Apartment Therapy Unplugged | How to Make a Glass Desk Mouse Friendly

Ever since Ikea made glass desks really affordable, they have been popping around everywhere. We bet that you know quite a few people who have glass desks. Do they like them much? One thing is for sure, if you are using a glass desk as you computer desk, you may hit a problem or two when you try activating your mouse. Modern optical mice work almost anywhere. It's kind of strange to realize that they don't work on glass.

The thing is that glass desks look so good. Even though they are magnets for fingerprints, they look incredibly good, especially if they have the latest computers sitting on them. So there is no real way of avoiding this problem. It's going to come up sooner or later. The problem can be easily resolved by simply using a mouse pad, but you know that mouse pads are so cliché, so maybe there is another way of making an optical mouse work on glass. This clean and surprising way to resolve this issue involves a cheap roll of automotive window tint.

With a $10 5% tint, which is less reflective than other tints in the auto parts store, you can easily customize your own mousepad on a glass desk. You have to cut out the section that you want to cover and then you'll have a surface on which your optical mouse will work. The window tint can be cut into any shape or form and then put onto the glass desk. Sean, the man behind this idea, admits that the window tint only worked with his Bluetooth Mighty Mouse. Also, after a while, parts of the tint get scratched or peeled off. However, this is easily solved since the material is so cheap to buy. After searching around a bit, it seems like if the tint is dark enough, it will work on the under side of the glass desk, thus making sure that you won't have to replace it any time soon. [via Lifehacker]

i definitely wouldn't put tint on top of the glass for the reasons mentioned. i would be surprised if it worked on the underside of the glass. i wouldn't see why it would as i currently have a thin glass top and dark wood base. my mighty mouse doesn't work; wish it did. so i stuck with the mousepad route.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1149/photos/5/51621/396461/desk1-vi.jpg

Cheers,
M

posted by Matt. M on June 29th 2009 at 3:40pm
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If you must use a mouse pad, might as well use the one that Rhodia makes as it's a nice grid notebook with a non slip back. It's perfect for jotting down notes or sketching and keeps the desk less cluttered than having a dorky mousepad and a notebook.

http://www.bloc-rhodia.com/produit-boutique-mouse-mat-clic-bloc-clic-bloc.html

posted by SPG on June 29th 2009 at 5:41pm
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I hate my glass top. Not for the mousepad that I have to use. I must be completely anal but the fingerprints and smudges that accumulate over a day sitting in front of my machine drive me absolutely insane.

I'd give anything for an old door and sawhorses.

posted by rainman on June 29th 2009 at 9:19pm
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@rainman - I have glass desk but the bottom is frosted. It does a great job of hiding fingerprints. You can pick up some frosting spray at your favorite DIY store - it's cheap and easy to apply.

posted by RQDQ on June 30th 2009 at 8:27am
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Oh - and I just use a nice oversized mousepad. It's not clever, but it gets the job done.

posted by RQDQ on June 30th 2009 at 8:28am
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we have glass here at my office, the frosted glass ones from ikea, and we all have mousepads. I use one at home too because my desk is industrial untreated steel and i got tired or rubbing my wrist on it. Don't see why they are cliche. Not every desk surface is good for mousing. Ask any gamer...

None the less, the bluetooth version of the mighty mouse is NOT optical, it is a laser mouse. Where as the regular wired mighty mouse is optical.

So since it talked about a laser version above, that should work on anything, hell i have used mine at home on a mirror before, and they work fine on glass...

posted by jmorey on June 30th 2009 at 9:10am
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they don't work on white corian either.

posted by thefink on June 30th 2009 at 12:39pm
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@RQDQ - thanks for the suggestion.. may give that a try.

still would love to go more industrial and use some reclaimed material. That's just me though ;)

posted by rainman on June 30th 2009 at 1:34pm
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