See The 10 Best Mouse Pads on Ezvid Wiki ►►
Fact #1. Mouse pads are similar to running shoes. You can get by with just about anything. You can even go barefoot. But that might lead to problems in the future. In the case of the pads, that affects a lot of things. Your mouse and your desk, for instance. But especially your wrist.
Fact #2. There's a pretty broad range of options for different budgets. Getting one for free isn't too hard. It might not be the 1990s anymore, but they're still plentiful. Conventions frequently pass them out. So do colleges. But the higher range is around $60. That price tends to be aimed at gamers. They give precise control and comfort. It all depends on your needs.
Fact #3. The first pad was invented by a designer working for Herman Miller. His name was Jack Kelley. He worked closely with the inventor of the mouse at the Stanford Research Institute. That was Douglas Engelbart. It happened in 1969. Though the term itself wasn't actually coined until 1983. Sometimes technology outpaces even language.
Fact #4. There was a period where they seemed obsolete. For most of the aughts, they weren't in people's good graces. Nearly everyone had one, of course. Since the invention of the optical mouse in 1980, it seemed pads were on their way out. But the 2010s has seen their phoenix-like rise. A lot of that is thanks to the explosion of the videogames market.
Fact #5. There are plenty of reasons to invest in a quality model. It shouldn't be gamers on one end and everyone else on the other. Many people spend significant portions of their days at a desk. Bloggers certainly do. As do freelancers working through the Internet. Even office workers in cubicles are likely to spend most of their days clicking and swiping. Every one of them can benefit from a proper mouse pad.