Microsoft RVF-00050 Arc Touch Mouse- Black

I have had my previous mouse - a Logitec laser mouse - for over 9 years. It was an excellent product and wherever I've been given a different mouse at work or friends places, I never ever found one that quite lived up to this one, be it a top of the class gaming, a reputable brand or a value product. So when my long term favourite pointing device gave in after all this time, I was very keen to find reviews that addressed all my concerns: Comfortable hand position, responsive handling and I did not want an overkil of features or buttons that I would not use anyway. In short none of the mice I could find addressed all the issues to my satisfaction. As a loyal Microsoft customer I had been swamped with ads for this devices for a while. And as I had a feeling, I'd buy it - due to the convient form factor - anyway at some point, I decided to get it now and then restart my search for a 'desktop' mouse if this did not do the job for me. However I am so impressed with this device, that I'm unlikely to start shopping for one again. The form fits my hand perfectly. It's a little smaller than my previous one, but do't let the design fool you. The arce is not nearly as small as most of the standard 'small' mice I've seen. It really feels about right. The arc It's also much more stable than I expected. I really worried I might occasionally flatten it by accident, but it just keeps it shape when in use and is easy to turn off (flatten) when in transport or just going away from the computer - clearly extending it's battery life. A lot of other reviews said you 'need to get used' to the device. I disagree. It really sits natural with me from the start. I had no problems with the 'unusal' design feature. I was worried I might find it odd that the mouse was not curved towards it longer sides - using it, this did not bother me at all. I was worried the touch scroll feature might need getting used to - well maybe 2 minutes. The sound helping you identify the mouse scroll ticks is subtle. But if your coworkers don't like it ... just install the 'Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center' software, and can adjust the volume or even turn it off entirely. This also goes for the vibration. The ability to do a 'fast scroll' or 'flick', causing the page to keep scrolling fast and even after the 'flick' has ended is greate for long word documents etc. I simply did not want to miss this feature after the first 5 minutes. Based on other reviews the battery life is pretty extensive. I've not run out of my first set of batteries yet over a week, but expect to be able to keep going for a month based on other reviews. A nice feature would have been to connect it to a Micro USB cable to recharge instead of having to swap the 2 AAA batteries. Is there anything bad? Well if there really is anything it's the 'middle tap' - ie clicking on the middle button or touch scroll. I only really use it to open a link in a new tab in Chrome. Instead of just clicking you need to double click. The touch scroll does not allow being pushed down by the click. So it feels slightly less responsive than you might expect, but it is confirmed by the same sound the scroll makes when you do an actual scroll. Finally it only reacts if you click in the upper (further to the middle) part of the touch scroll, so I do need to curve my finger a little more than I used to. I got used to it within an hour or so, but did have to consult the manual. I'm pretty impressed with some of the features of the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center software. I particularly like that I can flip the scroll direction, so that I push the page up rather than scroll down it. It's in line with what I'm used to from Apple's setup. The only trick I'm missing here is that I cannot separately adjust the scrolling vibration (I'd like that high to feel the feedback of the scroll) and the scrolling sound (I'd like to reduce that so I don't distract any co-workers), but how much more minor can complaints get. Over all an excellent product, at great value (given the current Amazon price) and none of the suggestions for improvement are even close to justify a deduction of rating stars.

Bought this mouse for use with a new laptop. I wanted a nice mouse that was slim enough to slot inside my laptop sleeve's outer pocket, and with only this and some cheap chinese slim ones out there, I went for this. I also considered the Microsoft Wedge touch mouse too, but decided to pay the extra £20 for this one, for the better ergonomics. I'm glad I did. Only had light use so far, and is only likely to be used for general navigation, internet browsing and light applications. I have a Logitech MX Mouse for using 3D and Cad software with my desktop, and whilst I love using that mouse, it is way too clunky to put into a laptop sleeve. The mouse uses touch for the scroll wheel, and has lovely haptic feedback to let you know when it's scrolling, which I was very surprised to find out just before I ordered it, the result is great, and makes the overall experience that bit better. I love the switching on/off method with this mouse, simply snap it into the arc and it's on, fold it flat and it's off. It makes for a super slim mouse when it's packed away, with all the ergonomics of a normal mouse (See photo comparing it to an Anker Wireless mouse that I use at work). There's no chance of it folding flat during use, either, it's got a re-assuring "click" as it locks into the arc position. The USB receiver simply attaches to the underside of the mouse magnetically when not in use, but it's small enough that I just leave it plugged into my laptop all the time.

This purchase was actually the second Arc Touch Mouse I have bought - I got hold of one for myself around 12 months ago to use with my work laptop, and my dad was impressed enough to ask for one for Christmas. I will be the first to admit this mouse isn't for everyone, and plenty of people will probably use it and really dislike it. As long as you know what to expect however, this is an excellent product. For portability, the Arc Touch can't be beaten. It folds completely flat, making it simple to slip into a laptop bag. The bluetooth dongle is small enough that I leave it permanently plugged into my slimline laptops USB port without worrying about it, and the dongle can easily be attached via magnet to the bottom of the mouse when not in use. This makes it absolutely ideal for portable use. There are some things aspects of this you may not be too keen on. The design of this leaves an empty void underneath the mouse, which your fingers can end up wrapping around. Because of this it has a different feel to a regular solid mouse. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - I use mine daily for work and I am completely used to how it feels, but for the first few uses it will feel odd in your hand. Secondly, the mouse "wheel" is actually a touch sensitive pad. Again, this does take some getting used to - as does the loud audible clicking noise it makes when scrolling using the "wheel" - but with regular use you do quickly pick it up. Finally, the mouse buttons themselves seem to need clicking further down the buttons than normal (i.e. closer to the "nose" of the mouse) which may prove tricky for those with shorter fingers. Despite that though, it is my current favourite laptop mouse. I do have others that I use elsewhere, but for portability and lugging around work day after day this is absolutely ideal. Batteries last a decent length of time aswell (usually get a couple of months out of these with daily use).

The overall design and build quality is both robust and stylish. The mouse feels well made and gives the impression of a product built to last. The rubberised palm rest feels pleasant to the touch and provides grip. The buttons require a slightly firmer press than you may be used to. The scroll wheel is sensitive and replicates the sound of a manual scroll wheel clicking away when you use it. The sound is pleasant enough but, in my opinion, there should be an option to disable for those times when you are working in a quiet environment as it can be distracting for others. The shape and size of the mouse itself feels smaller than you may be used to, if you have large hands you may struggle to find a comfortable position when you first use the product. I find myself naturally curling my little finger beneath the arch of the mouse which felt odd at first but soon becomes comfortable. Tracking is very accurate on all surfaces that I have tried so far (real wood, leather, MDF, cardboard and a mouse-mat). This ability to work on 'any' surface really adds to the portability of the mouse as you can set-up anywhere and be confident that the mouse will track straight and true. There is no difference in performance regardless of which surface you use it on. The wireless dongle plugs into a usb port on your machine and is very small so does not protrude at all really. The bottom of the mouse has a nice magnetic spot where the dongle attaches for travel. I an using both Windows 8 and 7 Professional and in both cases there was no set-up required. The mouse worked perfectly out of the box without having to install any drivers. The ability of the mouse to snap straight for travel serves two purposes that I think really add value: 1) The mouse easily slips into pockets designed for mobile phones in my briefcase or my jacket pocket. 2) As the mouse is battery operated this ability reminds you to turn it off and save battery, basically you know that if you leave the mouse in its curved (work) configuration it is still on - so a nice visual reminder there! I thought about detracting a single star as the shape of the moue takes more getting used to than a conventional mouse but overall I think that 5 stars is warranted because the benefits of the design out-weigh the drawbacks, sacrifices have to be made for portability and style and this is the best portable mouse I have ever used. I'm already getting used to the unconventional design during use. There is no reason not to recommend this mouse.

I loved my Arc Touch Mouse from the moment I unpacked it. Wow - it's small and really sleek looking whilst being pretty comfortable to use given it's diminutive nature. Noticing that some customer reviews referenced the unusual touch strip and simulated scrolling sounds as difficult to get used to, it was a pleasant surprise for me and I actually really liked it... whilst it worked. After about a week of daily use comprising a few hours each time, I noticed that the silver touch-sensitive strip would stop responding. At first it wouldn't work properly, not scrolling the whole of the scroll motion I'd made. Shortly after this happens, the strip stops doing anything at all. You can press, or glide your digit across and it's dead, no scroll, no haptic vibration feedback, no sound. Maybe it's out of range of the nano-receiver? No, it's less than 12 inches from it and movement and clicking still work perfectly fine. Perhaps the software needs reinstalling then? No, tried that makes no difference and I've used the latest version available. A quick internet search of 'Microsoft Arc Touch scroll problem' turns up lots of technical forum topics about this very problem, many of which are on Microsoft's own product forums. This seems to be a design / manufacturing issue which has affected this particular product for years - since it's very release in fact. Judging from the fact that you can temporarily fix the issue by turning the mouse off and then back on again, this strongly points to there being a flaw in the design or hardware control logic embedded in this product. Personally I have returned mine for a refund as it seems to be luck of the draw as to whether you'll encounter this issue. It really is a pity because for me this mouse would otherwise have been perfect and I'd have happily exchanged it for another one if I thought it was a one-off, but clearly it isn't and Microsoft really shouldn't be selling it still without resolving it, so I certainly can't recommend buying it. Good luck to you if you do.

I know computer mice are a bit 'yesterday' but I still like using one even though I have a touchscreen - for some reason I really love the feel of this mouse; soft-touch grip, it's compact but feels really natural to hold, buttons are quite quiet with just enough click/travel, I like the middle haptic scroll area - and the whole thing is really customisable. Durable and very accurate. Battery life is excellent too, standard 'every day' batteries, and it folds up thin/flat - the wireless receiver magnetically attaches to the underneath, nice touch! Love it!

The mouse itself is lovley, the way it folds flat, the tactile feedback on the scroll "wheel" and the responsive click make the product feel premium. I prefer the gloss finish on this to the Surface editions matt rubber. It feels a little awkward to hold without thumb support but is much easier then a track pad for long uses periods. This is a great mouse for all laptop users, its compact without being small like a mini mouse and the battery life is superb. But don't confuse this and the Surface edition. If your laptop supports blue tooth hoping to use this without the dongle forget it, you have to sacrifice that precious USB slot. If you have a Surface Tablet you should pay the extra money for the Surface edition, at first it didn't bother me but as I started using the tablet more and begun switching out USB sticks and the dongle every time I had to transfer files I eventually cut my losses and bought the more expensive Surface Edition Arc Touch.

I've used this mouse for well over a year and it's absolutely brilliant. I use it ony a daily basis for several hours a day (7-8). The batteries need changing around every 4 months which is slightly less of a lifespan than Microsoft guarantees. This works perfectly on every surface (other than glass which is stated) unlike the bluetooth version which I also have. The product is durable but the mechanism can use some care. I've had two of these mice before and the mechanism does break if you aren't careful with it. The mouse buttons do scratch and wear but this doesn't affect functionality. The drivers for the mouse install very quickly so you can change it from PC to PC with no major problems, but I don't believe the mouse and keyboard center will install automatically or at least without a restart so you won't be able to reprogramm the buttons when you first connect it to a PC, you'll have to install the program. One small defect I've noticed is that the touch stip starts to stutter after prolonged use. This can be easily fixed by flattening and recurving the mouse (takes less than two seconds) so that hasn't been a major issue for me. Granted the price is very high (£56.00). I paid £30 when I bought this which is still high for a mouse. It is however, in my opinion, well worth the payment for the simple funcitonality and portability of the product and the great design of it.