Since many seemed to enjoy my review on the Optimus G Pro, I felt compelled to write another review on an item I purchased a month ago, the Microsoft Arc Touch mouse.
With Windows tablets, convertibles and ultrabooks becoming the ever popular choice, accessories need to follow the same trends. Thin, easily portable and stylish is quickly becoming necessary for mice, headphones, etc. One of the more creative peripherals on the market is the Arc Touch Mouse made by Microsoft.
Appearance/Layout:
When you first pull the mouse out of its box, it becomes clear this isn?t like any other you have seen. It is entirely flat on top. The front third is about 1/2in thick while the rest is a little less than half that. The front third is shiny black plastic, suede feeling material for the remaining surface. All edges are rounded with the mouse?s width shrinking slightly going from front to back.
Between the two typical black left/right buttons of the mouse lays a grey inch long strip (more on this later). Below the strip is a led. On the bottom lies the blue tracking laser of Microsoft and battery compartment in the thicker portion. The rest of the bottom just has a bumpy sensation.
Use:
First off, the mouse requires two ?AAA? batteries. This alone disappointed me. I would have liked to see internal, rechargeable batteries, with the batteries being recharged by placing the mouse in some type of stand while at home.
The mouse comes with a nano wireless dongle that works in any USB port. To turn the mouse on (here is where the magic happens), you bend the suede portion of the mouse down to turn it from flat to a comfortable arc! It is hard to really appreciate how well it works and locks into place without seeing it in person. The LED switches on to let you know that it has turned on.
The blue tracking laser Microsoft uses on most of its better mice operates amazingly well on any surface I have tried. Couches, clear glass, carpet, wood and anything else I used it on didn?t slow the Arc down. It provided accurate, smooth movement.
The left and right mouse buttons are physical buttons. The ?sweet spot? is located near the very front of the buttons. I wish the buttons would have worked better in the middle, as my index and middle finger tend to ?arc? (pun intended) after a little bit of use.
The center gray strip described earlier is the ?touch? portion of the mouse. It uses touch instead of a physical wheel to do all of the scrolling. What is strange, specifically on your first use, is that you get tactical feedback when running your finger over it. It is odd and a bizarre feeling that is absolutely necessary to provide successful scrolling. Scrolling speed is based on speed of movement. I found scrolling only a couple lines takes a little more effort than a normal wheel. Another issue I have is that it is close to flush with the buttons. Finding it with your finger can be hard at times.
To turn the mouse off, simple unbend (not sure that is a word) the mouse which automatically shuts it off. The mouse has another trick up its sleeve, storage for the dongle. Most wireless mice have some type of slot on the underside to hold it. The Arc?s middle third on the bottom is a magnet. It securely grabs the dongle and prevents moment quite well.
Battery:
I don?t know how many batteries I ruined with other mice because I forgot to flip the off switch. With the Arc, it is required that you unbend it before putting it back in your computer bag. Since this action shuts it off, conserving battery is a given. This makes the Arc long lasting on each pair of batteries.
Should you get it?
With the couple issues I described above, along with the lack of any back/forward buttons on the side, this is definitely NOT a gaming mouse. It works very well for just about any other purpose. Just as important, it slides into any bag/case you will have for your device without causing that annoying lump. The buttons? nuances can be overlooked with developing muscle memory for their location.
If you can get it for less than $50 ($60 is regular price), I would buy! Nothing fits the portable lifestyle like the Microsoft Arc Touch!
With Windows tablets, convertibles and ultrabooks becoming the ever popular choice, accessories need to follow the same trends. Thin, easily portable and stylish is quickly becoming necessary for mice, headphones, etc. One of the more creative peripherals on the market is the Arc Touch Mouse made by Microsoft.
Appearance/Layout:
When you first pull the mouse out of its box, it becomes clear this isn?t like any other you have seen. It is entirely flat on top. The front third is about 1/2in thick while the rest is a little less than half that. The front third is shiny black plastic, suede feeling material for the remaining surface. All edges are rounded with the mouse?s width shrinking slightly going from front to back.
Between the two typical black left/right buttons of the mouse lays a grey inch long strip (more on this later). Below the strip is a led. On the bottom lies the blue tracking laser of Microsoft and battery compartment in the thicker portion. The rest of the bottom just has a bumpy sensation.
Use:
First off, the mouse requires two ?AAA? batteries. This alone disappointed me. I would have liked to see internal, rechargeable batteries, with the batteries being recharged by placing the mouse in some type of stand while at home.
The mouse comes with a nano wireless dongle that works in any USB port. To turn the mouse on (here is where the magic happens), you bend the suede portion of the mouse down to turn it from flat to a comfortable arc! It is hard to really appreciate how well it works and locks into place without seeing it in person. The LED switches on to let you know that it has turned on.
The blue tracking laser Microsoft uses on most of its better mice operates amazingly well on any surface I have tried. Couches, clear glass, carpet, wood and anything else I used it on didn?t slow the Arc down. It provided accurate, smooth movement.
The left and right mouse buttons are physical buttons. The ?sweet spot? is located near the very front of the buttons. I wish the buttons would have worked better in the middle, as my index and middle finger tend to ?arc? (pun intended) after a little bit of use.
The center gray strip described earlier is the ?touch? portion of the mouse. It uses touch instead of a physical wheel to do all of the scrolling. What is strange, specifically on your first use, is that you get tactical feedback when running your finger over it. It is odd and a bizarre feeling that is absolutely necessary to provide successful scrolling. Scrolling speed is based on speed of movement. I found scrolling only a couple lines takes a little more effort than a normal wheel. Another issue I have is that it is close to flush with the buttons. Finding it with your finger can be hard at times.
To turn the mouse off, simple unbend (not sure that is a word) the mouse which automatically shuts it off. The mouse has another trick up its sleeve, storage for the dongle. Most wireless mice have some type of slot on the underside to hold it. The Arc?s middle third on the bottom is a magnet. It securely grabs the dongle and prevents moment quite well.
Battery:
I don?t know how many batteries I ruined with other mice because I forgot to flip the off switch. With the Arc, it is required that you unbend it before putting it back in your computer bag. Since this action shuts it off, conserving battery is a given. This makes the Arc long lasting on each pair of batteries.
Should you get it?
With the couple issues I described above, along with the lack of any back/forward buttons on the side, this is definitely NOT a gaming mouse. It works very well for just about any other purpose. Just as important, it slides into any bag/case you will have for your device without causing that annoying lump. The buttons? nuances can be overlooked with developing muscle memory for their location.
If you can get it for less than $50 ($60 is regular price), I would buy! Nothing fits the portable lifestyle like the Microsoft Arc Touch!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram