Microsoft Arc Mouse Review

It's been probably two years since I last posted something. Been too busy with my work and my other hobby, photography!

But here, let me share with you my latest gadget, the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse!

I've been a Microsoft mouse fan ever since I got my first Microsoft Intellimouse 1.1. I found the quality of that mouse so much better than all those other China made mouse. I have since moved on to another 3 Microsoft mice, with my latest being the Arc and now the Arc Touch.

Let me do a little comparison and review of the two. First their similarities:

• Both are fold-able, good for storage
• Both have little LEDs to let you know it's battery life
• Both have some sex appeal for a mouse
• Both have pretty terrible ergonomics, especially the Arc Touch
• Both costs a bomb and in all honesty, not worth the money you pay for it. I got mine used, so, can't complain too much.

What's my mouse trying to do here?!

Now, the review for the original Arc Mouse:

• There's an extra button on the right of the mouse, which is what I love coz I am too lazy to navigate to the Back button on my browser.
• I've been using the mouse for about a year, and here is what I hate about the mouse: the scroll. The quality control on the scroll is terrible. Mine started to do erratic stuff like scrolling down when you meant up. I had to open the mouse many times to fix the thing (there's a good article online which tells you how to do it. After a DIY fix, it's still not great, but it works 90% of the time.
• Also, the metallic paint job on the side of the mouse comes out after time. Not sexy now.
• Batteries run for about 3 months (I'm using rechargables, so doesn't matter too much)
• Large-ish USB transceiver

As for the new Arc Touch Mouse:

• It's strange. It lies flat when you "close" it.
• If you are looking for carpal tunnel, you can most probably find it here
• The scroll is some touch technology with haptic feedback (which I initially thought were small eletro-shocks running through the mouse)
• Able to track on more surface materials than the original Arc

coo-chi-coo-chi-coo!!!

All-in-all, I have to summarize that I prefer the older Arc mouse because of it's ergonomics and additional back button. But those really don't mean anything if your scroller is broken. Perhaps I should start looking at Logitech instead.