Computer Mouse A computer mouse is a handheld hardware input device that controls a cursor in a GUI and can move and select text , icons , files , and folders . For desktop computers, the mouse is placed on a flat surface such as a mouse pad or a desk and is placed in front of your computer. The picture to the right is an example of a desktop computer mouse with two buttons and a wheel. Who invented the mouse? The mouse was originally known as the X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System and was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963 while working at Xerox PARC . However, due to Alto's lack of success, the first widely used application of the mouse was with the Apple Lisa computer . Today, this pointing device is on virtually every computer. What are the functions of a mouse? Below is a list of each of th...