A mouse is a pointing device that is used to control the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. When a mouse is rolled on a flat surface, the mouse pointer on the screen also moves in the corresponding direction. The movement of the mouse ball is translated into signals that tell the computer how and where to move the screen pointer.
Mouse contains at least one button and sometimes as many as three, which have different functions depending on what program is running. Some latest mouse also includes a scroll wheel for scrolling through long documents.
Types of Mouse
The three basic types of mouse are:
• Mechanical mouse: Is a mouse that has a rubber or a metal ball on its underside, which can roll in all directions.
The mechanical sensor within the mouse detects the direction of the rolling ball and makes the movement of the
screen pointer accordingly.
• Optomechanical mouse: Is a type of mouse, which is very much similar to mechanical mouse, except that it uses an optical sensor to detect the movement of the ball.
• Optical mouse: Uses a laser beam to detect the movement of the mouse pointer. It responds more quickly and precisely than any other mouse.