Page 4 - Conclusion
I can say that, unlike my friend, the XTracGear Carbonic showed up to the party and really garnered the same quality impression we have received in the past from XTracGear. Starting with the actual aesthetics, it is interesting, or at least, quite different from the rest. While the looks are something I care very little about for a mousepad, XTracGear's Carbonic looks really good, as it is quite a bit different from the rest of the all-black generic mousing surfaces. The diagonal lines translate well into performance too, as the Carbonic really flies in all aspects. The best part is the glide and grip, which makes the Carbonic a real joy and pleasure to use. My only small complaint about the XTracGear Carbonic are the edges that some people may find a tad sharp on the wrist. Of course, there are a few things I hope XTracGear will innovate in. For one, if they make an XTracGear Carbonic XL or XXL, I will definitely buy it. I fully understand the size was intended to be small for portability, and size is definitely a preference thing, but personally I would like a slightly larger mousepad. Secondly, if they could create an oleophobic type surface or coating to stop liquids from being absorbed into the mouse pad, it would really solve an age old question with cloth surfaces. At the end of the day, XTracGear should really be proud of this new product that shows imagination and refinement, without losing the advantages they have already created. At press time, the XTracGear Carbonic holds an MSRP of around $15, but can be found for closer to $10 USD. With all the merits of the surface engineering efforts the company employed in this product, if the size is right for you, the XTracGear Carbonic is certainly something I would envision seeing on your desk for years to come.
XTracGear provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.7/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
Do not let the small size stop you; the Carbonic definitely fits in the framework of awesome products that XTracGear has produced so far, and its more than fair pricing makes it even better.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
