Product : Fragmatic Precise Mousing Surface
# Price : 13.99 (price includes VAT and delivery)
Available from : Fragmatic
Related reviews : [Everglide Giganta]
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The mouse surface on which you roll your rodent on is usually made up of cloth, or if you have moved onto the Everglide or Ratpad surfaces, resin. In recent years a lot of publicity has been given to what mouse and what surface you use when gaming, and the main contributor to that has been Razer with their high profile tournaments and the sponsorship of certain gaming teams. With Everglide now having a UK branch, it has given gamers greater access to get their hands on the surfaces. Since these 'new age' surfaces last for a very long time, it is worth getting one that you feel at home to, and we now look at a new surface designed and made here in Britain, called FragMatic.

The FragMatic surface is based on resin which measures 12.5" across, 7.75" middle (wrist cut out) to top and 8.5" from top to bottom. The middle wrist cut out helps your palm to get right in the middle of the mat. This is something that wasn't possible with the new Everglide Giganta which frustrated me, since I was only able to use 2/3 of the surface. One of the features that strike you very quickly is the low profile of this mat. It is considerably lower down to the desk than the Everglide. I have heard from many people that they find the Everglide too high up from the normal desk surface, which makes it uncomfortable for them; this would eliminate that woe.

The Fragmatic surface is washable like many other surfaces that claim to be 'indestructible' and to last forever. The main logo printed on the board is from a Newcastle graffiti artist and without doubt it is one of the best logos I have seen on a mousemat.

The surface itself is not as smooth as the Everglide surface, and since many do complain that the Everglide surface does not have enough friction this could be a Godsend for them. The Fragmatic surface is also larger than the Everglide Giganta. It allows more sideways movement which is very important in FPS games like Quake. The vertical movement is not hindered either with generous width on the board.

Overall the Fragmatic mouse mat/board is a good surface for moving your mouse around. It doesn't tear your mouse to shreds, and ages very slowly. Another nice feature is that the logo doesn't appear to rub off through use, which is # something that Everglide still haven't managed to do. The price of 13.99 is justified since you will not need to buy another mousing surface for the foreseeable future. If I had to choose between my trusty Everglide (the original white, large attack pad) and the Fragmatic I would be hard pressed to make a decision. At the end of the day it is up to personal choice, however both of these surfaces are worthy contenders.