Mouse mat no good?

#1 MickinPlymouthUK

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Posted 17 December 2009 - 08:30 AM

Possibly a stupid question, but why won't my optical mouse work with my new mouse mat?
The cursor movement is erratic and jumpy even though the mat packaging blurb says its an "Optical mouse pad"
The mat is a glossy blue printed with a zillion tiny black dots, it cost me £4 (6 dollars)
Am i supposed to adjust my mouse settings in Win XP to make it work?
(The mouse is fine with other normal non-glossy plain mats)

#2 garmanma

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Posted 17 December 2009 - 12:34 PM

Quote

glossy blue printed with a zillion tiny black dots

Key word being Glossy. Some mice are better at it than others
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_%28computing%29
Scroll down to Optical Mouse

This post has been edited by garmanma: 17 December 2009 - 12:35 PM

Mark

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#3 nkfro

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Posted 17 December 2009 - 07:06 PM

Smokers have similar problems with optical mice (mouses?) . Cigarette ash breaks down into such a fine and light powder, even the laser light is scattered before it has the opportunity to be seen by the optical pickup.

#4 Platypus

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Posted 17 December 2009 - 07:38 PM

In my experience some mouses just don't like some mats.

Pleased to have been a Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) 2007/8, 2008/9

I pressed F5, and I'm feeling refreshed...

#5 Layback Bear

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Posted 17 December 2009 - 10:57 PM

The mat that you mouse doesn't like, don't use the mat. Why your mouse doesn't like you mouse mat I don't know. If it don't it don't. I use a M/S wire less mouse and keyboard across the room on a desk; works great. I have also used other brands and all of them seem to work better on my desk with out a mat. I have always thought that the pictures, different shades, lines, colors, ect confuse the wire less. I have no way of proving it but it makes sense to me.

#6 MickinPlymouthUK

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 11:17 AM

Am i entitled to ask the shop for a mat refund?

(or an exchange for a non-glossy one?)

This post has been edited by MickinPlymouthUK: 19 December 2009 - 11:19 AM

#7 garmanma

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 12:16 PM

You can ask. Whether they comply with your request depends on how much they want to keep you as a valued customer

Just remember that it's a common occurrence, so if they said they have never heard of that before, they're fibbing

This post has been edited by garmanma: 19 December 2009 - 12:19 PM

Mark

#8 Layback Bear

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 08:35 PM

If the money you loose on that mouse pad is all you loose on a computer, your are one of the lucky ones. Here is what I do. Take your 10.00 product back and ask for credit on a 40.00 item. Buy the 40.00 item. They will love you.

#9 MickinPlymouthUK

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Posted 20 December 2009 - 04:39 AM

It's a bit of a scandal if there are lots of mouse mats out there that don't work, lots of kids and parents will think their new PC's are bust this Christmas, whereas it's only the mat that's no good.
Why do PC users put up with it, are they too timid to make a fuss or what?
I'm going to do my bit by raising hell at the shop about it and ask for a refund or exchange, and shall drop a mail to the mat maker for good measure

#10 MickinPlymouthUK

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Posted 22 December 2009 - 10:09 AM

Okay it's all over, the shop did a no-quibble exchange, they seemed resigned to the fact that some mats and some mice are incompatible.

#11 garmanma

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Posted 22 December 2009 - 11:41 AM

I think a great number of people select their mouse pad more as a personal statement, than is't function
Mine makes a nice cushioned hotpad for my coffee cup

Mark

#12 Layback Bear

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Posted 22 December 2009 - 09:00 PM

Coffee cup pad; well I use one as I type now as a coffee cup pad.

#13 nkfro

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Posted 24 December 2009 - 05:25 AM

[quote name='MickinPlymouthUK' date='Dec 20 2009, 03:39 AM' post='1544229']
It's a bit of a scandal if there are lots of mouse mats out there that don't work, lots of kids and parents will think their new PC's are bust this Christmas, whereas it's only the mat that's no good.
Why do PC users put up with it, are they too timid to make a fuss or what?
I'm going to do my bit by raising hell at the shop about it and ask for a refund or exchange, and shall drop a mail to the mat maker for good measure."

Have you read the documentation that accompanied your optical mouse yet? Did you try laying a blank sheet of copier paper over the mat?

As for the rest...you ARE kidding, right?

#14 MickinPlymouthUK

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Posted 24 December 2009 - 09:35 AM

nkfro, on Dec 24 2009, 10:25 AM, said:

Have you read the documentation that accompanied your optical mouse yet? Did you try laying a blank sheet of copier paper over the mat?
As for the rest...you ARE kidding, right?

Kidding about what? If a mat is advertised as 'optical' but then doesn't work with an optical mouse we're entitled to complain aren't we?

#15 nkfro

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Posted 25 December 2009 - 04:17 AM

Have you considered that the problem lays in the mouse/settings and not the mat? Did you read your mouse documentation? Just because it 'looks' like something should work doesn't mean it will work once installed. If the documention indicates that glossy mouse pads might cause problems and you did not take the time to read it and fail to discover that gloss mouse mats can cause problems for the mouse, is it the manufacturers fault?

No- even if the manufacturer of the mouse mats indicates that their mat is optical mouse compatible. It's not the mat companies fault if the owner did not his/her homework. As precise as modern day electronics may be, there's still plenty of room for more mistakes to get past final inspection on the line.