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XTrac Ripper XL and Mad Dotz
Let’s face it, your mouse pad is probably the most under appreciated
part of your Elite Gaming Rig. In fact odds are you have been using the
same mouse pad for years. Slowly wearing them out and replacing them
with whatever is handy when they finally to give out. Right?
Today’s review just might change that forever. The kind folks over at
XTrac are back at it. This time they are entering the realm of the
oversize pad with their XTrac Monster Mat series. The Monster series
features Giant versions of their successful Hammer, Ripper and our
choice today; the Ripper XL.
The Ripper XL measures a generous 14” by 17 ¾” and features the same
great quality that earned them our recommend last round, and with a slim
1/8” depth, it easily rolls or folds into your LAN bag. The satin black
surface is tastefully decorated with a stripe of their trademark surface
pattern seen last on the Ripper and Pro series mats. The back of the
mat is a tacky Sure Grip surface that holds it in place very nicely.
This may be the biggest mouse pad I have ever seen!
XTrac is throwing in a set of their new Mad Dotz “Mouse Feet enhancers”
with the first 500 sold. These are a definite upgrade from the Mouse
Eels and require little or no shaping to have your mouse skating across
the giant surface smooth as silk. More on them in a minute.
Let’s get to the testing. I tested the Ripper XL with my trusty
Microsoft Intelli-Mouse Wireless Explorer and to keep it interesting ran
it through the paces with a new Monster Gecko Pistol Mouse FPS. The
latest Microsoft mouse drivers and my normal gaming settings.
Using
a wireless mouse often means picking the mouse up and setting it down to
re-center on the pad. With the massive surface area available, I could
not run out of pad. My usual pad of choice is the trusty Everglide
Giganta and the XL dwarfs it completely. The Pistol Mouse FPS is much
larger with a 6 1/2“footprint but I still had plenty of real estate with
the Ripper XL.
The surface is very much like a satin sheet. I was immediately impressed
with how smooth and responsive the shiny black surface felt. And that’s
a fully flexible cloth surface. It’s hard to go wrong with a precision
optical surface these days, but this one is probably the best cloth
surface I have ever used. You need a big pad to run with the big dogs!
Available for Under $20 through
www.xtracpads.com.
Mad Dotz
After a couple of days playing Pain Killer and Planeside with out the
Mad Dotz I placed them on my mouse to compare. Up to this point, I have
never felt the need to go through the ordeal of cutting and shaping
Teflon tape just to improve the mouse. Call me lazy but how much
difference can it make? Well let me tell you, I am a believer. The
Dotz peal off the sheet and apply to your “mouse feet” with space to
spare. I was able to get them to fit with no trimming at all. The Dotz
do feel a bit fragile and reminded me of trying to peel cellophane as I
applied them. Fortunately there are plenty of Dotz provided if you mess
one up.
With the new feet installed, I worked over some Battlefield 1942 and UT
2004. The difference was noticeable immediately. My mouse now floats
with the lightest touch giving every small motion a more fluid feel.
There has never been a better time to try out a set of mouse feet.
Available for Under $5 through
www.xtracpads.com.
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Ripper XL Ratings |
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Innovation: |
9.0
out of 10 |
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Performance: |
10 out of 10 |
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Quality: |
10 out of 10 |
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Stability: |
N/A |
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Compatibility: |
10 out of 10 |
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Overclocking: |
N/A |
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Software Pack: |
N/A |
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Value: |
9.0 out of 10 |
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Overall Rating 9.5 |
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Skill Level |
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Project Skill Level
(10 being hardest) |
1 out of 10 |
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 |
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Mad Dotz Ratings |
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Innovation: |
9.0
out of 10 |
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Performance: |
10 out of 10 |
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Quality: |
8.0
out of 10 |
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Stability: |
N/A |
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Compatibility: |
10 out of 10 |
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Overclocking: |
N/A |
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Software Pack: |
N/A |
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Value: |
9.0 out of 10 |
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Overall Rating 9.0 |
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Skill Level |
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Project Skill Level
(10 being hardest) |
1
out of 10 |
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