Roccat Kone mouse & Taito pad

Feature

Does the Kone really embody a revolutionary power? We got our hands on the Kone, and the simultaneously released Taito mousepad, to find out more.

February 10th, 2009 by Patrick Steinmann

Customisability
ROCCAT�s attempting to counter-act this issue with the TCU. In the driver, users will find an option to re-calibrate their mouse to the mousepad they�re using. When this is done, the TCU starts filming the mousepad, and then calculates the optimal laser sensor setting for that specific mousepad material. Now, this may sound like a something you don�t really need, but I tried out the Kone on two different mousepads (one fashioned from hard plastic, and the other the soft, textile-based Taito), and there really is a difference before and after re-calibrating with the TCU.

Driver
The ROCCAT driver that comes with the Kone is, for lack of a better word, exceptional. It allows the user to control just about every aspect of the mouse, from polling rate to double click speed, from pointer speed to relative X/Y-axis speed. The driver is very extensive, and yet never feels overwhelming. Every feature is explained in a short blurb if you mouse over it, and the driver�s visuals are also very helpful. A total of five different profiles can be created, each with a completely different setup. A great feature is that every profile can be directly linked to an .exe file. This means that you can be using, say, Profile #1, and if you start a game, the driver will automatically load the profile associated with that specific game, immediately giving you exactly the layout you need. All in all, the Kone�s driver leaves a very thought-out and clean impression.

Taito Mousepad

Together with the Kone, ROCCAT was kind enough to send us their new Taito mousepad. Upon unpacking it, we were shocked at its size � it measured in at a full 400mm x 320mm x 4.35mm! In fact, the mousepad is so large that I have to use it rotated by 90� so it�ll fit on my desk, not that this makes a difference. While the underside of the Taito is coated with rough, grippy rubber, the top is coated with a �heat-treated nano pattern�. While this may sound like the usual advertising wordplay, the mousepad really does feel very smooth. And using the Kone mouse on the Taito feels even smoother � it�s like friction has ceased to exist. Furthermore, the Taito does not showcase one of the main issues of many textile-based mousepads, which is the textile�s webbing interrupting sliding the mouse in a certain direction.

The huge surface of the mousepad makes lifting and repositioning your mouse unnecessary, even if you�ve got it set to a very low DPI setting. Additionally, the thickness of the mousepad makes it very comfortable rest your hand and arm on.

All in all, the Taito mousepad convinced us with its size and smooth surface. While some say that a mousepad isn�t really an important part of a gaming setup, after using the Taito, I think it�s really something you have to experience to notice the difference.

Ratings
As usual, we�ve rated the ROCCAT Kone mouse in five different categories, and thrown in another category for the Taito mousepad.
Ergonomy 9.5
Buttons 9.5
Wheel 9.5
Customisability 9.5
Driver 10
Overall (Kone mouse) 9.6

Overall (Taito mousepad): 10

Overall, I must say that the pair of ROCCAT Kone & Taito is, as the British would say, the dog�s bollocks. The Kone is, in my opinion, the best mouse out there right now, bar none, and the Taito mousepad compliments it perfectly. While the set isn�t exactly cheap, this is definitely a worthy investment. ROCCAT�s debut mouse convinces with a host of fantastic features, and certainly deserves the crown as Hooked Gamers� top mouse. It feels as if a team of true gamers sat down, took a mouse, looked at every single feature, and did all they could to improve that feature to its very best, the result being the Kone. The same goes for the Taito mousepad. In my eyes, these are two products every gamer should have at the top of their list if they are looking for new gear.