This is the fourth reincarnation of the Microsoft Arc mouse, which this year marks its tenth anniversary. It has become even more stylish, and the entire button surface has become one large scroll area, both vertical and horizontal.
The era of sensory displays and entertainment content has significantly changed our understanding of the ergonomics of computers and their role in everyday life. More and more people browse websites and chat online with smartphones and tablets, calling familiar keyboards and mice a relic of the past. But it is necessary to go to any office and the sounds of this "relic of the past" you will hear from all sides. Keyboards knock, mice click, and no one agrees to spend a working day without them. And to replace the old wired mouse made of flimsy plastic with a non-snap, innovative and stylish one is always welcome. Let's talk about this:
Arc Mouse sample of 2017, which finally got to the shelves in Russia.
What is the trick?
This is the thinnest and compact wireless mouse that runs on two AAA batteries and does not require any add-ons in the form of dongles or special software. Communicates with a computer via Bluetooth, and among the chips - a large touchpad for vertical and horizontal scrolling and the original on / off method. The manufacturer addresses the gadget to those who often work away from the office and use several computers.
Contents of delivery
The mouse comes in a mini cardboard box. In it - the device itself and a couple of booklets. The batteries are already inside the device, so you can immediately begin to get acquainted.
Design and appearance
When looking at the Microsoft Arc Mouse, the remote control of the future digital technology immediately comes to mind. Nothing more: a black rectangle with rounded edges, a pair of indicators and a battery compartment. The thickness of the mouse ranges from seven millimeters at the narrowest point to 14 in the area of the keys.
The area of the keys is almost square, the click responds with a ringing click. You can press in any part of it, but better - closer to the edges. In the middle closer to the bottom edge of the key area is the power LED.
On the inner side there are plastic stops at the edges of the device - for contact with the surface. On the back above the battery compartment
The peephole of the corporate laser Bluetrack and the button for moving the mouse into pairing mode.
To power the device, two AAA format elements are used. According to the manufacturer, they will be enough for six months of active use, and it is easy to believe. At least for the reason that most modern mice work, sometimes, much longer.
Ergonomics
To turn on the device, it is enough to press on its edges with a little effort: it will arch into an arc and a mouse that looks quite familiar will appear in front of us. With unaccustomed want to clasp closer to the edge, but it is more correct to lay the palm entirely, touching the edge of the keys with your fingertips. With this position of the hand, the click is not annoying with its rigidity, and we will talk about the accuracy of pointing the cursor in the relevant part of the review.
However, the problem of symmetrical mice did not pass by the Microsoft Arc Mouse. After half an hour of active use, the wrist begins to ache a little, requiring a minute break. On the other hand, the mouse is equally suitable for use with the left hand.
Customization and proprietary software
To check the performance of the device, we took a laptop running Windows 8.1. To set up the mouse, press and hold the Bluetooth button until the laser sensor blinks - then select Arc Mouse from the list of available Bluetooth equipment on the laptop. Everything, it is possible to begin work. Just bend the mouse to turn it on, or straighten it to turn it off.
To reassign keys under the left hand and add hotkey combinations to touch with three fingers at the same time, you need to install the “Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Control Center”, where you can also adjust the scroll sensitivity. Supports vertical and horizontal scrolling.
Tests
Wired rodent users have some skepticism about the accuracy and resolution of wireless model sensors. In many ways, this is caused by ultrabudgetary low-quality accessories, which really have problems with positioning accuracy. But Microsoft Arc Mouse doesn’t know these flaws: and the cursor gently reacts to the slightest deviations, precisely following the mouse movements on the surface. The mouse moves remarkably along the carpets and fabrics, allowing even playing shooters.
We made a series of measurements in the Mouse Test utility, which analyzes the behavior of the mouse in stressful situations. If interested, you can try to run your mouse through these tests, and then compare the results with those shown in the screenshot below.
In general, the results confirm the stated specifications, which are typical for a good office mouse in terms of DPI and polling frequency. Among the shortcomings, it is possible to note only imperfect smoothness, but at the same time sufficiently accurate positioning.
For the purity of the experiment, the illustrations in this review were also processed using the Microsoft Arc Mouse. After a long streaming clipping of photos, the ergonomics of this mouse can be estimated at a C grade, because every 10-12 minutes I had to take a break to relax the brush. If you wander through the sites and collect information, highlighting pieces of text and moving between windows and pages, the hand will begin to flow only after half an hour. In general, the result is quite good and quite correlates with manipulators of similar style.
Results
The main feature of Arc Mouse is folding. It is necessary to slap it once with the palm of your hand and the mouse is ready to be carried in any pocket of clothes, or next to a laptop in a thin folder. In situations where every centimeter of thickness is important, this is the best alternative to the touchpad in the upcoming work on the project and the long editing of materials. Of the other advantages - good stability and the absence of dongles.
There are drawbacks too. Some of them are generated by compactness, and this applies to all portable mouse models. There are also conditional complaints about smoothness, although the accuracy of positioning from this, surprisingly, does not suffer.