It has been a full week now since I started using my Microsoft Arc Touch mouse; about time to write a quick gadget review! This mouse came out of the usual plethora of MSFT design experiments around mice; but looks like nothing else out there & had my attention from the time it was announced. So, pre-order followed and the mouse was delivered right ­in time for the holidays. So, here’s what worked & what didn’t:

Pros:

· The mouse came packed in a shiny unbelievably-thin box.

· Very thin contour for the mouse. About 1-1.5 inches thick & tapering. Let’s just say FLAT.

· Great for travel; super light.

· Super cool that the mouse curls up to the palm’s contour, and that is what turns on the mouse, saving battery otherwise.

· Left & Right clicks work smoothly.

· Tactile feedback on flicks is very nice. So, is inertia on scroll.

· Customizable touch sensitivity makes it easy to make the mouse work to your needs.

· Tapping works nicely for page-up, page-down & middle-click.

· BlueTrack technology makes for very precise pointing.

· Great on long web pages or my methods with 2000 lines of code ..ha ha.

 

Cons:

· Does not seem to move very well on uneven surfaces because of its shape.

· Left & Right clickable areas may seem a little too widely spaced when compared to few other mice in the market.

· The contour will keep palms well stretched. This may not be a bad thing after all; but takes a little getting used to.

· Rear edge is a bit of dust/lint magnet.

 

A more detailed review can be found here:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/09/10/review-microsoft-arc-touch-mouse/

In all, small & nifty, with lot of attention to design; but also works as intended.

Enjoy!