What is a Mouse in Computer?

The mouse is the most used pointing device. While clicking and dragging, the mouse moves a little cursor across the screen. If you let off of the mouse, the cursor will come to a halt. You must move the mouse for the computer to move. it will not move on its own.

What is a Mouse in a Computer?

A mouse is an input device that is moved across the desk surface by the user so as to interact with the computer. It basically interacts with the Graphical User Interface of the computer. A mouse is used to perform actions such as selection, double-clicking, dragging, scrolling etc. Many kinds of mouses have been introduced and each of them has its ow purpose. In cases of laptop, the mouse is an external touchpad that has been embedded in front of the keyboard. Howe,er users can use an external mouse for interaction with the computer.

Uses of Mouse

Mouse has many purposes. Some of them are as follows:

• The mouse is used for pointing and clicking on icons. To interact with the computer we need some pointers. Using the mouse, we can use the pointer and click on icons.
• Mouse is also used in gaming. For gaming special mouses called Gaming Mouses have been introduced which comes with additional buttons that are used for controls.
• Mouse is also used for scrolling and navigating through the webpages.
• Mouse is an important part of editing. For dragging, selection of objects, blurring of backgrounds etc mouse plays a pivotal role.

Parts of Computer Mouse

• Mouse Buttons: Mouse Buttons are present on the outer part of the mouse. These buttons help users to click and navigate. Left button is used for clicking and double clicking whereas right click opens up the additional menu.
• Scroll wheel: Scroll wheel is used to scroll the page up and down. When we click on the middle of the scroll wheel it helps to click on hyperlinks.
• Motion Detection: Earlier trackballs were embedded inside the mouses which helped to detect the movements and convert it to signals which were further processed. Nowadays lasers are used which detect the movements and provide the output accordingly.
• Outer Cover or Shell: An outer covering is given to the mouse which covers the inner components of the mouse including track ball or sensors.

Input Device

Input devices are those devices which receive input from the user and passes the information in the form of signals to the processing system so that the system can process the signals and display the results through the output devices. A mouse is an input device as it senses the movement of the user. Then it passes on to the system which processes the signals and finally the user sees the movement of cursor or any other action as output.

History of Mouse

Mouse was introduced by Douglas Engelbart in 1960s. The structure basically comprised of wooden box with wheels at the bottom and two buttons present at the top. For establishing a connection a wire has been used. Then Apple introduced mouse and made it an integral part of Macintosh. Then advanced versions of mouse has been introduced in the technical world.

Types of Mouse

Mouse has evolved over the years. Now a much broader classification has been done. The different types of mouse are as follows:

• Wired Mouse: This type of mouse uses wires to establish a connection between the input device and the computer screen. Wired mouse are comparatively cheap but is not easy to carry everywhere as the wires can get intertwined.
• Wireless Mouse: This type of mouse uses radio signals to communicate with the computer. Bluetooth connectivity is used to establish the connection. These are easier to carry but is expensive and have short lives.
• Mechanical Mouse: A mechanical mouse is a type of mouse that comprises rubber ball inside its structure. The ball detects the movements when the user drags the mouse over the mousepad and the computer screen shows the response accordingly.
• Optical Mouse: This mouse uses Light Emitting Diode (LED) to detect the movements. A traditional mouse has a rubber ball attached to its surface which helps to detect the movements. But in optical mouse it uses array of photodiodes to detect the movement. The main advantage is that it does not require a mouse pad whereas the drawback is that if the mouse is wireless then the battery consumption is huge.
• Laser Mouse: Laser Mouse is a type of Optical mouse that uses laser beams to detect the movement. Just like optical mouse it also does not have any rolling rubber ball.
• Trackball Mouse: In this mouse a large trackball is present at the center. The user uses the trackball to perform the actions. Here the whole mouse is not moved, only the trackball is moved. The disadvantage is it is very expensive.
• Gaming Mouse: This type of mouse is used by gamers. Usually traditional mouses have two buttons left and right. In the gaming mouse there are many buttons which help the users to perform many actions.

How to Take Care of Mouse?

It is always necessary to take care of devices so that the devices can work smoothly for longer duration of time. Follow these little steps while using the mouse:

• Use a mouse pad to avoid scratches on the surface of the mouse.
• Store the mouse in a clean, dedicated case.
• In case of wired or USB supported mouses, after switching of the computer, ensure that you disconnect the mouse as well.
• Clean the mouse with a soft microfiber towel.
• For wireless mouses, remove the batteries when not in use.
• If any moisture is present remove it with a soft dry cloth.

FAQs on Computer Mouse

Q.1: Define DPI of mouse.

Answer:

DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. DPI refers to the amount of pixels covered by the mouse in less time. Higher the DPI, more is the cursor traversal on the screen.

Q.2: What to do if the mouse does not respond?

Answer:

If the mouse does not respond correctly, then troubleshoot the problems. In case of wired mouses check for connectivity. For wireless mouses, check for Bluetooth connectivity.

Q.3: What is the full form of mouse?

Answer:

Full form of MOUSE is Manually Operated User Selection Equipment or Mechanically operated user single engine. Mouse is a device which is connected to a computer system.