Users can interact with computers using pointing devices like the mouse, joystick, trackball, stylus, touch screen, touchpad, and pointing stick. The mouse is the most common and comes in various types, while the joystick tilts to move the pointer and has buttons. The graphics tablet and touch screen use a stylus, while laptops have built-in touchpads or pointing sticks.
Many computer functions depend on user interaction, ongoing or getting started. To interact with programs and displays on a computer, users can use a keyboard or use a pointing device. Commonly used pointing devices include the computer mouse, joystick, trackball, light pen, stylus and graphics tablet, touch screen, touchpad or trackpad, and pointing stick. The Wii Remote®, which works only with the Nintendo® Wii® console, can be thought of as a special type of pointing device.
A certain type of mouse is probably the most widely used computer pointing device. A mouse is a small, oval-shaped device that you rest your hand on and slide to move the pointer around the screen. Mice have a built-in click action to interact with the display, and some have scrolling and multiple programmable buttons. There are several types of mice including wireless mice, USB mice, mini mice, ergonomic mice, and the foot mouse, which is operated with the foot instead of the hand.
A joystick is a lever that points to the ceiling and tilts in all directions. The pointer moves in the direction the joystick is pointing until it returns to the vertical position. Joysticks are often equipped with triggers in the form of buttons. Trackball, on the other hand, is a pointing device that is rolled in the direction or directions the user wants the pointer to move. Some trackballs have a scroll wheel and mouse-like buttons on the device.
A graphics tablet is a type of pointing device that can be controlled by a stylus held like a pen, a mouse, or one interchangeably. The stylus might have a button, and the tablet itself might have buttons and a scroll. It is popular with graphic designers, photographers and other artists. The touch screen is also used by artists with a stylus as an interactive tool. Other types of touch screens use finger gestures.
The touchpad or trackpad and pointing stick are pointing devices built into laptop computers. The touchpad is a rectangular surface that you can move, click, and double-click with your finger. The pointing stick is a very small, pressure sensitive nub on some laptop models and is used in a similar way to the way a joystick is used.
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