Details of a mousepad designed by Armando M. Fernandez were published in the Xerox Disclosure Journal in 1979 Mousepad with the description:
After the rubberized silicon surface was incorporated onto the surface of the prepare roller ball mouse, the in vogue fabric-surface mousepad was found to be the most appropriate. It helped keep the rubberized roller-ball surface cleaner and with higher quality tracking, speed and accuracy than just a desk surface, which collected dirt and slowed the mouse's motion.
