Suddenly it seems like it’s keyboard galore on here these days, well two keyboard reviews back to back, maybe not galore but certainly more keyboard than anything else! This new contender has been around for a little while now but it’s a very nice looking prospect for those who want a highly portable, very stylish but still perfectly functional miniature keyboard. The Microsoft Arc is the keyboard that I’m looking at today.

Introduction: Microsoft Arc Wireless Keyboard

I’m always amazed at some of the design and graphics work that goes into computer components, especially graphics cards and heatsinks. For the most part these components are to be hidden away in the depths of a tower case and possibly on the floor under someone’s desk. So why the effort in making them look so gorgeous, obviously it’s what gamers and computing enthusiasts alike have come to expect and so it sells. Keyboards, mice, monitors and PC cases you can much more understand the need to be nicely designed on the exterior, to have additional thought put into their ‘presence’ on a desk. One thing the Microsoft Arc keyboard certainly has is presence and this from such a diminutive item too.

The Arc is a tiny keyboard in the whole keyboard scale of things, described as ‘lightweight and compact’ on the Microsoft website. To me this description does the keyboard an injustice, such a mundane term but it certainly is lightweight and compact and to fit in with this the wireless dongle that’s supplied with it is also tiny, although less mundanely described as a ‘Nano Transceiver’.

The Microsoft Arc Wireless Keyboard

The keyboard is designed to be portable, more of a put away and get out for use keyboard than a permanent desk fixture. It doesn’t have as many keys as a full sized desktop keyboard and the keys it does have are smaller and with less travel, much like a laptop keyboard.

Microsoft shouldn’t need too much introducing, you are probably either using a Microsoft Windows product on your PC right now as you read this, or you may well have a Microsoft loathing in which case you’ll probably read no further! Microsoft don’t offer that many hardware items and they restrict their efforts to peripherals such as keyboards, mice and webcams. What they do make does tend to be pretty decent though and you can expect a good level of quality and build.