The 3DVelocity 'Dual Conclusions Concept' Explained: After discussing this concept with users as well as companies and vendors we work with, 3DVelocity have decided that where necessary we shall aim to introduce our 'Dual Conclusions Concept' to sum up our thoughts and impressions on the hardware we review. As the needs of the more experienced users and enthusiasts have increased, it has become more difficult to factor in all the aspects that such a user would find important, while also being fair to products that may lack these high end "bonus" capabilities but which still represent a very good buy for the more traditional and more prevalent mainstream user. The two catergories we've used are:

The Mainstream User ~ The mainstream user is likely to put price, stock performance, value for money, reliability and/or warranty terms ahead of the need for hardware that operates beyond its design specifications. The mainstream user may be a PC novice or may be an experienced user, however their needs are clearly very different to those of the enthusiast, in that they want to buy products that operate efficiently and reliably within their advertised parameters.

The Enthusiast ~ The enthusiast cares about all the things that the mainstream user cares about but is more likely to accept a weakness in one or more of these things in exchange for some measure of performance or functionality beyond its design brief. For example, a high priced motherboard may be tolerated in exchange for unusually high levels of overclocking ability or alternatively an unusually large heat sink with a very poor fixing mechanism may be considered acceptable if it offers significantly superior cooling in return.

The Mainstream User

For the typical user of a PC the extra increase in accuracy would be wasted. There is no need to click My Computer a tenth of a second faster or to navigate a spreadsheet instantaneously. It would certainly make an interesting conversation piece about you having a glass mouse pad but financially it would be foolish. A simple $5 cloth or plastic pad is more fitting. It could also be dangerous to keep around young children who may accidentally knock it from the desk. That being said though, the surface is nearly indestructible and as long as it is not dropped, it will last you forever. If you are, however, looking for quality then you may find this to be an excellent choice.

The Enthusiast

As an enthusiast myself, I immediately noticed the extreme amount of build quality that went into this pad. It is perfectly formed, perfectly flat and can withstand even the most abusive player with its scratch-resistant surface. Soft Trading has taken the time to give the player "Sliding Perfection". I immediately noticed the increase in accuracy when playing with my ball mouse, and my optical mouse as well received a healthy boost in performance. Without argument, this is a masterpiece of a mousepad that easily justifies its pricetag and more. The only concern would be the small amount of teflon tape that it ships with and that is a very minor concern. If you are a gamer then I highly recommend it. I was very impressed with it and can't wait to get back to a few more rounds of Unreal Tournament.