With the advent of optical mice, mouse pads have lost much of their usefulness. Of course, there are those with materials that maximise the reflection from optical lenses and provide optimal feedback and resolution. But I am not a professional gamer.
So what would make me buy a mouse pad? Ok, ok, I did not
buy it per se. One of the nice things about being an MVP is a US$150 voucher for shopping Microsoft's eCompanyStore. This year they were offering something in their Cool New Stuff category:
Complete with 4 USB 2.0 ports. About time I discarded that cheap USB 2.0 hub with a terribly loose USB connector cable.