Microsoft Arc Touch: You Are All Wrong

You hear the name "Microsoft Arc Touch" and you immediately imagine a pointing device that's designed to compete with Apple's recently-released Tragic Macpad, a multi-touch surface that emulates the trackpads Apple puts on its MacBook notebooks.

That's not what it is.

The Arc Touch is a mouse. That's all it is. It's arched in use, and it lays flat for packing.

It doesn't support multi-touch gestures or any of that nonsense, not because it's not possible, but because Microsoft has put its multi-touch technologies where they belong: In the screen. And yet every single description I've seen of the Arc Touch mentions Apple's product and suggests that Microsoft is somehow copying Apple. That's not what this is, not this time.

The Arc Touch is simply the next generation version of the Arc Mouse, which could fold up for traveling. This is just a different take on the same idea. Maybe the Arc Touch won't be an ergonomic disaster like its predecessor.

Discuss this Article 9

felipe.alfaro
on Aug 18, 2010

Multi-touch belongs to a device you can hold in your hands. I can't hold my monitor so that's why I like the multi-touch devices like Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

And the it's Magic Trackpad, not Tragic Macpad, just as much as it's Windows and not Winblows :-)

gorath
on Aug 18, 2010

I hope you're including yourself in the list of people that were wrong.

In your short takes, Week of August 9.

" The Arc Mouse Touch follows on the heels of last year's ergonomic disaster, the Arc Mouse, providing multi-touch gesture support for Windows 7 users only"

www.windowsitpro.com/.../WinInfo-Short-Takes-Week-of-August-9-2010.aspx

UnnDunn
on Aug 19, 2010

In that case, why name it the Arc "Touch"? What purpose does tha brand serve aside from confusing consumers ass to the nature of the device?

rjohn05
on Aug 19, 2010

Isn't it misleading to add the word "touch"?

Bodypaint
on Aug 19, 2010

Paul, any rumour of when these devices are going to be available? Have you actually tried using one, if so, what's it like? Personally, I haven't had the best luck with MS keyboards or mice, specifically the blutooth ones.

Their mice work fine, I'm running their explorer mice (blue light) on a couple of machines. They're not as accurate as I'd like, but that's why I have digitizers as well.

Cheers,

pthurrott
on Aug 19, 2010
No idea on availability. I wasn't impressed with the Arc mouse, and I've not yet used this thing. It looks like a billy club. Maybe you could use it to fight off a mugger. :) The "touch" in the name has to do with the buttons and scroll wheel, which are touch-based, but not multi-touch.
whiplash55
on Aug 19, 2010
I have to say after using my MacBook Pro with the touchpad I love it, and I miss it on my Windows laptop when I'm using it. It also works in Windows when I'm running VMware as well. I like touch screens but these pads from Apple work very well. I wish the new pad would work on my desktop.
lehenbauer
on Aug 19, 2010
@UnnDunn, @rjohn05: yeah calling it touch-anything is misleading. @paul, @felipe: I disagree. You either abandon all your legacy mouse guys completely until they buy new hardware or you do something like Apple has done with the "magic touchpad". Yes, it is transitional technology and not the future, but I believe it reflects Apple's commitment to making touch truly be something you can use in place of the mouse.
Dr. Daniel Jackson
on Aug 19, 2010
I have 4 real Macs and 2 hackintoshs and use a Microsoft mouse on every single one, Apple mice BLOW, always have. (Anyone remember the hockey puck mouse?) This new one looks nice i'll pick it up and try it out, the trackpad for a desktop seems like a really dumb idea, why don't they just bring touch to the iMacs, and make it a much better experience.

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