Microsoft Arc Mouse - Black
by Microsoft
|
List Price: Our Price: $24.82 You Save: $25.17 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $16.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Microsoft Arc Mouse - Black
Customer Review: Not as Cool as it Looks
Summary: 2 Stars
Well, if you're going to buy this mouse, go ahead and buy it here, because only six months ago I got ripped off for $60 bucks for it at a local computer store that will go unnamed. BUT I don't recommend this mouse at all. There are several downsides.
When I first started using it, I was very disappointed with the inaccuracy of the mouse. I had to drag it back and forth at times to make it click exactly where I wanted to. As a user of Photoshop and a PC gamer, this was very bothersome.
Secondly, this inaccuracy and clunkiness is personified when using the mouse on any surface other than a mouse pad. It hardly works on a wooden table, is very uncomfortable on my bed comforter, and is unusable on a leather couch. Whenever taking the laptop into another room I always have to drag the mouse pad along, and it's a hassle. For such an expensive mouse, I expected a great degree of comfortbility and ease, but instead, I've gotten clunk and inaccuracy.
Which brings me to my next point, the wheel. The wheel is not bad, though it feels and looks cheap. The game Dragon Age: Origins requires the mouse wheel to play, and ironically, this Microsoft mouse wheel was incompatible with a Microsoft game. I've had other such issues with the wheel in other programs.
The battery life is horrid. The mouse takes two AAA batteries [the battery case is nearly impossible to remove with your bare hands]. The average life span seems to be about 3 weeks to a month, which is a little ridiculous compared to other mouses.
This mouse isn't all bad. The Micro-transceiver is fairly small, though comes loose fairly easily. The fold up function is nifty, but nothing so impressive. There is a little magnetic slot to keep the transceiver in when you fold up the mouse, which is nice. My mouse came with a nice little carrying baggie, though I'm not sure if the Amazon version does, as I see no indication of it. There is a small button on the side that serves as a "back" button, which is in a good position, and not easily accidentally hit.
But overall, there are better choices out there. I recommend the Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for PC and Mac, which can be bought for $27-$35 instead of $40. It takes two AA batteries, which last several months, has an even small receiver, which is nearly impossible to accidentally knock out, has precision handling, and has taken several hard hit without any notable damages [my brother owns one]. I guess if you really need a light pocketable mouse, and don't mind the battery drain and clunkiness of it, this mouse may be for you. But I urge you to reconsider and spend your money elsewhere.
Customer Review: Donny Yankellow's [..] Review
Summary: 4 Stars
It takes a lot to innovate in the world of computer mice these days. After all, seen one mouse seen them all, right? Wrong. Microsoft has figured out a way to innovate the mouse with their Arc Mouse.
When I first saw the Arc Mouse the first word that popped into my mind was "Cool." The design of the mouse is something I haven't seen before, and it just looks cool. As the name implies it is an arc shape, and the underside of the mouse is hollow. The allows the mouse to be folded up for travel (it comes with a nice travel pouch).
The mouse is available in black and red. I got the red one and would call it more of a magenta/brick red color. As an art teacher, it is not something I would call red.
As nice as the design it, it does not interfere with function. It is a two button mouse with a scroll wheel/third button.
Did I mention this is a wireless optical mouse? Well, it is and the USB receiver is the size of a thumbnail. If you have a new Apple keyboard it tucks nicely under the keyboard in one of the USB ports. If you have a laptop it is so small you don't have to worry about knocking it out or bumping into it when using your laptop.
Design plays a factor here to. The receiver stores under the mouse in a little notch.
What about using it? The mouse is fantastic. I don't think I have used a smoother and more responsive mouse. If you use a mouse pad, even though you don't need one, you might find the design of the mouse causing the end to get stuck if you go off the edge. I like using a mouse pad (I don't know why) and this kept happening to me.
Setup is easy too. You can use Apple's mouse settings or download drivers specific for the mouse from Microsoft.
My one and only complaint is the size of the mouse. I am 6' 4", and I don't have small hands. The mouse is a little on the small side for me to comfortably use. However, my wife is a little over five feet and she has smaller hands. The mouse is the perfect size for her, and she loves it too!
Finally, we get to price. The retail price of the mouse is $59.99. I have seen it for under $40 at Amazon. Mice prices are strange. You can get a generic mouse for under $20, or something nicer for more. This is one of those "nicer for more" mice, and I would shop around before buying. Is it worth $40, I say yes. Would I pay $60? I don't know, but you might.
Overall, the Microsoft Arc Mouse is a great mouse in a crowded market. It is definitely worth considering if you are mouse shopping (the computer kind, not the pet).
[..]
[..]
Customer Review: Portable, Convenient, Compact
Summary: 4 Stars
Couldn't resist when I saw this. So yeah, paid more than what's on sale now. Intelli software avail for download and it applies to regular mice as well as this one. Out of the box, the trail speed is extremely fast. I had to adjust to a BIG pointer to track it. Still haven't found an efficient method to slow it down. Control panel-mouse-settings-slow trail didn't seem to affect it at all. Plug and play immediately when on XP, Vista. Do not use on 98 or lower. Don't know about 2000Win. In Vista, get additional features like Flip 3D which is alternative to the alt+tab when browsing. Currently using the Magnify for the center button and there are lots more other features that can be assigned to the center button. I love it on Vista and it works on XP as well.
The button to browse back is not positioned well and is extremely difficult to use R or L handed. My workaround is to flip the mouse sideways if I want to use this button at all. Same issue with the Laser Mouse 5000 wireless. Whoever design the placement did not take into account actual run of the mill people's usage.
Waited 2 weeks to write review because that was the break in time for most. BTW, it does have a 3 YR warranty so if you have probs, please make use of your warranty. I've gotten used to the speed and no longer have trouble tracking it. Also have reverted back to normal size pointer.
Main usage for this is portability. I have to work on many different computers and like having my own reliable mouse. May have to add a leash and name tag because of frequent interruptions and walking away to take care of other tasks. The only problem I have is working on older versions without convenient front USB ports.
I'm a Left Hand mouser so universal and ambidextrous design count for my mouse selections. Be aware, if you have Logitech software installed, you may not be able to un-install it and use MS intellipoint. It just means you don't get the additional perks but it is still functional. Logitech was my preferred brand before until they went to mainly RH mice which I can't use because of repetitive motion damage.
Battery monitor: it's supposed to last 6 months so no comments on how this monitor works yet. I can say with the MS 5000, it definitely lasts 6 months so I'm confident this 2-AAA usage will too.
It is designed for notebook/laptop so it is smaller than the 5000 but larger than the avg notebook mice. Most brick and mortar's have a demo for you to try it out first. People with large hands should try out first.
Customer Review: Quite fine mouse!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a portable mouse to use with the ASUS 1000H. (The trackpad works fine, but I just prefer an actual mouse.) I went to the local electronics store and clicked and held many mice of its an unbelievable variety of shapes, sizes, and features. I kept coming back to this one, so I went for it and am quite pleased with it. I like the pronounced arc shape of it, as it fits in my hand well and comfortably and I can rest my palm on it. I have average sized hands for a woman--people with big hands should try it out before purchasing. I also like the light weight and the fact that it folds up. The USB piece sticks to the bottom of it with a magnet, so people like me won't lose it. The buttons click softly and easily. The scroll wheel does make clicking sounds, so if you need your mouse to be totally silent while scrolling, you might look elsewhere. As the other reviewer noticed, the "back" button is in a slightly awkward place, but if I just hold the mouse at a very slight angle, my thumb reaches it with no problem and I can still right click. It doesn't come with software and I've found that I have to insert the USB piece before booting for it to work. Once working, its been quite nice, moves easily, and does what I need it to do, both quickly and accurately. Folding it up turns it off, which is a nice feature for forgetful people. Once folded up, it slips into a small black bag that hardly takes up any room at all. Finally, the manufacturers were kind enough to include the two AAA batteries that power the mouse.
Overall, I'm quite pleased and am thinking of using this with my desktop computer as well.
Cheers!
Update: (11/29/08) Bah. I have to change my review a bit. The scroll wheel, like so many have noticed, has stopped working and appears to be unfixable (at least, by me). I'm bummed, as I really liked this mouse. I've replaced it with a Logitech V450 mouse, which is okay, but the buttons make a harder click than I like and I have to actually manually turn it off when I'm done using it. I loved that the Arc would turn off automatically when folded. Anyways, if Microsoft fixes the scroll wheel and makes it more durable, I'd definitely buy another Arc.
Customer Review: Some things you might want to know before you buy.
Summary: 4 Stars
I was looking for a wireless mouse/keyboard combo for the home theater in my office. I chose the Microsoft Arc Mouse and Keyboard (sold separately) because the keyboard was very small and light- but not so small as to not be usable- and I figured since they were both in the same product line I could use only a single transceiver- the computer I use for home theater only has 2 USB ports, and I wanted to keep one free for USB drives. I assumed wrong.
While both the keyboard and mouse support similar 2.4GHz wireless technology, their transceivers are different both physically and functionally. The mouse's is a fair amount bigger than the keyboard's, but it ONLY supports the mouse, and the keyboard's tiny dongle only supports that keyboard. I even tried running the keyboard off the transceiver for the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000- which looks identical to the keyboard's- but the keyboard could not "see" it, and there is no manual handshake procedure with these devices like there is with, say, xbox controllers or bluetooth devices.
Neither device comes with any software installers; the operating system already includes the drivers. If you use the mouse on Windows 7 it even automatically downloads and installs Microsoft's IntelliPoint software.
The range and reliability are good for both devices. (No skipped key or button presses, very responsive.) I found the default sensitivity of the mouse way too high, and had to slow it down a bit in the mouse control panel. The mouse is compact (especially when you fold it up for transport) and both devices come with nice little black fabric envelopes for transport.
I do not find the Arc mouse comfortable in my hand, though. Thankfully I won't use it very often, but I would have gotten one of the Mobile Mouse line if I'd known I'd have to be using 2 transceivers anyway; they fit me much better. I ended up plugging a USB hub into the computer so I could keep that extra port free.
So, anyway, both pretty good products overall, but there's no need to buy them together if you're looking for a mouse/keyboard combo. Microsoft makes better mice, and you won't be saving yourself any ports by sticking with the Arc line.