Microsoft Arc Touch review

The Arc Touch has an amazing design that’s unlike any other mouse that we’ve reviewed before. About the size and shape of a mobile phone, it has two buttons at one end and a tapered body covered in grip-friendly rubber.

In it’s default state the mouse is completely flat, making it look a little odd and extremely uncomfortable to use. However, it can be turned into a more regular mouse.

You bend the rubber section to turn it on and form an arc (hence the name) and thus a mouse, with Teflon pads built into the tips of the arc which glide along a desk surface.

Using Microsoft’s own BlueTrack technology, the Arc can theoretically be used on any surface, although the thin Teflon pads will only help you glide along a hard, flat surface. The scroll wheel is actually a touch-sensitive strip, and it has built-in haptic feedback in the form of vibrations and sound.

Our main concern is that the ambidextrous arc shape isn’t as comfortable as shaped, right- (or left-) handed mice. We found the buttons’ action to be too stiff, requiring pressure at the very tips to work reliably. The small USB dongle is meant to attach magnetically to the underside of the Arc when not in use, but we can see it getting lost. Still, it’s a stylish present for the geek who has everything.