Microsoft finally unveiled the “mysterious” product that they’ve teased on Twitter. It wasn’t that much of a mystery since an early listing already revealed what the Arc Touch mouse was all about a couple of weeks ago, but the official word at least confirmed a few things. Like the functions. We all know about the “curve for comfort, flatten to pack” design, but here are the rest of the details: It’s still works like your standard 3-button mouse, with the center strip serving as a touch-sensitive scroll wheel that you can tap and flick to scroll. Haptic feedback helps give you the “ticking” feel that you normally get from a regular scroll wheel.
As expected, it’ll feature Microsoft’s BlueTrack technology that allows it to work on different surfaces. Bluetooth won’t be how this mouse connects though; it’ll connect wirelessly to a compact 2.4GHz USB transceiver with a 30-foot range that also snaps into the bottom of the mouse so you don’t lose it during transport. Handy.
Battery life looks like a high point. It’ll run on a pair of AAA batteries and is listed to last for up to 6 months. The mouse itself can be turned on or off automatically by curving or flattening the body, so you can be sure it’s off when you pack it.
Priced at $70, it won’t arrive till December, but it‘s already available for pre-orders on Amazon, and Best Buy. Details for the Arc Touch mouse are up on Microsoft’s site.
Tags: Arc Touch, Computer Peripherals, Microsoft, Mouse
