I'm a fan of cloth mousepads. They've always held up for years, worked best with mechanical mice, and have never let me down. I have one mousepad signed by Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton (Honk if you remember TechTV) that I regularly use, and has not faded. I've since stopped using a mousepad with my ownership of optical and laser-based mice, but I still miss the ever-present rubber-backed cloth on my desk. The Zowie Gear Mousepad presents itself as a cloth mousepad that has caught up with the times. It's waterproof, durable, large in size, and will present the hardwearing feel of cloth once more.