Microsoft’s slick new compact keyboard looks good, but is that enough?

Keyboards are highly personal items. Some folks like huge, clackety, old-school keyboards with tactile feedback, while others go for small and light. And if small and light is what you’re after, Microsoft’s new Arc is a decent, portable, chiclet-style keyboard that works well alongside your Mac–provided you can put up with the indignity of backward function keys.

The Arc’s gentle downward curve pairs well with any Mac setup.

The Arc keyboard connects via a tiny USB dongle that’s small enough to live permanently in your Mac’s USB port. When you need to pack things up, the receiver clings magnetically to the back of the keyboard–a terrifically cool touch. And although the Arc’s namesake gentle downward curve suggests superior ergonomics, the lack of height-adjusting tabs doesn’t follow through on the promise. Still, we had no problems typing on it for prolonged periods of time.

The chiclet keys were a bit noisy, though, and some of the Mac|Life editors were actually taken aback by its loud clacking. Thankfully, the Volume and Function keys at the top work as expected, and there’s a battery indicator to warn you when it’s about time to replace the three AAA batteries.

We didn’t have any significant problems with the Arc, although the key layout might be a bit cramped if you have large hands. The one-button, multidirectional arrow key takes some getting used to, although you can’t get a keyboard this small without making a few compromises–case in point, there’s also no Caps Lock indicator. And speaking of hands, don’t say we didn’t warn you: The Arc is sleek, but it’s also a magnet for oily fingerprints.