what makes a good mousepad?

[CORed]

If you get an optical mouse you really don't need a mousepad. Any smooth surface will work. If you have the old-fashioned mouse with the rubber ball, you need something with enough friction to move the ball. Also, if you have that type of mouse, you may need to clean it if it's not working well. Usually there is a retaining ring that holds the rubber ball that you need to twist to remove. Inside the mouse there are two rollers at right angles that actually transmit the mouse motion to the computer. These will get loaded up with crud and cat hair (if you have a cat) and scraping the crud off the rollers will often improve the performance of the mouse.

For further information see This article