Microsoft Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse

I use Windows 10. Have been trying to modernize and slim down my tech and mobile items so, this mouse continues that theme. First off, I love the fact that it flattens so, it fits perfectly in my slim (2-1/2”) briefcase. The next thing I am thrilled about is that it doesn’t use a USB adapter for its Bluetooth. It uses your computer’s native Bluetooth (BUT you MUST have version 4 or higher of Bluetooth). One way to know is to look for your computer specs. GET THE WINDOWS 8 or 10 APP FOR THIS DEVICE’S SPECIAL SETTINGS I reviewed the specs on the Microsoft site on this mouse and it’s designed for Windows 8 and 10. It isn’t designed for (and probably won’t work for Windows 7). Now, for Windows 8, it said you download the software and install it to get additional mouse settings. When searching for the software, you don’t choose any mouse/keyboard combo app. Be specific because they make several types of this kind of mouse. It must contain the words “Bluetooth”, “Arc”, & “Mouse”. For Windows 10, you HAVE to logon to the Microsoft Store to get the free app. Now, for those who don’t like your computer to stay logged in to a Microsoft account, you can go ahead and do it just long enough to get the app, and then change your computer back. The logon is located by Clicking the Windows icon/button, then click the cog wheel icon (on left column) for <Settings>. Then, click the group named <Accounts>. Then, click “Sign in with a Microsoft Account…”. After logged in you’ll have access to the Microsoft Store to get the app. FIX THE MOUSE BLUETOOTH FREQUENT DISCONNECTS Now, I didn’t have the frequent mouse disconnect problem for my first week or two but then it did start to happen, and it happened every 5 -20 minutes. I tried new batteries, changed some settings, but nothing fixed it. Someone mentioned turning off the power saver setting for Bluetooth but I didn’t see it. So, here’s where it is and what you can do to disable the Bluetooth power saver setting. Open Windows Explorer. Then, within the left pane, hover over “This PC” and RIGHT-click and choose “Manage” from the list. Then, from that window, in the left pane, click “Device Manager”. Then, in the RIGHT pane, expand the item “Bluetooth” and you’ll see several related Bluetooth items listed. The verbiage will differ for everyone so, you’ll just need to find the one in that list that has the available POWER option. Starting with the first item on the list, double-click it (to reveal its properties). You’re looking for a TAB that might be named something to do with “Power”. Some people might find it to be the one named like “generic Bluetooth adapter”. In my case, it was named “Intel Wireless Bluetooth”, and the tab was named “Power Management”. Once you’ve found which item in the list is correct, and you’re in its properties under the “Power…” tab, disable the power saving function. Just UNCHECK the option named something like “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”. Then, click <Ok>. I haven’t had a disconnect problem since then. I had to reboot immediately after unchecking that box because it did a disconnect immediately after changing the setting! ADJUST/REMOVE THE LOUD CLICKING SOUND OF THE MIDDLE “WHEEL” Some people want to turn off (or turn down) the ratchet sound the center simulated wheel makes. After you’ve installed the Windows 10 app, it’s located in the program named “Arc Touch Bluetooth Mouse”. It’s about the 4th item down named “Vibration/Sound” and it’s a slider bar referencing the “touch strip. FIX THE DELAY/LAG In this same app, near the bottom, there’s a link to “Additional mouse and touchpad settings”. Here are a lot of other settings to consider, including the “Delay” that other reviewers wanted to remove or alter. It’s near the middle and it starts with “To help prevent the cursor from accidentally…”. The default setting is possibly “medium delay”. One of the options is “No delay”, in case you want to make that change.

UPDATE: 01/21/17 I forgot to update this review. Changing back to 5 stars. Whatever was the issue before, the Windows 10 Anniversary release took care of all intermittent issues. It now works perfectly and consistently. UPDATE: 5/30/16 I think I've figured it out. Unfortunately, the hard way. I'm sure it's the drivers supplied by Microsoft (go figure). Mouse seems to stay connected and not experience symptoms listed below when the additional driver pack acquired through MS is not installed. After having a few other problems with my Windows 10 system since I installed these drivers a month or so ago, I decided to just do an HP factory format and restore from the restore partition. I've got a hunch, since it's a new laptop with only iTunes, Audacity, WinAmp, and FireFox installed on a clean base Windows 10 64bit, that the root of my various problems with the computer were caused by this MS Bluetooth Mouse program. Now that the process is complete, I chose to only let Windows install the minimum drivers for the mouse through Bluetooth settings. (I have not, nor will I, connect to Microsoft to download the enhanced drivers.) The mouse has remained connected and responsive since. All functions of mouse work as expected. The only loss by not downloading the MS Bluetooth software is the ability to turn off the clicky sound and vibration of the scroll wheel. If you are considering this mouse, I'd recommend just letting it pair with Bluetooth and leave it. If it continues to perform like I expect, I'll nudge the stars back up since I really want to like this mouse. -----end of update---- Great idea, great form, but doesn't work very often. Like the other 1 star reviewer, my Arc Touch started out working fine, but little by little it's been losing its function. While it is immediately recognized by my new HP laptop (also bought here on Amazon about the same time), over the course of the last month or so, it has been losing its ability to track resulting in a need to power it off and then back on several times or more during a session. Like the other reviewer stated, the arrow gets jittery and jumpy, then finally just stops responding altogether. Unfortunately, I see that my window of opportunity to replace it has just expired a few days ago. If I had known that, I would have at least returned this one for a replacement. In an effort to get it operating properly, I downloaded the special software from Microsoft, which was nice, to at least turn off its vibration when scrolling. Additionally, I have used Windows 10 reinstall, to completely restore Windows to first run, but neither improved its condition. It works occasionally when it wants to, but unfortunately it's not reliable. Which is a shame, considering how nice it is otherwise.

For me the mouse is pretty good. Not bad, not horrible, but not quite a 5 star mouse. I give it a solid 4. There are some really good things going for this mouse, and there are some improvements that could be made. First the good: The design is really nice. I didn't think I would like the curve when I viewed the images because it just seemed like it wouldn't be comfortable to use but it is actually just right for the hand. The method in which it turns on and off is really a key to the functionality of the mouse. It flattens out when not in use which turns it off. This makes it very versatile when traveling -easy to store in my backpack. The response is good, but there are some cons to it as noted below. The Cons: The scroll wheel is very sensitive as are the center buttons. They are loaded with features but the sensitivity of the buttons do cause some problems from time to time for me- However, I think that is more of a setting issue that I haven't figured out quite yet (customization of the settings to fit my use) and not something actually wrong with the mouse itself. I did have a few problem with connectivity in that the mouse wouldn't connect to the tablet, but after a tablet update I haven't had that issue pop up. The only other issue I would say is a "con" is the material color. The light gray color seems dingy. I wish this would have been more of a deeper gray, so that would be the improvement portion. I know there is a version available in black but at the time I bought this one, that version was a bit higher.

Every once in a while, a product actually performs as one expected when he purchased it. The Microsoft Arc Touch mouse is one of those products. Just about any mouse, however cheap, probably would have performed equally if all I needed was a mouse. However, I wanted a mouse that was slim enough and compact enough to tuck into the side pocket of the carry case I bought for my new Surface Pro. I wanted to be able to switch it off easily and rely on the fact that it would not turn itself on inside the case. The Arc Touch fills the bill. It fits my large ham hand comfortably, yet it slides into the Inatek carry case side pocket, along with the charging chord, easily. I am rough on my equipment, so I have learned to pay the price for products that are well built. I think the Microsoft Arc Touch fills this bill as well. My guess is that the Arc Touch would not satisfy my kids, gamers all, but gaming is not what I bought this mouse for. It turns on and off every time I ask it to do so, it moves the cursor around the screen, and it allows me to make selections. I don't need anything more. If you want a mouse with all of the sophisticated gaming functions, then get one. But be sure to buy a bigger, heavier computer and a bigger, heavier tote bag. If, on the other hand, all you want to do is check your email or stocks from a strange hotel room or to play computer poker or bridge while stuffed in an airplane seat, then this is your setup. The Arc Touch does not do it all, but what it does, it does in spades.

UPDATE February 8 2016. I've rarely had a piece of electronics cause me so much frustration. The mouse is CONSTANTLY shutting off the bluetooth. Like 2-3 times in a five minute span. There is no fix. The mouse is well-designed ergonomically, however it has an idiosyncrasy for which Windows 10 provides no fix. I have a Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop running Win10. The bluetooth radio in the mouse shuts off randomly. It seems to happen most often after I use the scroll buttons and then want to move the pointer. The immediate fix is easy--simply flatten the mouse to turn it off and curve it to turn it back on again. Windows 8 allowed more power profile settings, where you could specify the power options for individual devices. I can't find a way in Windows 10 to keep the mouse turned on during all power profiles. So you just have to put up with this situation. I hope the frequent flatten/curve actions don't wear the thing out. Otherwise, I like it.

I am absolutely in love with this little mouse. I ordered this because the flat design fits perfectly into the pocket on my 2 in 1 tablet/netbook case. For a quick rundown, this is how things on this mouse work: You power on the mouse by bending it into the locked position, you power it off by flattening it back out. It has a very satisfying snap when it clicks into place and it feels surprisingly sturdy when you're using it. The first few minutes of using the mouse might be awkward due to the large air space under the mouse, so you might have to adjust your grip. This was easy for me and felt very natural after only a few moments. The "scroll wheel" on this mouse is a single touch pad divided into an upper and lower section. Rolling your finger up or down on the pad will emulate a real scroll wheel and the mouse itself will provide haptic feedback in the form of small clicking vibration, reminiscent of a real scroll wheel. Double tapping the scroll wheel pad with your finger is the equivalent of clicking in a physical scroll wheel, effectively acting as your third mouse button. This is extremely useful, and could have been a deal breaker for me if it was missing. Tapping at the top or bottom edge of the pad replicates page up or page down, respectively. Once you've synced your mouse up to your bluetooth compatible device the first time, you only have to lock it into a curved position before it fires up and starts working. Unlike other bluetooth mice I've used in the past, this one takes NO TIME WHATSOEVER to become responsive after powering on. So if you're used to sitting there wiggling your mouse and waiting on the cursor to start moving, you won't have that experience here. This is a fantastic little piece of engineering and design and it is exactly what I was hoping for.

Pros: Lays flat so I can slip it into my pocket and go to meetings, Bluetooth so it does not consume a USB port, connects INSTANTLY! No delay waiting for it to pair. Very smooth glide and works well even on rough unusual surfaces. Great mouse when working on the go! Cons: Touch based center scroller is not great for 3D CAD but it works well enough. Cool design but it is not very comfortable. Overall: I wanted a portable mouse I can slip into my pocket that would not consume a USB port. My main driver was to use it for CAD so the touch based "scroll wheel" is not ideal but it does work and is acceptable for working away from my desk. The form factor enables it to fold flat but makes for a less comfortable mouse so between the comfort and the lack of a physical scroll wheel, this will not be replacing the mouse at my desk like I had hoped.

This is by far the best bluetooth mouse that I have ever bought. As stated in the description, the arc is "on" and bending it into the flat position is "off." This was a brilliant idea for someone that is always carrying around their Surface Pro 4 as well as a mouse from one meeting to the next and constantly slipping the mouse and SP4 in and out of a travel bag. So many people have told me how great of an idea this was by Microsoft. People are constantly asking my "what is that?" when they see it in the flat position. Once I show them, they agree that it's a brilliant design. In terms of use, it connects to the SP4 bluetooth perfectly. I've never had an issue in the week I've been using it (probably 70 hours of use already). The scroll takes a while to get used to and I disabled the sound for scrolling as well (that was annoying from the minute I started using it). All of that was very easy. I'm also really starting to enjoy the double tap on the scroll feature which you can set to do a number of things. Mine allows me to switch between programs easily. In all, a GREAT purchase for the price. I would recommend this to any friend/colleague in a heartbeat. Nice job on this one, Microsoft! **One thing that would be a great improvement - allow a way to use it in the flat position turned on as a clicker for presentations.

perfect

not at all impressed. the Bluetooth is not working. sheer waste of money. don't buy.

Excelente producto la verdad es muy práctico y útil sin mencionar la comodidad que ofrece al usarlo es fácil de conectar y de transportar sin mencionar la durabilidad de las baterías

Excelente producto mejor de lo que me esperaba, cómodo, practico de fácil uso en pocas palabra excelente touch bluetooth mouse

Received a faulty mouse. Does not work!