I’m not too sure about this thing, I’d have to get my hands on one before I actually made any decisions I think. Everyone seems to be all excited about it and the fact that it has a touch strip instead of a scroll wheel. I have one from Belkin, I actually got it for my kids computer, it features the same sort of touch strip for scrolling, it’s neat but I like my wheel. I do like the idea that the Arc Touch mouse can flatten to take it with you easier, but other than that I don’t see what the fuss is about really. Pricing right now for pre-order is $69.95 and will ship in December, but it will be widely available in January.
Designed for the Mobile Lifestyle
People today are using mobile computers more than ever, and they still want comfort and control when using them. In fact, one-third of mobile PC buyers also purchase a mouse with their new notebooks or netbooks. And, at less than 15 millimeters thick at its widest point, the Arc Touch Mouse was designed to deliver ultimate portability to easily slip into a bag, purse or pocket. It also goes from curved to flat with one simple movement, so working on the go is easier than ever — just collapse the Arc Touch Mouse to turn it off, and pop it up to turn on. It’s also extremely durable, tested to ensure years of performance.
Take Control With Touch Scrolling
With the Arc Touch Mouse’s touch strip, consumers can take control of their scrolling with a flick of a finger. Using a capacitive sensing technique and sensor pads, the strip corresponds to each position and velocity change to give users accurate, controlled scrolling no matter how fast or slow the movement. Move a finger slowly on the strip for controlled scrolling, or flick a finger for hyperfast scrolling that can be stopped with just a simple tap. The strip also has three tap “buttons” for added functionality: page up, page down and the middle click area, which is reprogrammable for whatever mouse function the user needs most. Switching from a scroll wheel to a touch strip is made easier with haptics, a vibration technology that simulates the bumps users would feel while using a traditional scroll wheel.
Additional Features
The Arc Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface,(3) and a tiny magnetic snap-in Nano transceiver stores conveniently on the bottom of the mouse. Two AAA batteries give the Arc Touch Mouse more than six months of battery life, and the two-color battery life indicators let people know when the power is running low.
More information about Microsoft Hardware is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware and http://www.microsofthardwareblog.com/.