Author Topic: Free Mousepads? (Read 17447 times)

MilesAhead · « **on:** August 15, 2009, 03:06 PM »

People on DC get around quite a bit and have been computing for a long time. I'm curious if anyone knows of a good source to get a free mousepad sent via snail mail? Seems like it used to be more common for these to be given out, but maybe I'm one of the few curmudgeons still using the old mechanical rubber ball mouse and everyone else is on optical.

Anyway, they come in handy. I just got one of those BlacX USB docking ports. It works great, but the vibration is a distraction. I sacrificed my backup mousepad. Sliced it to fit and put it under the base. That made me think it would be a good idea to have a few more pads hanging about for emergencies like that one! I sent a suggestion to Thermaltake to put some vibe dampening stuff on the base.. but I was surprised rummaging around that I could find a 1.2 MB 5 1/4" floppy with a yggdrasil linux beta, but not a mousepad(other than my plain gray backup pad that is.)

I know someplace I had a small wimpy OS/2 promotional mousepad around somewhere but I couldn't find the thing!

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2009, 04:26 PM »

You're still using a ball mouse?!?

Josh · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2009, 04:36 PM »

No one else uses a trackball? Besides me? I love my trackball from logitech! And before that, my microsoft trackball explorer.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2009, 04:48 PM »

You're still using a ball mouse?!?
-Stoic Joker (August 15, 2009, 04:26 PM)

Yup. Since I use a kvma switch I only use one mouse for 2 PCs. I save the mice and keyboards that come with the tower when I buy a new PC. I have one backup that's exactly the same as the one I'm using (2 button with wheel) and one that's the same mechanically but the body is a bit wider. Don't know why they did that. I don't like it. Anyway, it's very comfortable and the main thing is I don't have to think(ok a few punch lines aren't out of line.. after all.. I left the straight line.)

cranioscopical · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2009, 06:53 PM »

Anyway, it's very comfortable and the main thing is I don't have to think(ok a few punch lines aren't out of line.. after all.. I left the straight line.)
-MilesAhead (August 15, 2009, 04:48 PM)

Mus save you a lot of mental energy!

MilesAhead · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:01 PM »

Anyway, it's very comfortable and the main thing is I don't have to think(ok a few punch lines aren't out of line.. after all.. I left the straight line.)
-MilesAhead (August 15, 2009, 04:48 PM)
Mus save you a lot of mental energy!
-cranioscopical (August 15, 2009, 06:53 PM)

Hmmmmmm I was expecting a zinger with a play on words. Or is there something I'm just not getting? heh heh

cranioscopical · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:29 PM »

Rodentia; genus mus

edbro · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:34 PM »

I've got a couple of extra mousepads but I no longer have the proper drivers for them.

scancode · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:58 PM »

I use a white piece of A4 paper as a mousepad, but you can spend $5.17 and have a Microsoft OEM mouse pad (which I guess would double as a dartboard

) delivered straight from Hong Kong thanks to the folks of DealExtreme [linky]

Shades · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2009, 08:18 PM »

Why would a mouse require pads...is it not wide enough by itself?

MilesAhead · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2009, 10:00 PM »

Why would a mouse require pads...is it not wide enough by itself?
-Shades (August 15, 2009, 08:18 PM)

In case other mice need a place to crash.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2009, 10:03 PM »

I use a white piece of A4 paper as a mousepad, but you can spend $5.17 and have a Microsoft OEM mouse pad (which I guess would double as a dartboard ) delivered straight from Hong Kong thanks to the folks of DealExtreme [linky]
-scancode (August 15, 2009, 07:58 PM)

Hmmmmm, I wonder how many pages the EULA is on that item?

Innuendo · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2009, 04:23 PM »

Don't know if it is legit or not, but this is the only offer I found that didn't lead to a dead page:

http://hostohost.com/gift.html

mouser · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2009, 05:22 PM »

it seems to me that Miles has earned a DC mousepad for all the coding snacks he has shared with us..
we just need to make a new mousepad design and I can send it on its way.

maybe we need an image of miles davis playing a trumpet and a stream of cody's emerging from it.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #14 on:** August 16, 2009, 05:56 PM »

That sounds pretty creative mouser. I noticed you're good at bookshelves too. Somebody made a set for me where the heavy computer books made them sag towards the front. Touch something carelessly and everything slides off onto the floor... but maybe it wasn't so accidental after all. Could be it was a revenge time-bomb!!

Anyway have you thought of getting a van and doing on-site shelves to order?

edit: actually I'm trying to do away with bookcases altogether. What would really fix me up are those old CD Jewel Case holders Fellowes used to make. $70 got you a wooden pre-assembled twirly that held 240 standard size cases. Unfortunately Fellowes doesn't make them anymore. Anything similar costs over $200. I'm putting all my videos in DJ cases but it just takes forever to enter the stuff in a video database. Still, I can't be stacking jewel cases to the ceiling. I have to leave some room for the other clutter.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #15 on:** August 16, 2009, 06:04 PM »

No one else uses a trackball? Besides me? I love my trackball from logitech! And before that, my microsoft trackball explorer.
-Josh (August 15, 2009, 04:36 PM)

I still have a logitech trackball plugged it. I hadn't actually used it for a while and then tried to use it and it didn't work. When I looked the battery had leaked nasty white gunk. A good scrape with a screwdriver and it is working fine again.

Since I started to suffer with a bit of RSI I find ringing the changes (keyboard, mouse and trackball) helps avoid a sore hand/wrist/forearm.

40hz · « **Reply #16 on:** August 16, 2009, 09:01 PM »

No one else uses a trackball? Besides me? I love my trackball from logitech! And before that, my microsoft trackball explorer.
-Josh (August 15, 2009, 04:36 PM)

I do!

I install an inexpensive Logitech trackball on every server I'm responsible for since there's seldom room to move a mouse on the keyboard trays in most server rooms - and I can't convince my clients to spring for one of those nifty 1U LCD Monitor/Keyboard/Tracball/KVM all-in-one units that look like a laptop computer.

For home use I couldn't live without my Logitech Expert Mouse. IMHO the "scroll ring" they came up with for that product was a stroke of genius.

app103 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 17, 2009, 12:38 PM »

Just get yourself a throw away email address and have some fun.

http://www.google.co...&q=free+mousepad

Edvard · « **Reply #18 on:** August 17, 2009, 02:39 PM »

I've got a couple of extra mousepads but I no longer have the proper drivers for them.
-edbro (August 15, 2009, 07:34 PM)

No problem, just use this utility:
http://support.it-ma...ct=DL&p=mousemat

MilesAhead · « **Reply #19 on:** August 17, 2009, 03:59 PM »

Just get yourself a throw away email address and have some fun.

http://www.google.co...&q=free+mousepad

-app103 (August 17, 2009, 12:38 PM)

So they only email bomb you, not snail mail??

app103 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:00 PM »

Just get yourself a throw away email address and have some fun.

http://www.google.co...&q=free+mousepad

-app103 (August 17, 2009, 12:38 PM)

So they only email bomb you, not snail mail??

-MilesAhead (August 17, 2009, 03:59 PM)

Snail mail bombing is too expensive for most companies, while email is basically free. And junk mail reply envelopes do have a useful purpose. They are great for grocery lists and hold all the coupons that go with it.

But if it gets really bad, send some of the junk mail from one company to another, using their own reply envelopes.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #21 on:** August 17, 2009, 05:52 PM »

Guess you are right. If I was going to be inundated it would have happened by now. I subscribe to a couple of magazines so I'm sure my info is sold off to all the lists by now.

It will be interesting to see what the thing looks like. I hope it's a good thick pad in case I have to vibration damp something in the future.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #22 on:** August 18, 2009, 04:32 PM »

I've got a couple of extra mousepads but I no longer have the proper drivers for them.
-edbro (August 15, 2009, 07:34 PM)

I have a similar problem with a legal pad I use. Works fine in Linux, but on any flavor of Windows I find I've agreed to some legal contract I can't understand.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #23 on:** August 20, 2009, 05:44 PM »

Whoa!! If I knew my Sears Mousepad was going to be a collector's item I never would have cut it!! Dang!! Just assumed I could always buy another one. I went to Radio Shack and the only plain mouse pad they had was like 1/32" thick!! You've got to be kidding me!! The OfficeMax house brand ones are pretty good thickness, but the bottom surface doesn't grab to the desktop well enough. Eventually they hang over the edge of the desk.

Next thing you know they'll be doin' away with floppy disks!! What's the world commin' to?