What is mouse and types

               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 1963while 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 the computer mouse functions that help a user use their computer and gives you an idea of all of the things a mouse is capable of doing.

1. Move the mouse cursor - The primary function is to move the mouse cursor on the screen.
2. Open or execute a program - Once you've moved the cursor to an icon, folder, or other object clicking or double clicking that object opens the document or executes the program.
3. Select - A mouse also allows you to selecttext or a file or highlight and select multiple files at once.
4. Drag-and-drop - Once something is selected it can also be moved using the drag-and-dropmethod.
5. Hover - Moving the mouse cursor over objects with additional hover information can help discover the function of each object on the screen. For example, hover the mouse over the hover link to see an example.
6. Scroll - When working with a long document or viewing a long web page you may need to scroll up or down which can be done using the mouse wheel or clicking and dragging the scroll bar.
7. Perform other functions - Many desktop mice also have additional buttons that can be programmed to perform any function. For example, many mice have two side buttons on the thumb portion of the mouse the button closest to the palm can be programmed to go back on web pages.

Tip: Steps and help with using the mouse and performing all of the above functions can be found on our how to use a mouse page.

How has the mouse increased computer usability?

By using a computer mouse, the user doesn't have to memorize commands, such as those utilized in a text-based command lineenvironment like MS-DOS. For example, in MS-DOS a user would have to know the cd command and dir command and type the commands on the keyboard to navigate to a directory (folder) and view the files inside. Whereas a Windows user only has to double-click to open a folder and see its contents.

Types of computer mice

Below is a listing of all of the types of computer mice and pointing devices used with a computer. Today, for a desktop computer the most common type of mouse is an optical mouse that connects to the USB port and known as a USB mouse. For laptop computers, the most common type of mouse is the touchpad.

What are the parts of a computer mouse?

The parts of a computer mouse can vary by the type of computer mouse. Below is a general overview of the parts found on most computer mice.

Buttons

Today, almost all computer mice have at least two buttons, a left button and right button for clicking and manipulating objects and text. In the past, there have been mice with only one button. For example, many of the early Apple computer mice only had one button.

Ball, Laser, or LED

A desktop mouse may contain a ball and rollers if it is a mechanical mouse or a laser or LED if it is an optical mouse. Each of these components are used to track the movement and move the mouse cursor on the screen.

Mouse wheel

Today's desktop computer mice also usually include a mouse wheel that allows you to scroll up and down on a page.

Tip: Instead of rolling the wheel if you push in on the wheel it can be used as a third button.

Circuit board

To take all the signal information, clicks, and other information being created by the mouse and input it to the computer it must also have a circuit board with integrated circuits.

Cable or wireless receiver

For a corded mouse, it also includes a cable with a plug that connects to the computer. Today, most corded mice connect to the USB port. If your computer has a wireless mouse, it needs a USB wireless receiver to receive the wireless signal and input it into the computer.

What is difference between an optical mouse and a laser mouse?

There are three basic types..

-optical
-laser
-ball (obsolete)

Optical and laser mice differ by the types of technology they use to  track movement. 

An optical mouse uses digital image processing technology to track  the position of the mouse and translate that to position the cursor on  the screen. In fact, it includes a tiny camera that is able to take 1,500 pictures per second. Optical mice are also easy to  maintain and have no moving parts that are prone to failure.

The optical mouse uses an LED light to track movement,  while the laser mouse, as its moniker indicates, uses a laser.

Laser mice have a higher dpi, which means that they can track more dots per inch, which in turn means that they're more sensitive and result in faster mouse speed.

Today, both optical and laser  mice are now able to hit high dpi marks, and an average user will  never notice the difference. Gamers and graphic designers may still  perceive one and have personal preferences for a device.