Pros & Cons
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- Sleek and snazzy.
- Small and lightweight.
- Doesn't require a wireless dongle.
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- Somewhat pricey.
- No horizontal scrolling.
The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition ($69.99) is sold as an accessory for the company's Surface line. Clad in the same "dark titanium" (which as far as I can tell is a fancy word for black) as Microsoft's convertible tablets, this stylish, compact, portable mouse is a worthy companion for any Surface tablet. I'll let you in on a secret, though: It works just as well with most other Bluetooth-enabled computers.
Two things make the Arc Touch Mouse ($135.00 at Amazon) a good accessory for a Microsoft Surface tablet. First, the Surface is a device in need of a mouse. Particularly in its first two iterations, its touchpad is puny, and the capacitive touch sensor that it has in lieu of mouse buttons is not particularly sensitive. The second is that the Arc Touch Surface connects via Bluetooth, which frees the tablet's single USB port for some other device. That makes it a much better choice for use with a Surface than the original Microsoft Arc Touch , whose wireless dongle requires a USB port.
I tested the Arc Touch Mouse with a Microsoft Surface 2 (32GB) ($99.99 at Amazon) and an Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch) ( at Amazon) . It works well with both, though with the Mac you can't get the benefits of a few additional settings offered with a downloadable Windows 8.1 app (more on that below).
Features
The device measures 0.6 by 2.3 by 5.1 inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.3 ounces. It takes two AA batteries that fit in a compartment underneath. When the mouse is turned off, its top is perfectly flat. To power it on, you flex the end nearest you downward, which causes the middle to arch upward; hence, the "arc" in the product's name. This creates a comfortable curve around which to cradle your palm and fingers. To power the mouse off, you just fold it flat again.
To pair it with a Surface or other computer, you press the Bluetooth Connect button, the only button on the bottom of the device, for 5 seconds or so. The Arc Touch Mouse should appear in your computer's list of Bluetooth devices, and from there you can pair it.
There's a touch-sensitive strip between its left-click and right-click buttons. Swiping down along the strip it lets you scroll down, and swiping upward lets you scroll up. The strip's haptic feedback gives you a bit of the feel (and sound) of actual scrolling with a mouse wheel.
The Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition Settings app, available for free from the Windows Store, lets Windows 8.1 users add hyperscrolling (faster scrolling with a faster flick), page-up and page-down, and the ability to adjust the level of haptic feedback. Unlike the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse , the Arc Touch Mouse doesn't support horizontal scrolling from its touch strip.
Microsoft's BlueTrack technology allows you to use this mouse on nearly any non-transparent, non-mirrored surface, which can be very convenient when you're away from home.
My overall mousing experience with the Surface Edition was pleasant—I found it responsive, and the touch strip is a good substitute for a wheel. I prefer larger mice for use at a fixed location, but this model is fine for portable use. It offers the same design, functionality, and connectivity as the recently announced Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse, which will come in slate gray and is marketed as a general-purpose Bluetooth device. Choosing between the two may come down simply to aesthetics, with the Surface Edition matching the Microsoft Surface tablet's color scheme, and the Microsoft Arc Touch Bluetooth a better match for gray or silver laptops.
The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition is more expensive than the Microsoft Sculpt Touch Mouse , an ergonomic Bluetooth model that supports horizontal as well as vertical scrolling. It lacks the extensive touch capabilities, including full gesture support, of the Editors' Choice Microsoft Touch Mouse , but is very compact and connects via Bluetooth. That makes it a better fit for use with any Microsoft Surface model or a laptop intended solely or primarily for portable use.
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