By 1982, most users of the Xerox ball mouse were using "special pads" to escalation the friction of the ball.

When optical mice, which capitalization image sensors to detect movement, were first naturalized into the Mousepads market, they due definite mousepads with optical patterns printed on them. Concurrent optical mice can function to an far out degree of accuracy on plain insubstantial and other surfaces. However, some optical mouse users may prefer a mousepad for comfort, speed and accuracy, and to prevent wear to the desk or table surface.