FPSLabs : PureTrak Talent Review

Posted by Rick Smith in December 20th, 2008

Each year companies such as SteelSeries, fUnc, Everglide, Logitech, Microsoft, and Razer all try to release something new to enhance our gaming abilities. With each and every new product that comes out, it becomes somewhat of a nuisance to try and figure out which peripheral fits your preference. Oftentimes the choices we have to make between very similar products can be frustrating. Well at E4All ‘08, Thomas and I came across a rather different looking mousepad. The thing that made it stand out so much was that it was huge, while looking very sleek with a very simplistic but appealing design. Then we had just happened to be standing next to the co-founder of the company that produces this mousepad. Of course we were skeptical about this mousepad being any different from the other cloth pads we had seen over the years. Honestly, I found no difference amongst the likes of a DKT Pad compared to a generic Super Mat. So what made this pad different? Everything.

Name	Size	Features	Surface
PureTrak Talent	19″ x 14″ x 1/4″ (483mm x 356mm)	PureGrip soft rubber backing	Custom Fabric

Seems generic, and makes you wonder if this mousepad could be worth your money. This is where I found myself stuck. After using a NO.IDPad for a good 4-5 months now, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop using it and switch easily. Then it happened, I realized that being naive was out of the question now, once I slid my DeathAdder and IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 on this extraordinary pad, I was so excited, I almost became overwhelmed. Not only is the surface perfect, but the glide remains smooth throughout each and every movement you could possibly do. I believe you could use this pad without mouseskatez without the worry of ruining your stock mouse feet, all while maintaining that smooth feeling.

Tracking issues with a lot of mousepads can be tricky, as some mouses can’t cope with the designs and in turn creates a lot of unnecessary criticism of different products. The design consists of a blue/light blue hexagon pattern (which I happen to like, thank you very much). Simple designs and finishes make it easier for tracking on some mouses, this mousepad makes it a breeze for pretty much all optical and laser mice. However, older mouse engines might not have terrific tracking on this mousepad. The reason being that the pattern is a little too much for some mouses to keep up with. I am pretty sure that the people buying this mousepad will have a perfectly capable mouse to use with it. Actually, this piece of information came from the co-founder, so at least we know they’re not trying to screw us over!

Consistency while moving your mouse across any surface is a must have for gamers. At this site, we’re pretty much all gamers, and we like to be able to move our mouse without feeling any bumps. A very minuscule detail can often be overlooked, and this is what caught my attention. With most other mousepads there is sometimes not enough backing to keep those scratches or bumps on your desk from interfering with your mousepad. With a 1/4″ backing, you will never experience that, so your skill won’t be compromised by anyone but yourself! (hehe)

This mousepad is great, and I really don’t know any flaws other than the tracking issue with older mouses, but that’s just being picky. Before I end this, PureTrak also has made claims that seem somewhat unbelievable: The design will not fade under ridiculous conditions. Go ahead and wash whatever mousepad you have after spilling Coke or Bawls on it, then let it sit in the sun for a good 60 days. If it comes out good as new, please call me or contact PureTrak, because I’m almost certain that no other mousepad is tested and developed using these extreme conditions.

Score: 9.9/10