Editing Mousepad (section)

==Benefits==
[[File:Mouse-Systems-Mousepad-Detail.jpg|thumb|The mousepad for early [[Mouse Systems]] optical mouses]]
The three most important benefits of the introduction of the mousepad were higher speed, more precision, and comfort for the user.  A secondary benefit was keeping the desk or table surface from being scratched and worn by continuous hand and mouse rubbing motion.  Another benefit was reduction of the collection of debris under the mouse, which resulted in reduced jitter of the pointer on the display. Also, it is important to clean mousepads.

The mousepads can be cleaned by special detergents, [[liquid soap]], hand wash or [[dry cleaning]]. Not all mousepads are machine washable.

When [[optical mouse|optical mice]], which use [[image sensor]]s to detect movement, were first introduced into the market, they required special mousepads with optical patterns printed on them. Modern optical mice can function to an acceptable degree of accuracy on plain paper and other surfaces.  However, some optical mouse users (especially gamers, designers, and other heavy users) may prefer a mousepad for comfort, speed and accuracy, and to prevent wear to the desk or table surface.