoolix]

handrawn's logo has devoured his mouse.

[PixelDust]

I stopped using a mouse pad for a while, but then I noticed the mouse was wearing the fake wood veneer off my el-cheapo particle board desk. So I put it back to cover up the damage...

[steve.ledger]

Ye Olde fabric padded mouse pads were developed for ball traction (and dust collection!) which are not suitable for Optical mice, actually slowing movement.
However there are pads specifically designed for optical mice which give a good gliding surface and optical feedback.

If your desk surface works well, then there's no need for a mouse pad, however as Steve points out, some surfaces are not suitable.
(I honestly have visited customers homes and seen they have covered their PC bench with a towel and use this as the mouse surface!! It's more common that I would have ever believed.)

I also like wrist support, for this I use a folded soft cloth which I find very comfortable.

So my answer is that it 'all depends'.

[molucca]

Laura replaced the table with glass topped furniture. Laser mouse doesn't work on glass.
Rich

[raynerj1]

I use a mouse pad at home. Mainly cause I don't have any other place to put it.

Rich,

I have found that a piece of paper taped to the top of a glass table works really well as a mousepad. When it no longer works/looks as it should it is cheap enough to replace.