After extensive use of both pads over the course of two months, I have a fairly good understanding on how each pad works. When gaming, both mousepads held up very well, much better than those cheap rubbery mousepads. The was extremely responsive on both pads under fast gaming action. Ball mouses didn't do so well on either pad as they would on a cloth topped rubber cheap mousepad. For laser and optical mouse, both pads were excellent. Due to both pads being so large they're ideal for gaming.

In regular desktop use both pads were much more useful than a regular mousepad. The icemat seemed to be the smoother feel of the two and in my mind was better for everyday desktop use. The Steelpad felt a bit better for gaming than the Icemat, partly due to the textured surface with its small thickness. The only gripe with gaming on the Steelpad is that depending on the desk surface, it tends to slide over time.

After a few months of use on both pads, I would personally chose the Icemat as my main pad. The only thing I dislike about it is that it needs to be cleaned every couple weeks and its thickness.

I've never been one to plop down $20-$50 on a mousepad. After using regular cheap mousepads for the past 10 years, I would say both the Icemat and the Steelpad were definitely worth the money. I would advise that if you're a hardcore gamer and you don't mind looks so much, go with the Steelpad. If you want a great looking and classy mousepad and still have good gaming performance, go with the Icemat. The Icemat does seem to be worth $7.50 more than the Steelpad in my opinion based on the classy glass surface alone.