Microsoft Arc Touch Bluetooth: an ultra-flat and foldable mouse

Ergonomics

The Microsoft Arc Touch Bluetooth differs from the previous version - still in the catalog - by its gray and silver color.

Undoubtedly less messy, its matt coating on the buttons advantageously replaces the gloss of the previous black version, with the passage a more pleasant soft touch.

The Arc Touch Bluetooth is nevertheless not flawless in terms of cleanliness, since its rubbery body, certainly pleasant in hand, remains a real magnet for dust, fibers and other dirt difficult to remove.

The mouse nevertheless makes a good impression with quality materials as well as good level finishes overall. There are just a few perfectible adjustments at the battery compartment cover and at the junction between the rubbery part and the rigid plastic part. Despite its foldable body which makes it specific, robustness seems to be there.

You will understand at first glance, the Arc Touch Bluetooth is a mouse designed to be transported. It is indeed ultra-flat - in the transport position only - and is easy to store thanks to its reduced dimensions (130 x 58.8 mm). The mouse would nevertheless have benefited from using a battery rather than batteries (LR03, AAA), to refine and slip even better against a laptop or between folders in a bag, for example. The thickest part is indeed about 15 mm, while the flexible part of the mouse is limited to about 6 mm.

To turn it on, nothing could be simpler, just bend it to an angle of almost 90 °, as if you were going to fold it in half. A click indicates that the mouse is in its operating position. Conversely, to extinguish it, all you have to do is unfold it. Practical, no need for a switch, a green LED just lights up when you have just folded the mouse to indicate that it is working properly and that its batteries are still charged. No risk of flattening it by mistake, the mechanism is strong enough to support the weight of the hand. If the latter seems robust enough, let's hope that it will last over time, since the most nomadic users may have to unfold / fold the mouse several times a day.

Once the mouse makes the round back, the hand can come to caress it to discover its particular ergonomics. The angle thus created allows comfortable palm grip use (palm hollow placed on the mouse), but large hands will then have fingers sticking out of the buttons. As with most nomadic mice, grips in claw grip (base of the palm resting on the mouse only) and finger tip (held with the fingertips) are recommended. Thumb and ring finger then find place on the slices of the mouse, while the little finger has no choice but to rest on the carpet or in the air. The Arc Touch Bluetooth is thus not the most comfortable of the nomad mice, but it nevertheless offers a satisfactory grip thanks to its good length and its lightness. Above all, thanks to perfect symmetry, the Arc Touch can boast of offering a grip that is as well suited to right-handers as to left-handers! Ambidexterity is not so common these days, that makes one more argument in favor of this mouse.

On the side of the buttons, the observation is a little less pleasing. The two main buttons are indeed a little firm and rather short, which will not please everyone. But above all, these are the only two mouse buttons! No side buttons on the edges, and therefore no "previous page / next page" function, too bad.

Because of its small thickness, it is impossible to fit a wheel in the Arc Touch Bluetooth without it being ridiculously small and not sticking out of the mouse. Microsoft engineers have however found a rather clever solution to simulate a physical wheel, thanks to a tactile zone associated with a small component emitting vibrations and a noise of real wheel. You just have to slide your finger vertically on this area to have the impression of using a traditional mouse wheel. The impression is stunning and goes so far as to mimic a rapid scrolling that would be provoked with a quick flick of the finger: the wheel accelerates suddenly then decelerates suddenly or stops suddenly when we rest our finger on the touch zone. Everything would be fine if the precision was at the rendezvous, which is unfortunately not the case when we slide our finger too slowly, to move the wheel only two or three notches, for example. The number of notches taken into account is then not always what we would like, which can quickly become annoying with use.

As for sliding, two small plastic pads ensure rather fluid movements, but remain a bit noisy on hard surfaces.

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Precision

Equipped with a BlueTrack optical sensor, the Arc Touch Bluetooth can work on a large number of surfaces, except on glass and reflective surfaces. Convenient for nomadic use, since it is rare to use a mouse pad on the go. We were nevertheless a little disappointed by the precision in certain cases where it is a question of operating precise movements, of low amplitude, which occurs quite often in photo editing, for example; sometimes the cursor jumps a pixel and therefore shifts too quickly. Nothing unacceptable, but do not plan to use it for repetitive precision work.

Like most of the Bluetooth mice we tested, the Arc Touch Bluetooth unfortunately suffers from a slight latency which results mainly in a loss of precision in fast movements, including under Windows. Let's not even talk about playing with such a mouse, which is not designed for that anyway.

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Conclusion

Easy to transport and use, the Arc Touch Bluetooth is an attractive and innovative mouse. Unfortunately it sins on several points which make it disappointing in use, without however making it a bad mouse.

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