The Computer Mouse Essay, Research Paper

The Computer Mouse

The computer mouse is a common pointing device, popularized by its

inclusion as standard equipment with the Apple Macintosh. With the rise in

popularity of graphical user interfaces in MS-DOS; UNIX, and OS/2, use of mice

is growing throughout the personal computer and workstation worlds. The basic

features of a mouse are a casing with a flat bottom, designed to be gripped by

one hand; one or more buttons on the top; a multidirectional detection device

(usually a ball) on the bottom; and a cable connecting the mouse to the computer.

By moving the mouse on a surface (such as a desk), the user controls an on-

screen cursor. A mouse is a relative pointing device because there are no

defined limits to the mouse’s movement and because its placement on a surface

does not map directly to a specific screen location. To select items or choose

commands on the screen, the user presses one of the mouse’s buttons, producing a

“mouse click.”