Netbook Network

A standard computer mouse can trump a netbook trackpad any day: more precision, comfort, and less fingerprint goo to clean up when you’re done. The biggest issue, though, is that computer mice are too large and bulky to carry around. Netbooks were designed for portability in mind, and to bring even a wireless mouse around hinders that luxury. Microsoft’s Arc Touch Mouse aims to bring a mouse experience without hindering portability. By literally transforming into pack-or-use form, the Arc Touch Mouse is an elegant trackpad replacement, specifically designed for netbooks and laptops. We’ve got out full review, right after the break.

As soon as you take it out of the box, you’ll notice how compact it really is. It’s just a little thinner than our previously reviewed Verbatim CLON Portable Hard Drive at the thickest point. Half of the Arc Touch Mouse is matte, and half of it is glossy – which looks nice, but can be a little fingerprint prone (we’ll go into that later in this review). Hardware-wise, it feels pretty sturdy – I couldn’t hear any creaks when I tried to bend the button-end around a bit.  It fits very nicely in my netbook case and can be taken just about anywhere.

Portability is a big reason why people buy netbooks, and I can assure you that this is definitely a portable mouse. The fact that it’s flat means it won’t bulge out of cases like ordinary mice and can fit in even the thinnest pockets.

Underneath, you’ve got a place to put the adapter and a slot for two AAA batteries. The place where you put the adapter is magnetic, so it snaps on and can be taken off easily. It’s pretty neat, considering most wireless mice have adapters that have to be carried separately from the mouse itself.

Did I also mention that the adapter itself is extremely small? It’s about half a centimeter shorter than a SIM card, and measures 1.9 cm by 1.2 cm. It’s small enough that you don’t have to worry about leaving it in your netbook or laptop. That means you can carry around your netbook or laptop with the adapter plugged in and you won’t have to worry about it bumping into anything. Only about half a centimeter of the adapter will stick out of your netbook or laptop anyway. It’s really convenient to not have to always remove the adapter when you have to move someplace else with your netbook or laptop.

The BlueTrack adapter is found at the end of the mouse. This may spell trouble for users, as most of us are used to having the sensor right under the palm. You get used to it soon enough, but it still has a sort of learning curve, especially for precise movements like selecting text.

Instead of having an on/off switch (that you may forget to toggle when you’re on-the-go), the Arc Touch Mouse automatically turns on and off when it’s in the arc/flat position. Snapping the mouse into its on position is pretty easy. Grab both sides of the mouse, put your thumbs right in the center, and just bend. It offers good resistance without making it hard to bend – and makes a nice snapping sound once it’s in position. It’s about the same if you want to flatten the mouse.

Enough with the hardware talk! Let’s go into actual performance.

Using the mouse is an interesting experience. Because it’s not as fat as an ordinary mouse, there’s not that much room to grip on. There’s just about enough space to have your three fingers on the buttons and your thumb and pinky on the sides. The buttons also can be a little stiff to press, depending on how close you are to the edge. However, this is something that once again, you’ll get used to. After all, you won’t be spending your time having your fingers close to the bottom anyway unless you have extremely small hands. The glossy finish for the buttons can be a little problematic with fingerprints, but you probably won’t notice much anyway – not nearly as bad as Asus’ glossy finishes on the older Eee netbooks (those collected more fingerprints than the FBI).

You may have noticed already that instead of a scroll wheel, there’s a touch strip instead. It’s armed with haptic feedback, so if you move your finger up and down you’ll feel the little bumps like a normal scroll wheel. It’s also something that you’ll just have to get used to – but you’ll get the hang of it fairly quickly. The ability to flick up and down is a welcome addition, and allows you to quickly scroll to the top or bottom of a page. At the tip, center, and end of the strip, there are three “buttons” that also have haptic feedback. By default, they’re assigned to Page Up, Page Down, and MOUSE3.

The Arc Touch Mouse uses BlueTrack tracking technology, which allows you to use it on any surface. It works on books, wood surfaces, just about anything can double as a mousepad with the Arc Touch Mouse. The only surface that it has trouble on is glass or see-though plastic, but what are the chances you’ll be using it on glass or a water bottle anyway?

The mouse is plug and play, but it’ll automatically install the Microsoft IntelliPoint driver, given that you have an internet connection. It allows you to re-assign the buttons on the mouse – the left click, right click, and middle click. It comes in handy, but I don’t have a use for it as I think the default settings are fine.

We’ve covered everything, yeah? Time to wrap things up.

Conclusion:
The Arc Touch Mouse is an excellent, excellent portable mouse solution. The “transformer” ability is unique and innovative, and allows you to pack the mouse in to pockets, bags, or just about anywhere. The adapter is small enough so you can just leave it in your netbook or laptop – and if you don’t want to, you can just carry it right with the mouse on its magnetic holder. The mouse definitely has a learning curve with its size and design (notably, the touch strip and BlueTrack sensor being at the end), but it doesn’t take very long to get used to and is a pleasure to use once you get the hang of it.

Pros:
-Mouse has a flat and curved state for packing and use
-Extremely portable, fits in most cases and pockets easily without bulge
-Works on any surface with BlueTrack technology
-Fits in most pockets and bags
-Adapter is tiny, and can be placed with the mouse
-Customizable buttons with IntelliPoint driver

Cons:
-Learning curve
-May be a little small for some people
-A little expensive at $50

The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse has won our Golden Award for excellent hardware. You can find the Arc Touch Mouse on Amazon for roughly $50.