What is mouse?

)A device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. A mouse is a small object you can roll along a hard, flat surface. Its name is derived from its shape, which looks a bit like a mouse, its connecting wire that one can imagine to be the mouse's tail, and the fact that one must make it scurry along a surface. As you move the mouse, the pointer on the display screen moves in the same direction. Mice contain at least one buttonand sometimes as many as three, which have different functions depending on what program is running. Some newer mice also include a scroll wheel for scrolling through long documents.

Invented by Douglas Engelbart of Stanford Research Center in 1963, and pioneered by Xerox in the 1970s, the mouse is one of the great breakthroughs in computer ergonomics because it frees the user to a large extent from using the keyboard. In particular, the mouse is important for graphical user interfaces because you can simply point to options and objects and click a mouse button. Such applications are often called point-and-click programs. The mouse is also useful for graphics programs that allow you to draw pictures by using the mouse like a pen, pencil, or paintbrush.

There are three basic types of mice:

1. mechanical: Has a rubber or metal ball on its underside that can roll in all directions. Mechanical sensors within the mouse detect the direction the ball is rolling and move the screen pointer accordingly.
2. optomechanical: Same as a mechanical mouse, but uses optical sensors to detect motion of the ball.
3. optical: Uses a laser to detect the mouse's movement. You must move the mouse along a special mat with a grid so that the optical mechanism has a frame of reference. Optical mice have no mechanical moving parts. They respond more quickly and precisely than mechanical and optomechanical mice, but they are also more expensive.

Mice connect to PCs in one of several ways:

1. Serial mice connect directly to an RS-232C serial port or a PS/2 port. This is the simplest type of connection.
2. PS/2 mice connect to a PS/2 port.
3. USB mice.

Cordless mice aren't physically connected at all. Instead they rely on infrared or radio waves to communicate with the computer. Cordless mice are more expensive than both serial and bus mice, but they do eliminate the cord, which can sometimes get in the way.

The different types of computer mice

Computer mice some in a number of varieties. You can find a computer mouse for just about any use. To figure out what kind of mouse would work best with your PC, you need to know your mouse options:

• Mechanical mouse: Houses a hard rubber ball that rolls as the mouse is moved. Sensors inside the mouse body detect the movement and translate it into information that the computer interprets. 
  Optical mouse: Uses an LED sensor to detect tabletop movement and then sends off that information to the computer for merry munching
  
  
  
  Infrared (IR) or radio frequency cordless mouse: With both these types, the mouse relays a signal to a base station wired to the computer's mouse port. The cordless mouse requires power, which comes in the form of batteries.
  
  
  
  A mouse with many buttons: The extra buttons can be programmed to do specific things, such as navigate the Web or turn pages when you’re reading a document. The typical button-ified mouse has about five buttons.
  
  
  
  Trackball mouse: Like an upside-down mouse. Rather than roll the mouse around, you use your thumb or index finger to roll a ball on top of the mouse. The whole contraption stays stationary, so it doesn’t need a lot of room, and its cord never gets tangled.
  • Stylus mouse: Another mouse mutation enjoyed by the artistic type is the stylus mouse, which looks like a pen and draws on a special pad.
  • Cordless 3-D mouse: This kind of mouse can be pointed at the computer screen like a TV remote
    

    4 Types Of Computer Mouse

    Mouse button have been making computing tasks easier for many years. Over time, mouse have already been specifically manufactured to simplify certain tasks. Optical mouse offer more fluid movement, and a lot of of the are wireless. Ergonomic mouse are already designed to help arthritis and cts sufferers. Together with the various mouse available, you can search for a mouse designed for your requirements. Websites including Quill and OfficeMax give you a various personal computer mouse from which to choose, including:

    

    
    

    
    

    1. Traditional mouse

    Traditional computer mouse button will be the most affordable, when they make use of a simple construction. They connect to your personal machine utilizing the mouse port, and some mouse for Apple computers use a USB connection. Most mouse include a USB connection for those who love the USB port within the mouse port.

    No special application is needed, while you need to reboot after connecting in case you are employing an older version of Windows. This kind of mouse does need to be periodically disassembled for cleaning. You should make use of a lint-free, static-free cloth for cleaning. It will eliminate harm to your mouse preventing any bothersome lint buildup.

    2. Optical mouse

    Optical mouse have become more commonplace. They exercise efficiently, because they lack the ball found in traditional mouse. The majority are built to be ergonomic, so you are able to make use of them very comfortably. There’re especially appropriate users with cts or arthritis.

    These mouse are less vunerable to collecting dust than traditional mouse are and require less cleaning. Most optical mouse hook up to your computer through the USB port. Special software usually isn’t necessary if you do not need advanced functions enabled for the mouse. You are able to enable any special functions that you want your mouse to accomplish when using the driver CD that had the mouse.

    3. Wireless mouse

    Wireless mouse provide capability of connecting without cables. That is very useful for gamers as well as others who want room to freely move their mouse. A button ‘talks’ to the computer with the infrared port that you just attach yourself. Some newer laptops consist of built-in infrared ports where you can start employing the mouse without special hardware.

    These sorts of mouse include the necessary driver software. You’ll normally be capable to start using your brand-new mouse during first minutes. Wireless mouse are optical, taking into account easier movement. Many wireless mouse are purchased plus a wireless keyboard. When you’ve got a large enough monitor, you are able to safely sit well back through the computer and still have the capacity to apply it efficiently.

    4. Laptop mouse

    Laptop mouse have numerous of identical features as desktop mouse. They give a more compact design that’s well-suited to smaller spaces that laptops are utilized in. These mouse are ideal for laptop users unaccustomed to trackpads. Additionally they be useful if your trackpad fails and you posess zero chance to change it instantly. Laptop mouse use a retractable cord having a USB connection or may include wireless connection.

    Computer mouse, the different types available for

    

    They say computer hardware, whether internal or external, has a shelf life of around 2 years, many video gamers for example, are opting for consoles like the Xbox 360 or PS3 and shying away from the traditional PC for that exact reason. For the university student or office employee, a personal computer (PC) still holds great value, a mouse and keyboard being the best instruments for day to day computing.

    Let’s look at the most commonly used input device for any home or office computer...the computer mouse

    Are you man or computer mouse?

    So what the big deal, a mouse is just a mouse right? Well yes, computer mice are affordable enough for anybody to simply plug them in and start navigating through their computer. The difference is that many people use the mouse for various reasons; video game experts use a mouse for accuracy, precision and control when playing video games, business entrepreneurs need comfort and reliable especially when working for a longer periods of time. Whatever the reason, giving commands to your computer without a mouse can be downright impossible to the common computer owner.

    
    

    Optical or Laser

    From the heavy rubber trackball to light emitting sensors, the technology for thecomputer mouse has changed making computer software more responsive. Computer retailers may still stock older "ball mouse" but the majority still opt for selling newer optical or laser mice. But what’s the difference between the two?

    Optical Mouse – these mice use one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and other light converting technology to detect movement on the particular surface the LED is facing, meaning the mouse doesn’t need bulky loose components, like a heavy trackball, to be able to move the pointer on screen.

    Laser Mouse – these mice use laser beams to track movement and can be considered too be more accurate and precise than optical or trackball mice. Where an optical mouses LED would shine a bright red (or other colours), laser mouse have no shine and are usually invisible to the naked eye. The laser beam can also reflect on practically any surface, meaning there’s no need for mouse pads.

    Air mouse... no surface needed

    An Inertial mouse also called an “air mouse” is a mouse that doesn’t need solid surfaces to work. Unlike laser and optical mice, an inertial mouse uses accelerometers to detect rotary movement from every angle. So simple wrist movements are required to operated an inertial mouse.

    Air mice are faster, lighter and easier to use than laser or optical mice. It was recently confirmed that an inertial mouse consumes less power than its LED and laser brethren and are usually cordless with an increased range.

    
    

    3D Mice

    A fairly new concept to the uninformed, a 3D mouse can be used to navigate or interact with objects in a 3D space. Quite simply, 3D mice are used by artists and engineers to create the next big masterpiece or design a modern skyscraper over looking the city. You can for example take an image, pan, zoom and rotate the object to fit into your design, most of which would be difficult on a conventional mouse and keyboard. The most popular 3D mice brand would be 3DConnexion as they exclusively specialize in 3D mouse models.

    3D mice are very niche and can be expensive for the ordinary consumer; however professionals with various creative skill sets prefer 3D mice for its practicality and its three degrees of freedom.
    

    

    
    Both optical and laser mice have wired and wireless options, this depends on personal preference but the cost difference between the two has lowered in recent years. USB connectioned mice have mostly replaced the PS/2 interface on newer mouse models. New technologies like touchscreen monitors and motion controlled devices are said to replace the computer mouse. Laptops have already been incorporated with touchpads to act as pointing devices but lack the range and natural movement of a mouse.
    
    

    So what’s next for the mouse, only time will tell, but for now the mouse still remains the most reliable, precise and comfortable way to interacted with your desktop computer or laptop.
    
    

    The different types of computer mice

    Overview

    Today’s computer mice come in a variety of flavours, including mechanical, optical, laser and bluetrack. This HEXUS.help guide explains what each variety has to offer.

    Whatever happened to mechanical mice?

    The mouse, first developed in the early 60’s, has since become the de facto standard in computer input.

    

    
    

    In the 70’s, mechanical mouse devices began to become mainstream with the invention and production of ball mice.

    The ball mouse – pictured right – typically features two built-in rollers that are able to detect the movement of the ball. That movement is then translated by computer software into the motion of a mouse pointer along the X and Y axes.

    We’re certain most readers have used a ball mouse at some point in their lives, and many will be aware of their shortcomings. A ball-based mechanical mouse generally requires a flat surface or mouse mat and has a nasty habit of collecting dust.

    Fortunately, mechanical mice have all but faded into the past following the introduction of newer technologies – namely optical and laser.

    Optical or laser, which one’s for me?

    Optical mice, introduced in the late 90’s, offer a number of advantages – they’re able to work on many surfaces, and offer greater precision than a mechanical mouse

    
    

    

    
    

    Here’s how they work. The modern optical mouse is likely to feature a tiny camera or optoelectronic sensor that is able to capture over a thousand frames per second. Usually equipped with a red light-emitting diode (LED), an optical mouse illuminates a surface and captured images are fed back to a digital signal processor (DSP) for translation into movement. Using complex algorithms, changes in a sequence of images are translated into movement on the X and Y axes. With movements detected hundreds of times each second, the motion of the on-screen pointer appears very smooth.

    With the advance of computing power, optical mice became cheap to produce and have since become far more popular than their mechanical predecessors. Optical mice have the advantage of featuring no moving parts and no large openings to collect dust – meaning less all-round wear and tear. Optical mice are also more accurate and – depending on the surface - don’t require a mouse mat.

    So what about laser mice?

    In recent years, laser mice have been introduced as a logical successor to optical mice. Using very similar technology, laser mice feature one notable change – they utilise an infrared laser diode as opposed to a coloured light-emitting diode (LED)

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

    By using an infrared laser, these mice are able to capture images at a far-greater resolution (denoted as dots per inch or dpi), consequently resulting in greater accuracy and improved precision.

    A laser mouse, then, clearly has its advantages – but be aware that it’s a device that targets certain markets. The precision of a laser pointer is ideal for professionals working with computer graphics, or indeed gamers. For the everyday user, an optical mouse is likely to be cheaper and plenty sufficient.

    Got all that? Good, but we’re not quite finished yet. In 2008, Microsoft came along and launched a proprietary tracking technology of its own, dubbed BlueTrack.

    BlueTrack mice - available only from Microsoft – feature a new tracking engine that makes use of high-angle imaging optics and a powerful blue beam. Together, they capture detailed images of a surface area – and with a beam up to four times more powerful than the average laser, it’s able to track on just about any surface, even carpet.

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

    Is there a need for even greater accuracy when both optical and laser mice will prove to be sufficient for most? Well, for most, probably not. But BlueTrack does have its merits – its promise of better-than-the-rest precision will appeal to gamers, and the ability to work on just about any surface other than a mirror or clear glass will be a key selling point.