roofetYep, apart from this being of higher quality than your average mouse pad, there isn't a huge difference in the materials. I'd suggest one of the solid colors for best results with an optical mouse.
roofetI know a few card-shops that do use them as mouse pads.
While I can't say for sure, with the way the ultimate guard mats are, I do know that ultrapro mats are pretty decent at it. I'd still rather use a hard mat for mosueing, even at work.