Just another WordPress.com weblog

Mouse

 

A computer mouse with the most common standard features: two buttons and a scroll wheel, which can also act as a third button

In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user’s hands, with one or more buttons.

The laser of the optical mouse may bounce off certain colours and shapes on a mouse pad.

  The mouse allows an individual to control a pointer in a graphical user interface (GUI). Utilizing a mouse a user has the ability to perform various functions such as opening a program or file and does not require the user to memorize commands, like those used in a text-based command line environment such as MS-DOS.

Advantages: Can be installed without any installation software.

Disadvantages: They need a flat surface to be used, or else they won’t function.

Touchpad

A touchpad is a pointing device consisting of specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user’s fingers to a relative position on screen. Touchpads are primarily used in portable laptop computers, because a standard mouse requires a flat surface near the keyboard not always available outside of a standard computing environment.

A pointing device consisting of a soft pad sensitized to finger movement or pressure and used especially on laptop computers as an alternative to a mouse.

Advantages:

· The pad’s position is fixed relative to the keyboard, and very short finger movements are required to move the cursor across the display screen.

· They are small.

Disadvantages:

· Only available on laptops.

· Smaller surface to move on.

· Left and right keys are more difficult to use that in regular usb mouse.

· Cannot scroll across the screen in one go

Trackball

A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a cursor.

Before the advent of the touchpad, small trackballs were common on portable computers, where there may be no desk space on which to run a mouse.

 Advantages:

· Small Footprint – even the largest trackball takes less work surface space than is required to effectively use the smallest mouse. 

· Stationary Use – not having to move means a trackball never runs out of work surface, never requires re-positioning, allows fast, continuous scrolling, never needs to be picked up and put it back on the mouse pad. 

· Precise Control – most modern trackballs allow you to control cursor movement with your finger tips or thumb.  Much more precise than the hand and wrist movement required to move a mouse.

· Self Cleaning – while some are better than others, most trackballs require little or no cleaning in normal use.

Disadvantages:

· Trackballs are physically larger than mice (even though they require less space to use), it is harder to find a selection of trackballs in most stores and they are typically more expensive because they are manufactured in lower volume.   Operationally, however, anything a mouse can do a trackball can do as well or better.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_a_computer_mouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_between_an_optical_mouse_and_a_ball_mouse

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mouse.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/touchpad

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_touchpad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchpad#Touchpads_in_devices

http://www.trackballworld.com/trackball-faq.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trackball