REDMOND, Wash. Sept. 9, 2008 Microsoft Corp. today raised the style stakes with the unveiling of a revolutionary crescent-moon-shaped mouse designed to be just as fashionable as it is functional — the Arc Mouse. With its unique foldable design, Arc reduces by almost half for portability when it is snapped shut, but provides complete comfort when opened to its full size.
Microsoft today also introduced the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000, a notebook mouse with stunning color offerings at an affordable price, based on the design of the No. 1 best-selling notebook mouse in the U.S.1
Fashion Meets PC — What to Wear
The Arc Mouse allows consumers to flaunt their personal style with its sleek, thin crescent shape and two color options — black and red. It is truly an accessory, adding to the fashion PC trend that is taking the technology industry by storm. In a June 2007 report, “The Age of Style in Consumer PCs,” Forrester Research Inc. predicted that between now and 2012 will be the “age of style” with consumer choice and personalization becoming an important factor in a purchase decision. With a high demand for style, consumers value look and feel more than any other product features.2
“Style isn’t just about the clothes you put on your back,” said Clinton Kelly, fashion expert and host of TLC’s hit show “What Not to Wear.” “You have the option to express your personal sense of style in practically every aspect of your life, from home décor to your tech accessories. The Arc Mouse definitely tells the world you’re ahead of the curve, so to speak, and that you want to be surrounded by beautiful things all the time.”
High Performance and Style in a Snap
The Arc Mouse’s elegant, foldable shape allows it to easily slip into any bag while on the go, and expand to a comfortable full size while in use. Its micro transceiver quickly snaps into the bottom of the mouse using a magnet, and is so small it sticks out less than 1 centimeter while plugged in — there is no need to remove it from a laptop while traveling.
The Arc Mouse features high-end details in every aspect of its design — its strong metal hinge can be opened and closed with confidence, and testing shows that its sturdy shape can hold more than 25 pounds. With the following performance features, Arc Mouse is top in its class:
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Battery life indicator shows two colors: green when the batteries have sufficient power and red when the batteries are running low.
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2.4GHz wireless technology gives consumers a confident wireless connection and a range of up to 30 feet, even in crowded wireless environments.
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Carrying case is included and uses a magnetic flap to easily snap shut and protect the mouse while on the go.
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High-performance laser tracking offers smooth tracking and excellent responsiveness and precision.
“Arc is clean and modern, and what is even more exciting is the way it addresses real needs. It’s very comfortable while open, and when you snap it shut you are reassured that it’s off. If you need to make a quick exit, the collapsed form is a natural,” said Monique Chatterjee, user experience designer at Microsoft. “Everyone loves to play with Arc. They snap it open and closed, and even spin it on its back. As a designer, it’s really inspiring to make that kind of emotional connection with people.”
The No. 1 Best-Selling Notebook Mouse Gets a Face-Lift
The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 delivers comfort on the go with an ambidextrous shape designed by Microsoft’s in-house ergonomist for comfort in either hand, and a snap-in receiver so consumers can take the mouse anywhere. This modern mouse is based on the design of the No. 1 best-selling notebook mouse in the U.S.1 and includes stylish color offerings so consumers can pick their favorite between black and white, or choose from sophisticated special edition colors:
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Blue sapphire
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Red garnet
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Pink topaz
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Purple amethyst
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Green emerald
These glimmering mice also come equipped with High Definition Optical Technology and a snap-in receiver that helps conserve battery life as it turns off the power when snapped into the bottom of the mouse. Delivering an average of more than six months of battery life3 with one AA battery, this mouse reduces inconvenient work stoppages required to replace batteries or recharge. In addition, the mouse features a two-color battery life indicator: green when the batteries have sufficient power and red when the batteries are running low — all this and no software needed. With all these features wrapped into a sleek design with fun color choices, who knew productivity could look so good?
Pricing and Availability
The Arc Mouse in black and red and the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 in black and white will be widely available in September 2008 for an estimated retail price of $59.95 (U.S) and $29.95 (U.S), respectively.4 The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 in the following special edition colors will be available in September 2008 at Target stores: blue sapphire, red garnet, pink topaz and purple amethyst. All colors will be available later this fall. The Arc Mouse and the black and white Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 are available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship later this month when they are widely released. The products will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft Corp. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.
About Microsoft Hardware
For more than 25 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, which launched in 1999, earned a place on PCWorld.com’s December 2005 list of “The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years” as the first mainstream optical mouse that “brought gunk-free pointing devices” to a broad consumer base. More information about the Hardware Group is available at http://www.mshardwareguide.com.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
1Source: The NPD Group Inc., based on U.S. retail and commercial dollar sales from March 2005 to November 2007.
2 Microsoft internal research.
3 Many users average more than six months of battery life.
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4 Actual retail prices may vary.
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