Microsoft Arc Wireless Keyboard review

Not every computer lives on a desk in a study so Microsoft has released the Arc Keyboard. It's small, wireless, has a stylish curved shape and a glossy black finish that looks great when clean but picks up fingermarks easily.

The wireless dongle is one of the smallest we have seen. To stop it from getting lost it is magnetic and snaps into place in a small recess on the underside of the keyboard. Power for the keyboard is provided by 2 AAA batteries, included in the box.

Installation is as simple as plugging in the dongle and no drivers are required. Besides Windows it works with Mac OS X and Linux.

The keys are as wide as other standard keyboards, maybe 1mm less, but they do not press as far down.

To save space there are also several keys missing: there is no numerical keypad or context menu key, which are easy to live without and the cursor keys have been replaced with a four way cursor pad. There are still volume controls on the keyboard though.

Microsoft says it's at home on your lap and truth be told it's not too bad. In fact it seems slightly more comfortable there than on a desk, firmly setting this as lifestyle accessory rather than a work keyboard.

The Arc keyboard costs £50 which is not cheap for a keyboard but if you need a better keyboard for a media centre pc it will fit right in on the coffee table.