*C4 Beta Part 2* Thoughts on the NGen continued...

[BlueWeasel]

Original Thread Link
Since the original thread was locked, I took the liberty of starting a new one.

Posted by sobrien42 from the CS Hyde Company
We have now shipped 44 Beta Testers for C4-NGen plus 25 more to FRAGZILLA Lan 10 to FRAGZILLA Tournament winners who will win C4-NGen Pro-Gamer size, 16"x16".
The Instructions and Feedback Form are posted below.

REMEMBER: The whole reason we are doing this is to have Testers (all of You) help us decide if we should go to market with this new product. Please take this responsibility seriously. If you do or do not think the product should be released for sale, say so and give detail on your reasoning.


FEEDBACK: We appreciate your commitment to giving feedback. Use this questionnaire. Please respond By May 14, 2004.

1. My primary use for a mousepad is: Gaming ____ Cad System ______ Graphics_______General Computer use _________Other_____
2. I participate in LAN Parties____Lan Competitions____Other________ CLAN Member? Y___N___
3. I have tried C4 Mousemat with adhesive___ C4 Mounted-on-Mousepad____
4. I tested C4, NGen an average of ________ hrs per day, _______of days
5. Type of Mouse: Mfr________________ Model____________
6. Mousepad I normally use___________________
7. Initial Reaction to this product______________________________
8. The longer I used C4, NGen, the more my opinion Increased__ Decreased__ Stayed the same___
9. I liked the product more WITH____ WITHOUT____ the Teflon Mouse Discs on the mouse feet.
10. Rate C4, NGen for the following with 1 = lowest rating to 10 = highest (best) rating:
Appearance____________
Speed ____________
Responsiveness _____________
Smoothness______________________
Durability/Lifespan_____
Innovation_________________
The fact that C4, NGen is Portable is valuable to me__________
The fact that C4, NGen can be easily cleaned is valuable to me_________
The fact that C4, NGenä is a complete mousepad is valuable to me_______
The fact that C4, NGen is available in large sizes___ and custom sizes & shapes is valuable to me_____
11.Rate the Mousing Surface overall__________Rate the Grip Surface_________
12.Improved my Gaming Experience YES________NO______
13.I?d be willing to purchase C4, NGen for up to $__________ per mousepad.
14.I would recommend this product to others? Yes_______No_______
15.Size preference: 9? x 7_____; 9? x 8? _____ 9.5? x 11.5?_____LARGE PRO-GAMING Size 16? x 16? ______Largest_18 x 16_____ Custom________

16.Should C4-NGen be released to market?? Yes_____No______ REASON:__________________
17. Overall Rating:___________________________________________________

 

[BlueWeasel]

I cut and pasted the initial impressions from the first thread

BlueWeasel - #16
I got my beta pad in the mail today. I haven't used it much, but my initial impressions are WOW! It makes my Ratpadz feel like a piece of asphalt.

I'd like to take the C4 and use it at work. I'd like to attach it to something...what it is recommended? I've heard of people attaching the pads to 8.5x11 clipboards that provide a ridig backing for it.
SpaceHulk
Got mine today. This thing is very nice. When can I order a 16"x16" one? I've only used it for a couple minutes but so far I like it.

I do have a question though. It says not to bend it b/c of potentioal creases. I really want something like this to take to LANs with me but my Shuttle SFF bag is too small for the size mousepad I want. I could get a 16"x16" one, and cut it down to the width of the bag. Then I was thinking of putting the C4 surface on the bottom of the shuttle bag, then on the edge where the surface would bend putting a normal rubber mouse pad down so to give a larger radius for the c4 surface to lay against when I put the Shuttle case on top of it to prevent creasing.

My other idea was to actually cut the surface in half so it can lay flat as two sheets in the bag. It absolutely does not move once placed on a surface so I could lay the two pieces next to each other on a table. I am wondering if the mouse will catch the edge of the two pieces where they meet or if there will be any other negative aspects to this plan?

If you have any other ideas please post.

Thanks.

P.S. The surface does seem a little static freindly, I can already see cat hair adhereing to the surface. Is there a way to fix the static cling issue?
Trevah - #31
I received mine today as well. So far my impessions have been great. Extremely responsive and smooth gliding using an intellimouse optical (without discs). I love how it sticks to the surface and can be easily removed and replaced. The only complaint I have so far is that I have a cat and I have noticed hair sticking to the surface (nothing atypical for my other mousepads). Anyhow I would recommend the static guard. The size is nice as well. Plenty of moving room. Where I have never had a pad this big it makes me greedy and want a larger size now. Especially after seeing how easy it would be to cut into custom shapes and sizes. Beta Tester #31
Torghn - #24
I got mine today as well. So far I really like it. Let me know as soon as they are for sale and I'll get another one for my wifes computer. I used it for an hour or so before putting the disks on. I like it TONS better with the feet. It glides a bit better with the feet, but the real advantage is that the mouse moves silently with them on. Before I added the feet my mouse (intelli mouse explorer 3.0) made a slight scratching noise while moving. With the disks the sound disappeared.

The lifespan/durability the one issue that came to mind when I opened the tube. The mouse pad looks great and should be fine if I never move it, but it seems like it'll have to give a little extra attention when I pack up my machine.

Beta Tester# 24
Wuzup101
I got mine in the mail today.

Initial impressions: Great surface with and without the feet. Though I do like the feet much better. Stuck right to my desk without a problem. I would definitely prefer something the size of my X-Trac Hammer (11x17) for gaming purposes, so as soon as they are avaliable I will be buying one. This thing rocks so far!
0roo0roo
just got it, haven't tested much yet. but the backing is superior to originals, since its simply tacky and not a sticker. the surface does seem less slick so far, will have to game to see how that works out.

 

[sobrien42]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel
Original Thread Link
Since the original thread was locked, I took the liberty of starting a new one.
____________________________________________________________________________________
The thread got locked by the Mod due to some weird bombardment of email subscriptions for University of Texas. Thanks for reposting.

The Mod was fine with reposting.

 

[minendo]

sobrien42

Continuing from the previous thread, my mouse model is M-RR63.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

got my pad in the mail a few minutes ago! looking forward to testing

 

[Mik3y]

i still havent gotten my mousepad

 

[MDE]

Patience grasshopper...

 

[Mik3y]

anyways, i'm getting this mini wireless optical mouse this week. its really small and really cool. i'm gonna have the raddest mouse setup ever!

 

[Wuzup101]

After playing with it for some time now I have only been able to come up with one initial suggestion (other than the size which has already been addressed - and i'm sure we will see various sizes avaliable for all our gaming needs). It could stand to be a tad thicker. Not like generic Dell thick... just like maybe double the thickness. That might keep the corners from comming up and creasing easily. I think this would be great to carry in a "quiver" in a laptop bag. It would definitely make my sessions at the library tons better if I get that t42 thinkpad for next year!

BTW... i'm using a logitech MX700 mouse

Will continue to update of course

 

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: Wuzup101
After playing with it for some time now I have only been able to come up with one initial suggestion (other than the size which has already been addressed - and i'm sure we will see various sizes avaliable for all our gaming needs). It could stand to be a tad thicker. Not like generic Dell thick... just like maybe double the thickness. That might keep the corners from comming up and creasing easily. I think this would be great to carry in a "quiver" in a laptop bag. It would definitely make my sessions at the library tons better if I get that t42 thinkpad for next year!

BTW... i'm using a logitech MX700 mouse

Will continue to update of course

I would definitely like to see it a bit thicker, as it is, it picks up a few of the imperfections in my desktop. My only question is how much would this increase the cost of production? If it would only minimally raise the price I say go for it. Even though I love this mouse pad, I'd be hard presed to pay more then $10 for any mouse pad.

 

[zodder]

Yeah! Just recieved mine today, so I'll be able to offer feedback on it using a Logitech MX510.

 

[alea35]

Hi sobrien42 could you please check your pm? I have a question that I sent you. Thanks

 

[0roo0roo]

ah, strange thread troubles heh

ah well, mini update. after more testing, it seems as smooth as the old version, but with finer grain, the feel is different, it feels somehow more precise, its hard to describe. so far fps ltested mostly about 4 hrs of counterstrike and some ut2k4.

 

[alea35]

can someone post some pictures of the c4-ngen mousepad? also does it have a rubber backing?

 

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: alea35
can someone post some pictures of the c4-ngen mousepad? also does it have a rubber backing?

I can take pictures when I get home this evening. It has a very thin rubber backing that will stick to just about anything.

 

[Savarak]

I'm looking forward to this myself (tester #37, won't recieve the ngen until after finals week week), I have FINALLY replaced my first set of teflon disks on my mouse after intense usage over the past three months(on top of the original C4)... I bought a whole roll of teflon TAPE and I've barely touched it with the disks being so convenient and efficient! I've still got a ton of other cshyde mouse skates to last my family and friends for a lifetime! Great stuff!

 

[Mik3y]

still havent gotten mine i'm beta tester #5. anyways, i'll just wait till it comes in.

btw sher, i just replied back to your pm.

 

[Torghn]

C4NexGen Pics

Dial-up warning: I'm a bad photographer so I just take a bunch of pictures and hope a few turn out ok. The rar file is 9MB.

 

[sobrien42]

Originally posted by: Mik3y
still havent gotten mine i'm beta tester #5. anyways, i'll just wait till it comes in.

We're resending yours. Anyone other Beta Testers missing their shipment?

 

[AceTKK]

1. My primary use for the pad is gaming and digital design work (3d modeling)
2. I have participated in LAN parties and am active in a Battlefield1942/Desert Combat Clan -=[TOK]=-
3. I have tested the C4 NextGen with the rubber backing
4. I have been testing for 3-4 hours/day for the last week
5. My mouse is a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer v.3.0 USB
6. I normally use a Belkin Waverest Gel
7. My initial reaction is very positive, it arrived well-packaged and on-time. It is an interesting color that users will either love or hate, I love it.
The surface is very smooth and comfortable to use. I feel it offers good precision and just the right amount of resistance for precision use. I've
gotten the best results by cutting down the pad to size and mounting it on top of my Belkin pad. It stays put w/out needing any adhesive.
8. The more I use the pad the more I continue to enjoy it. I feel that it might be a little bit too thin at first but once I mounted it on my current pad
it's perfect.
9. I prefer to use the pad without the included teflon discs. With the feet installed there is almost no resistance and the mouse was starting to get away
from me. I like the way the pad feels by itself, and the discs make it too slick for me to be accurate.
10. Appearance - 10
Speed - 8 (this is perfect for me but others may prefer to use the discs to get a faster feeling)
Responsiveness - 10
Smoothness - 9
Durability - 10 I dont' see any signs of wear so far
Innovation - 5 this one is hard to rate, there are dozens of performance pads on the market and this one will have a hard time
distinguishing itself. I feel that the low price is something that can be an effective marketing tool, as well as the
fact that it can be easily cut/shaped to your preference.

The fact that it's portable is not important to me; isn't every mousepad portable?
The fact that it can be easily cleaned is somewhat important to me.
The fact that it's a complete mousepad is not valuable to me. I still ended up mounting it to my current pad to preserve the thickness I'm used to.
The fact that it's available in large shazes and custom shapes is valuable to me. I think you could find a nice niche making custom shapes/sizes.

11. Overall I rate the mousing surface a 10, the grip surface a 9. I wish the backing was a little thicker to prevent creasing and improve comfort.
12. This surface has definitely improved my gaming experience, no doubt about it.
13. I'd be willing to purchase the NextGen for up to $10-$15. However, I feel the adhesive-backed surface for $5-$10 represents a better value.
14. I would recommend this product to others
15. The size doesn't matter, as I have cut it down to fit my current pad.
16. I believe it should be released to market, but you should continue to offer the C4 surface w/out the rubber backing which I feel is a better value.
17. Overall rating - I really like this surface and will continue using it for a long time. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.

Mike Manders
Beta tester# 14

 

[FriedRiceBob]

I recieved my NGen Yesterday right before I left to LAN with friends. awesome timing!

I'm gonna go ahead and fill this out, but I will edit if any thoughts change
---------------------
1. My primary use for a mousepad is: Gaming / General Computer use / some Photo editing
2. I participate in LAN Parties. CLAN Member? Yes
3. I have tried C4 Mousemat with adhesive, mounted on a cutting board
4. I tested C4, NGen an average of 9 hrs per day, for 2 days
5. Type of Mouse: Logitech MX700
6. Mousepad I normally use: Original C4 mounted on Cutting board
7. Initial Reaction to this product: Wow. that's cool. so thin...and it really does stay put. reminds me slightly of 3M precise mousing surface
8. The longer I used C4, NGen, the more my opinion: Stayed the same
9. I liked the product the same WITH or WITHOUT the Teflon Mouse Discs on the mouse feet.
10. Rate C4, NGen for the following with 1 = lowest rating to 10 = highest (best) rating:
Appearance 9
Speed 9
Responsiveness 9
Smoothness 8
Durability/Lifespan 7 (corner rolling/creasing might cause issue)
Innovation 8
The fact that C4, NGen is Portable is very valuable to me
The fact that C4, NGen can be easily cleaned is valuable to me
The fact that C4, NGen is a complete mousepad is valuable to me, but I think Original C4 still has its place
The fact that C4, NGen is available in large sizes and custom sizes & shapes is slightly valuable to me
11.Rate the Mousing Surface overall:Excellent; Rate the Grip Surface: Very Good
12.Improved my Gaming Experience: NO (not too much different than the original C4)
13.I?d be willing to purchase C4, NGen for up to $10-12 per mousepad (for standard size).
14.I would recommend this product to others? Yes (absolutely)
15.Size preference: 9? x 8?
16.Should C4-NGen be released to market?? Yes, If it can remain a good value (sub $15)
REASON: The surface is excellent, and it is much more a complete product than the original.
17. Overall Rating: Excellent.
---------------------------
Here are some of my thoughts on this thing.
1) I agree with some others that a bit more thickness would be better. It would help with the corners, and it would help mask less-than-smooth surfaces underneath the C4 NGen. I had to pick it up and clean tiny crumbs out from under it twice when I first started using it because they easily reflect up through to the surface. Also, I did experience some of the corners rolling a little bit.
2) I think that it would be a great thing if you could package C4 NGen in some sort of plastic tube. It would be a great storage / carrying device, and I'm sure it could be made into a very nice retail-type package. I'm thinking...something like an M&M Mini's flip top tube...on a larger scale. However, if this pushes up the cost too much to be worthwhile, it might be best left out...or possibly as an optional accessory.
3) The corner problem might be solved by rounding the corners on the finished product. I am going to go ahead and round my corners off with a utility knife, I'll let you know how that works out.

At the LAN with my friends, I let them each try it for a couple rounds of whatever we happened to be playing at the time (mostly Ghost Recon and UT2k4). They all liked it (which I knew they would) and were asking me where I got it from. I guess I'll be sending them your way once it gets released.

Thats all I've got for now.
FriedRiceBob out (beta tester #41)

________
Edit: Forgot my beta tester ##

 

[Savarak]

I just got ahold of mine when I stopped home to pick up stuff... I haven't put it to any extensive usage, but I am AMAZED at the performance increase over the original C4! Although they are similar to each other, the new C4 is more fine grained. The ability to freely move it about/reposition it is absolutly wonderful! Although I once declared this with the original C4, I can definatly say this is now THE BEST mousing surface/pad you can ever buy(until Sher comes up with nextnextgen[nngen?] as of the moment this becomes available! Honestly, I would just suggest stopping this beta immediatly and start selling it now. NGen is THAT good. This is a type of mousepad that one can give as gifts! I gave a few friends and family some mouse disks and an original C4 for Christmas... I bet none of them are being utilized at their homes right now due to the difficulty of flawless C4 and teflon disk mounting... With NGen, the application is painless!

I'll get to that reply form after Finals week! Thanks for putting me in the beta Sher!

 

[zodder]

I'll finally get a chance to check it out tonight. It fits rather well on my RatPadz GS, so I'm going to use it on top of that. My first impression is very favorable, though. It's much smoother that the Ratpadz and seems to track better, too.

EDIT: After trying the C4-NGen and then going back to the Ratpadz, I don't ever want to use my Ratpadz again! I had no idea how rough it was. What a difference!

Beta tester #9.

 

[Mo0o]

Beta tester: 40

1. My primary use for a mousepad is: Gaming __x_ Cad System ______ Graphics____x__General Computer use ___x___Other_____
2. I participate in LAN Parties__x__Lan Competitions____Other________ CLAN Member? _No_
3. I have tried C4 Mousemat with adhesive___ C4 Mounted-on-Mousepad_x___
4. I tested C4, NGen an average of ______6__ hrs per day, ____7___of days 5
. Type of Mouse: Mfr: MSFT Model: Optical (Standard)
6. Mousepad I normally use: Generic clothe pad
7. Initial Reaction to this product: I was very surprised at how thin this thing was, at first I thought i had been sent the wrong thing. When i first started using this i was very pleased with the smooth gliding surface.
8. The longer I used C4, NGen, the more my opinion Increased_x_ Decreased__ Stayed the same___
9. I liked the product more WITH__x__ WITHOUT____ the Teflon Mouse Discs on the mouse feet.
10. Rate C4, NGen for the following with 1 = lowest rating to 10 = highest (best) rating:
Appearance_7, I think some people will like the copper color while some will really dislike. For me i would much prefer a silver color just because it will match my system, but its not vital.
Speed _8, very quick without feet and very very very smooth with them.
Responsiveness _9 very good, not much else to say
Smoothness_very smooth
Durability/Lifespan_8, although i haven't had mine break down, i've only had it for 6 days. I am concerned about the thinness of the thing. It seems like one accidental crease and you have a massive line across the surface for a long time and wont fully go away.
Innovation_5, not a very innovative product since there are plenty of custom surfaces out there
The fact that C4, NGen is Portable is valuable to me_T, but i thought almost all pads are portable
The fact that C4, NGen can be easily cleaned is valuable to me_T
The fact that C4, NGenä is a complete mousepad is valuable to me_T
The fact that C4, NGen is available in large sizes_T__ and custom sizes & shapes is valuable to me__T
11.Rate the Mousing Surface overall____9____Rate the Grip Surface____7___
12.Improved my Gaming Experience YES
13.I?d be willing to purchase C4, NGen for up to $___8___ per mousepad.
14.I would recommend this product to others? Yes
15.Size preference: 9? x 7_x_; 9? x 8? _____ 9.5? x 11.5?_____LARGE PRO-GAMING Size 16? x 16? ______Largest_18 x 16_____ Custom________

16.Should C4-NGen be released to market?? Yes__x__No______ REASON:__________________
17. Overall Rating:_8/10
[/quote]
I think over all this is a good product although it is too thin for my preference. I mounted this thing on another mouse pad. This also provided a little bit of mobility as I am on a laptop and I move the computer around on my desk and would like my mousepad to move with me.

 

[Mik3y]

hey, i finally got my mouse pad! woohoo! looks sweet, i'm gonna test it out and i'll post back later.