Microsoft confirms touch-based mouse Arc
Microsoft has formally unveiled its touch-based curved mouse, the Arc Touch. But initial reviews of the $70 gadget are underwhelming.
The device got its first publicity through a pair of cropped images posted by Microsoft on Twitter. But whatever doubt remained over rumors that it was a touch based mouse was thrown out once a German retailer mistakenly listed details of the device in mid-August.
Now Microsoft has formally announced the Arc Touch Mouse under the marketing message that it “proves the [mouse] is alive and well.”
There aren’t any major surprises: as had been reported, the two main features of the mouse are that it can flatten out for easier transportation in a laptop case, and that the scroll wheel is replaced by a narrow touch-sensitive pad. The speed with which you move your finger controls the speed of the scroll, with Microsoft promising that if you flick your finger you’ll get “hyperfast scrolling”.
There are a couple of new details on the touch strip. Three areas on the strip also work as tappable buttons for page up, page down and a third, user-programmable function. Also, the strip vibrates gently to simulate the bumps users feel when using a traditional scroll wheel and there are even sound effects to replicate the clicking of a scroll wheel.
Brett Ostrum, who heads up Microsoft’s hardware group, said “The Arc Touch Mouse just demonstrates again how committed Microsoft is to continuing to bring great new mice to consumers.”
Among those who’ve been given advance units for review, the general response seems to be that everything works as billed, but it isn’t a drastic improvement in usability, and it’s too dainty for larger hands. Rich Brown of CNET notes that “the Arc Touch Mouse is mostly a fashion statement wrapped in a few interesting features.”
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