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   Do I need a mouse pad?
  </title><base href=https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001421.htm><link href=https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001421.htm rel=canonical><link href=https://www.computerhope.com/ch.css rel=stylesheet><script async src=https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js></script><meta content=text/html;charset=utf-8 http-equiv=Content-Type><meta content=width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0 name=viewport><meta content="Reasons why you may or may not need to use a mouse pad with your computer's mouse."name=description><meta content="Do I need a mouse pad?"itemprop=name><meta content="Reasons why you may or may not need to use a mouse pad with your computer's mouse."itemprop=description><meta content=https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001421.htm property=og:url><meta content="Reasons why you may or may not need to use a mouse pad with your computer's mouse."property=og:description><meta content="Do I need a mouse pad?"property=og:title><meta content=article property=og:type><meta content=summary name=twitter:card><meta content="Do I need a mouse pad?"name=twitter:title><meta content="Reasons why you may or may not need to use a mouse pad with your computer's mouse."name=twitter:description><meta content=@computerhope name=twitter:creator><meta content=https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mousepad.jpg property=og:image><meta content=https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mousepad.jpg itemprop=image><link href=https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mousepad.jpg rel=image_src><link href=https://feeds.feedburner.com/LatestNewPagesOnComputerHope rel=alternate title=RSS-Feed type=application/rss+xml><link href=https://www.computerhope.com/cdn/apple-touch-icon.png rel=apple-touch-icon><link rel="shortcut icon"href=https://www.computerhope.com/cdn/favicon.ico type=image/x-icon><script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':
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The detailed answer comes down to what type of mouse you're using and personal preferences. The following sections address which types of mice need a <a href=/jargon/m/mousepad.htm> mouse pad </a> , and why you may still want to use one even if not required.<p class=ce><img alt="Mouse pad"class=resize450 height=237 src=/jargon/m/mousepad.jpg width=550><h2>Which types of mice require a mouse pad?</h2><img alt="Mechanical computer mouse"class=floatRightIcon height=269 src=/jargon/m/mechmous.jpg width=200><h3 class=tab>Mechanical mouse</h3><p class=tab>The early version of the mouse, referred to as a <a href=/jargon/m/mechmous.htm> mechanical mouse </a> , didn't use light to measure movement like its optical and laser counterparts. Instead, they housed a hard rubber ball that would roll as the mouse moved, turning small wheels inside the device. This motion sent signals to a computer, where they were used to move the <a href=/jargon/m/mouspoin.htm> mouse cursor </a> on the screen correspondingly. Because <a href=/jargon/i/input.htm> input </a> was gathered from physical motion, a mouse pad was quite helpful for providing a surface for the rubber ball to grip and allow for more accurate ball movement.<p class=tab><b> Bottom line: </b> With mechanical mice, a mouse pad is not an absolute necessity, but it does greatly improve mouse performance and accuracy.</p><img alt="Laser mouse"class=floatRight height=268 src=/jargon/l/laser-mouse.jpg width=280><h3 class=tab>Optical and laser mice</h3><p class=tab>The current versions of computer mice use a light source to measure and translate distance. The first, referred to as an <a href=/jargon/o/optical-mouse.htm> optical mouse </a> , utilizes an infrared <a href=/jargon/l/led.htm> LED </a> , and the other, referred to as a <a href=/jargon/l/lasemous.htm> laser mouse </a> , utilizes a concentrated light beam. Both technologies essentially bounce light from the surface, and then capture and map the reflection data. Once the mouse receives input, it's recorded by a <a href=/jargon/c/cmos.htm> CMOS </a> sensor and sent to the computer for translation into cursor movement.<p class=tab>Optical mice can struggle with highly-reflective and glass surfaces due to their low level of penetration. However, a laser mouse doesn't have this issue and can work on any surface, including glass.<p class=tab><b> Bottom line: </b> Optical mice need a mouse pad if your desk or table is reflective or glass, but laser mice do not.<h2>What are the benefits of using a mouse pad?</h2><p class=tab>Whether or not you need a mouse pad, they do offer a few extra benefits.<ul><li><b> Mouse performance </b> - Mouse pads are made from materials that facilitate consistent tracking, with smooth and tactile device movement across their surface. Some even help with wireless mouse battery life.<li><b> Comfort and convenience </b> - Mouse pads can improve comfort by giving your hand a cushioned surface. Furthermore, desk-wide versions ( <a href=/jargon/m/mousepad.htm> mouse mats </a> ) keep your keyboard in place.<li><b> Surface protection </b> - After a while, moving your mouse and hand back and forth over your desk can scratch or wear its surface. Using a mouse pad creates a protective layer for your furniture.</ul><div class=additional><h4>Additional information</h4><ul class=additional-information><li><a href=/issues/ch001693.htm> How to use a computer mouse. </a><li><a href=/issues/ch000448.htm> How to connect and install a computer mouse. </a><li><a href=/issues/ch000254.htm> Mouse not detected or working in Windows. </a><li>See our <a href=/jargon/m/mouse.htm> mouse </a> and <a href=/jargon/m/mousepad.htm> mouse pad </a> definitions for further information and links.<li><a href=/help/mouse.htm> Mouse and touchpad help and support. </a></ul></div></article><div class=bottomad><ins class=adsbygoogle data-ad-client=ca-pub-3999293766533555 data-ad-format=auto data-ad-slot=6514780129 style=display:block> </ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script><div class=related><ins class=adsbygoogle data-ad-client=ca-pub-3999293766533555 data-ad-format=autorelaxed data-ad-slot=9849691723 style=display:block> </ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script></div></div><div class=cf id=meta_wrap><ul class="options cf"><li class=useful-page><span class=nolink> Was this page useful? </span> <a class=first-child href=/cgi-bin/feedback.cgi?yes rel=nofollow> Yes </a> <a href=/cgi-bin/feedback.cgi?no rel=nofollow> No </a><li><ul><li class=feedback><a title="Give us your feedback about this page"href=/feedback/ rel=nofollow> Feedback </a><li class=email><a title="E-mail Computer Hope"href=/contact/ rel=nofollow> E-mail </a><li class=share><a title="Share this page with friends and social networks"href=/share/ rel=nofollow> Share </a><li class="first-child print"><a onclick="window.print();return false;"title="Print a copy of this page"href=# rel=nofollow> Print </a></ul></ul></div></div><footer><form action=https://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi class=cf method=post><input class=sbar name=q title=Search><button>Search</button></form><ul class=cf><li class=recent-pages><ol><li class=widget-title><h5>Recently added pages</h5><li id=ra1><li id=ra2><li id=ra3><li id=ra4><li id=ra5><li><a href=/whatnew.htm> View all recent updates </a></ol><li class=useful-links><ol><li class=widget-title><h5>Useful links</h5><li><a href=/more.htm> About Computer Hope </a><li><a href=/sindex.htm> Site Map </a><li><a href=/forum/> Forum </a><li><a href=/contact/> Contact Us </a><li><a href=/issues/ch000586.htm> How to Help </a><li><a href=/chtop10.htm> Top 10 pages </a></ol><li class=social-networks><ol><li class="widget-title first-child"><h5>Follow us</h5><li><a class=facebook href=https://www.facebook.com/computerhope/> Facebook </a><li><a class=twitter href=https://twitter.com/computerhope/> Twitter </a><li><a class=pinterest href=https://www.pinterest.com/computerhope/> Pinterest </a><li><a class=youtube href=https://www.youtube.com/user/Computerhope/> YouTube </a><li><a class=rss href=/rss.htm> RSS </a></ol></ul><div class=copyright><a class=blogo href=/> </a> © 2021 Computer Hope <br><a class=legal href=/legal.htm> Legal Disclaimer - Privacy Statement </a></div></footer></div><script async src=https://www.computerhope.com/ch.js></script><div id=tt></div><script>(function(){window['__CF$cv$params']={r:'6a6e73c9dc80e3b6',m:'zLK4AM1YNRNiaq0PNaS3.z59Mm_AoO43FXojmQ.B.nQ-1635699759-0-AdIbM/GXylOyo+zs7iSpa8IRh764wRJzeDqmyAOjEqe4CZK4fpeVEgOW+PLi5hX8ikuwn6E+rzqiO8mGJU7bcUlU3ZRSJgpemILZbuWhLvQjxggyKpBQO5VVMeNZ64a3FXWAgw4C7alQOYC5/4dDZRQ=',s:[0xac1cdc2fb2,0x878addeafa],}})();</script>