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CNET editors' rating:
3.5
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The
good: Unique appearance; collapsible design saves bag space and secures wireless receiver; easy to set up.
The
bad: Side button hard to use with a standard mouse grip.
The
bottom
line: Microsoft's Arc mouse is almost as functional as its form is pleasing. The travel-friendly features make perfect sense, and in general, it's a serviceable mouse for Macs and PCs. Only a few minor design issues hold it back.
Specifications: Form factor: External ; Compatibility: PC , Mac ; Interface required: USB ; See full specs
Price range: $40.82 - $59.99
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 09/30/2008
- Released on: 09/09/2008
It took us a few minutes to realize what Microsoft's new Arc Mouse is all about. The collapsible design at first suggested that it's both a full-size mouse and a notebook mouse in one product. We were confused as to who would want such a thing. Upon playing with it, we realized that there's actually some smarter design going on here. The unique shape and button layout does present some usability issues, but overall, the $60 Arc Mouse may be the best solution for those looking for a full-size, travel-friendly mouse.
The benefit of the Arc Mouse is not that it works as a "notebook mouse" when you fold it in half. Indeed, the power to the mouse cuts out when it's folded, so it won't work in that mode at all. Instead, folding the Arc Mouse makes it more generally travel-friendly. First, it reduces the size of the device, cutting its length by more than a third. But there's also a small, magnetic cradle on the underside of the tail portion that folds in, to hold the mouse's thumbnail-size USB receiver. When the mouse is collapsed, the tail portion secures the receiver, ensuring that you'll have all of the necessary pieces together when you take the mouse out of your bag.
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- receiver,
- mouse,
- USB,
- notebook computer,
- Apple Macintosh
User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews
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