HP Wireless Mini Mouse Inferior to Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse

A few months ago I started using the HP Wireless Laser Mini Mouse on a black mousepad. The results were decidedly annoying, with the mouse skipping around and stuttering. The mouse seemed to work better on other surfaces, like a white painted table on which another laptop sits.

So today I started using (i) the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 (that I had been using on the white painted table) on the black mousepad; (ii) the HP mouse on the white painted table.

The Microsoft mouse works fine on either surface, but the HP mouse only works well on the painted table. Problem, solved and annoying return avoided.