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The Microsoft Arc keyboard is an ideal solution for anyone who wants a small but stylish input device that doesn’t compromise on usability. The travel and feel of each key is staggering considering the Arc’s slim dimensions, and unlike many other reduced size keyboards, I’m happy to use the Arc as my main keyboard every day. The ability to store the tiny dongle in the back of the keyboard itself just adds to its appeal, making it far more likely to be a travelling companion. Even the price (if you look around a bit) is impressive. The only downside is that you can’t share a dongle with another Microsoft peripheral, but even that can’t spoil the party. Read full review

Overall

9/10

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By Riyad Emeran
Reviewed 27 February 2010
Updated 06 February 2011

Price as reviewed

£27.49

	$55	Buy now
	$60	Buy now

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Microsoft Arc Keyboard details

Overall: 9/10

Price as reviewed

£27.49

Manufacturer

Microsoft

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morsch

12:26 AM on 27 February, 2010

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It'd be nice to have a bigger product shot to see the layout in more detail. I guess it's easy enough to find online, though.

I'd have to test it in person but I think the odd cursor keys would be a dealbreaker for me. So far all the tiny keyboards have had some fatal flaw -- for instance, the Apple Wireless Keyboard has Fn as the left-most key instead of ctrl, unlikey their full size brethren. The Happy Hacking Keyboard looks nice, but it's expensive.

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jopey

12:32 AM on 27 February, 2010

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I've wanted this since it was announced a couple of weeks ago. For £30 it seems a steal. A question though, the review doesn't cover the range you can get with that little nubin of a wireless receiver. That's most important because an extension cable would defeat the point and this looks to be aimed at media centre's, on lap, just as much as it is for desk use.

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darkspark88

1:15 AM on 27 February, 2010

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i love microsoft hardware, but they need to start unifying receivers. They are unified for the bundles including keyboard and mouse, so why not for every combination of keyboard/mouse? As far as I'm aware, they are all using 2.4 ghz tech.

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LyonLim

5:32 AM on 27 February, 2010

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I've been wanting to get the Arc Keyboard ever since it was announced in January. I got it a couple of days ago, when it first arrived in the stores. I must say it's an absolute piece of joy. I do lots of programming work on it and the keys are awesome. It was very easy to get used to it. What required getting used to was the arrow keys and the Fn key being on the right side - but those to me are more habitual. I wld also have preferred the top row of buttons to be easier to press. They require a little more force to press on the top buttons :).

It'll be great if Microsoft released a single unified dongle that allows both the Arc Mouse and the Arc Keyboard to function together :). It helps that my monitor has extra usb ports now.

Highly recommended keyboard!

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Ricky Archer

9:02 AM on 27 February, 2010

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Nice looking bit of kit. Would it work with my PS3? I've got the Sony clip on keyboard on my controller and while it's very funky, the keys can be a bit fiddly and don't always register a press first time. This would be small enough that I wouldn't mind it on my lap, but big enough to be user friendly.

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morsch

11:25 AM on 27 February, 2010

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On a sidenotes, wireless hardware like this is pretty terrible from an environmental point of view. I'd hope most people use them with rechargables, but I'm sure many don't. Keyboards like this should continue to use AA/AAAs, but they should come with a set of rechargables and enable recharging over USB.

It's odd that devices like this don't use Bluetooth. I guess that tells you something about the state of BT. But what do they use instead? BT has known characteristics. What is known about the transmitters used for the Arc hardware? Specifically, what kind of encryption do they use?

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AndyP

3:25 PM on 27 February, 2010

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Hi, I've written this comment using the new Arc keyboard, got it yesterday from Play.com... I quite like the cursor rocker button as my finger does not have to move much, say when navigating round Excel. As for range I've just tested it 7 metres away from the laptop, cause could no longer read the monitor. It is more comfortable than using the keyboard on my laptop as I don't have the laptop case below it, using it with the Arc mouse.

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CV

9:49 PM on 27 February, 2010

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Riyad,

How does the feel of the keys, i.e. they travel of each keystroke, compare to the Logitech diNovo Edge Mac Edition Cordless Keyboard?

Also, how quiet is it to type on?

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darkspark88

10:23 PM on 27 February, 2010

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@Morsch - My main reason for getting a wireless keyboard/mouse was purely because I had spare AA rechargeables that were going un-used. USB charging is a great idea, and so simple. It's advances like this being ignored that makes me think businesses are really sinister. Same for the book industry. eBooks could literally save the environment and eco-systems through the amount of trees saved and habitats protected. However the printing industry will have none of it.

I believe in a future where everything that can possibly be delivered through digital delivery replaces retail stores. And then the experience industry will be the only shops on the high street. Sorry...went slightly off topic there..

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Malderon

10:06 AM on 28 February, 2010

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@Morsch The Microsoft X8 Mouse that I use as my current main mouse works exactly like you have suggested. It comes with recharchable AAAs and the receiver has a retractable cable that not only charges the mouse when needed, but allows you to use it as a wired mouse if you are doing something very response time sensitive.

So these type of products do exist. I think its much more important for mice, in my experience keyboard batterys tend to last for absolutely ages, wheras mouse batteries run down very quickly.

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