The Microsoft Arc Touch mouse falls right in line with the rest of the company’s Arc devices: very cool to look at, not very practical for long-term use. The Arc Touch’s claim to fame, and what differs it from the
original Arc mouse , is that it replaces the scroll wheel with a touch pad (similar to the
Saitek Eclipse Touch Mouse ). Unfortunately, the actual curve of the mouse beneath the palm isn’t very comfortable.
At a Glance
The Good: Sleek, folds flat, has BlueTrack
The Bad: Not very comfortable, touch scroll a little jerky
Using the Arc Touch
As with most new devices, there is going to be a learning curve when adopting a new mouse. What feels comfortable for some won’t be true for others, so it’s always beneficial when you can try out a mouse before purchasing one. In the case of the Arc Touch, I could tell fairly early that this wasn’t going to be a comfortable mouse for me.
The left- and right-click buttons are drastically flatter than the curve beneath the palm, and my fingers needed to stretch in order to click them. Of course, it will depend on the size of your hand, but if you’re content with using a travel-sized mouse (which is typically the case for me), this mouse may feel too long.
The touch scroll is certainly fun to use, but it can be frustrating when you’re trying to scroll quickly. It felt jerky at times and not incredibly precise. It does come with tactile scrolling, which makes it feel much more like you’re using a real scroll wheel.
BlueTrack
The Arc Touch features Microsoft’s BlueTrack technology, which means it can be used on nearly any surface.
Folding the Arc Touch
One of my favorite features of the Arc Touch was its ability to fold completely flat, both for storage and for conserving battery life. While I appreciate the existence of an on/off button on a mouse, I've found they rarely get used. Folding the Arc Touch was fun, and it folds and unfolds with a sturdy-sounding click. While this doesn't reduce the size of the mouse (as with the original Arc), it does make it easier for slipping into a laptop bag.
The Bottom Line
The Arc Touch get shelved in the same class as the Arc Keyboard -- fun to use and cool to look at, but not recommended for regular office use. The BlueTrack technology means it would be a nice addition to kitchen netbook or laptop setup, although the high price tag ($69.99) makes it difficult to justify for occasional use.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our
Ethics Policy.
