By George Heymann
techeadlines@gmail.com
Are you in the market for a new mouse for your desktop or laptop? I may have a solution that can work for both. It’s the Arc Mouse from Microsoft. The Arc Mouse is a full-size mouse (4.44”x2.32”) 4-button wireless laser mouse that folds to almost half (60%) of its fully extended size for portability when traveling.
The Mouse which is both PC and Mac compatible features laser tracking with a 30ft. Wireless range. I wouldn’t recommend this mouse for dedicated gamers but it handles most other tasks with aplomb. It’s comfortable to use even during extended mousing sessions.
The mouse is very battery friendly, in my usage it ran for several months on the included 2xAAA batteries. It features an LED battery indicator that shows the battery status. The ingenious folding motion of the mouse doubles as the on/off switch.
Click to view slideshow.The mouse communicates with the computer wirelessly with a USB Micro-Transceiver. You simply plug the Micro-Transceiver into a available USB port on the computer. The transceiver rests in a magnetic cradle on the underside of the mouse when not in use.
This is my second Arc Mouse, the first was confiscated by my wife who was tired of fighting her corded mouse on her laptop. The first one has been in service over a year and is still going strong.
My main complaint when using the Microsoft Arc Mouse is that the side button is placed too far forward to be reached comfortably. A compromise that was made to accommodate the folding motion of the mouse.
The Microsoft Arc Mouse is a solid value at the $49.95 MSRP but can frequently be found discounted for considerably less.
