Microsoft Arc Mouse Comparison Thoughts

Community Tech Talk | Hardware
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Helloooo community.

So with the HEB pending I’d really like to get one of the surface arc mouse’s. However there seems to be two or three models:

  1. Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse- Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0097C2TBU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VYpaAbBJWKME0

  2. Microsoft Bluetooth Arc Mouse - Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073VG9ZSV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xZpaAbW3BQZ9W

  3. Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition - Charcoal https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G528NS8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_W9paAbFD0XGTW (thanks @Evgeny_Zolotarev for telling me about this third one!)

Has anyone every owned these? What were your thoughts? Advice? I’ve never held one, so I have no idea.

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Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse- Black does not have bluetooth.

I only own the bluetooth version (Microsoft Bluetooth Arc Mouse). I think they are the same except one have bluetooth and the other is using wireless dongle

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That’s really embarrassing. I didn’t find that detail anywhere at all. Thank you!

And how do you find the Bluetooth one? Comfortable to use etc?

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There is a bluetooth version of 1st one available. It is called surface edition, IMO it looks better then standard one.

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21_6

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I know. I saw :joy::joy::joy:. Poor @iKirin. I can’t believe that is now a meme :joy:

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Seriously speaking though, I think it is not worth the price. First of all, its priced as much as a high-end mice like the Logitech MX Master or MX Anywhere 2, or the Razer Mamba, so I would expect the same level of ergonomics, scrolling feel, sensor, etc. from this mouse.

Unfortunately, from my (limited) experience, it doesn’t even match a regular Bluetooth mouse that’s priced 1/5 of the Arc. From ergonomic point of view, it is less comfortable than a regular mouse, the shape is nowhere like your palm, and there is nothing on the side to grip on. The sensor is located on the front-most of the mouse, which is counter-intuitive, and the scrolling doesn’t give you the ratchet friction feedback from a regular mouse (only a weak vibration). Unless space is really an issue, you can get other BT mouse that’s more comfortable to use and cheaper at the same time.

As an example for what a mouse in that price point should do, the MX Master or MX Anywhere 2 pretty much give you the opposite of that. The scroll wheel can be configured to either ratchet or free-spinning, or as a “SmartShift”. In case of the Master, it even has a dedicated horizontal scroll wheel. The Anywhere lets you tilt the scrollwheel. Its an upgrade to a regular mouse, not a downgrade like it is on the Arc Touch. They can also connect to 3 devices, the sensor is placed in the dead center of the mouse, and it is designed to fit in your hand, also an upgrade from a regular mouse, not a downgrade. That is, unless youre left handed.

Though this opinion piece comes from someone who owns two Logitech MX Masters, so I could be a bit biased here, but I think its that good to have one on my desktop, and another one in my bag for the laptop (soon it’s gonna be the V). Either way, Id recommend to go to the local store to try it before buying, cs shape of a mouse is extremely subjective. In case of the Arc Touch, make sure that you have tried the scrolling function.

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I entirely agree with @Patrick_Hermawan, they’re not very comfortable, and the lack of side buttons is annoying. Plus, the ‘scroll wheel’ isn’t physical, which I’m not a fan of.

Though, it would fit in the sleeve for the V, which is nice. I think the bluetooth black one looks cool personally.

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I also completely agree with @Patrick_Hermawan. I tried the Arc mouse in-store, and it just feels awkward to hold. The only advantage I can think of is Arc is easy to carry around.

I using the new MX Masters 2S in the office now. Most comfortable mouse I have owned, the self-adjusted scrolling wheel is amazing to use, and the gesture control is also fun to use. The new model also has a long ass battery life which I love a ton.

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I had a original Surface Edition and now I have the newest one with my Surface Book - they are great for travel sleeves. For travel use - they are OK. I’m planning to get one for EVE V too.

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Love my MX Masters! Best mouse I’ve ever used. I’ve got two also - dark one for work and a light one at home. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I’ve got the arc mouse (non Bluetooth version) for my current laptop and absolutely love it. It’s a good mouse for mobility purposes because of the folding but the price point is a little steep I must say.

I use a Logitech G502 Protege core on my desktop and find that i only use the extra (side) buttons for heavy gaming so i guess the lack of side buttons is a personal preference thing. (Don’t game much on my laptop)

I would recommend getting the bluetooth one- one less small item to worry about going missing + one more USB port freed (and the V doesn’t have many to begin with)

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yes, I owned it… the Surface Edition.
as far as I know, the difference that the Surface Edition is without BT Dongle. CMIIW.
To be honest, doesn’t fit for my job (i need the middle click, not only scroll up and down). But for browsing, this is nice and compact mouse. I mean, when you unfold it, it is very thin! I like it!

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I can recommend the Logitech MX Master

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My colleagues in Japan love this mouse precisely because it is easy to move around from meeting room to meeting room.
Then after I belive it is overpriced. I also went for logitech (or logicool in Japan :rofl: )

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Pros:
it is very compact when unfold.
When unfold, the mouse turn off → saving power

Cons:
The mouse buttons become discoloured after month of usage. It is not due to dirt. My friend thought it was dirt and try to clean it off. Instead the paint peel off
When I try to scroll up and down, I almost always activate the middle click button. So annoying until I turn the middle click feature off.

It is a pretty good mouse for portability use only. Not suitable for playing games or desktop use.

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I’ve got both in use: The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse/ Surface Edition (old one with the scroll touch field in the middle)
WP_20171107_07_52_58_Pro
and the Microsoft Surface Arc Mouse (new one with scroll-touch everywhere).WP_20171107_07_52_35_Pro
I have both of them in daily use and I really love them. I get used to the special way of holding them and love to beat them flat to turn off (Konsta-Style, especially in meetings). I used the older one for nearly two years and then it started to loose a bit color at the rubber surface. The biggest plus of the new one is that you can use it on nearly every surface. I mostly use it on white paper or on my matte-glass-desk (which should be immediately cleaned as I can see on the pictures…).

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The Microsoft Arc series are good devices, but I found an option that I like a lot more.
Lenovos Yoga (I have that one) and N700 are more versatile. They support Bluetooth and 2.4G. You rotate the two parts to switch between mouse and a flat mode. In flat mode you can use them as presenters.

The N700 uses AAA batteries and has a laser pointer. The Yoga has Micro USB charging and media controls.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-YOGA-Mouse-Black-NA/dp/B01I7TTI3A/
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-888015450-N700-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B00ILH5SAG

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@Thomas_Weinert I’m very curious about that chargeable yoga one! Thanks for taking the time to share mouse’s beyond the arc series :slight_smile:. Any more thoughts on it? Does the yoga also have laser pointer?

@dibadibadu I feel like the arc mouse without the scroll area visable would be a head wreck to use? It’s partly why I’ve started this thread. If it’s got scroll everywhere surely you’d always be accidentally scrolling?

Something a few people have said is that they’re awkward to hold. Does your thumb and pinky not know where to go?

@Incoming do you have the arc mouse that scrolls everywhere? The newer version?

@Kuri64 this is what I thought for college :smile:

I don’t need side buttons for my use case. Mainly portability. I always maul touch screens because it’s more intuitive for me than clicking with a mouse anyway. But if it’s a nightmare to hold I’ll end up never using it :thinking:

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The entire top part of the mouse is the scrolling surface, yes, but no, I’ve never had problems with it scrolling when I didn’t want it to.