MOUSE

The mouse was offically invented by Douglas Englebart, working at the Stanford Research Institute, in 1964. Its offical name was the "X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System".

Xerox applied the mouse to its Alto computer in 1973 and Steven Jobs (one of the founders of Apple Computer) viewed it at a demonstration of the Alto Computer by Xerox in 1979. Mr. Jobs recognized the potential of the mouse and immediately began to incorporate the mouse (and the Graphics User Interface it operated) into his newest computer. In the process he lured away several of the Xerox scientists and when the Lisa was released in 1983, it was complete with a mouse and GUI. The Lisa cost $10,000 at the time, so it didn't take the country by storm or become a household name. But Apple released the Macintosh in 1984, also with the mouse and a GUI, and enough of them have been sold that today most people think that Apple invented the mouse and that the Macintosh was the first computer to use one. The Xerox Alto was an experimental computer system used primarily for research; but Xerox released the Star 8010 in 1981, which also had the mouse and a GUI, so that computer could probably make the claim as the first personal computer system to use a mouse.

So what, exactly, is a mouse? It's a pointing device. A small hand-held plastic device that, when it is slid on a surface, rotates a small rubber ball which in turn changes X and Y sensors and sends the information to the computer - via a cable usually, but it could be an infrared signal. It also has buttons on the top, where the fingers of your hand normally rest, which can send choices to the computer.

The mouse is connected to the computer via some sort of interface - usually the Com1 serial port, but PS/2 type connectors are also popular - and the computer uses drivers (specially written software) to translate the data from the mouse to information the computer can use. To save desk space, someone had the bright idea of turning the mouse upside down and rotating the rubber ball with your fingers to generate X & Y changes - they invented the trackball. It's not really that simple - a trackball is specially constructed - the ball is usually much larger and made of hard plastic and, of course, the buttons are next to the ball - but it pretty much works like an upside down mouse.

It wasn't very long ago that mice were a novelty in the PC world; there was really no need for a mouse when using DOS since all the commands were issued through the keyboard. But the introduction of Windows changed all that and now it's hard to imagine a computer without a mouse. As a matter of fact, it's a real serious matter to most users if they lose their mouse - if it should break, for instance, or if Windows should be unable to find the mouse for some reason. All is not lost - you can still navigate through Windows using keyboard commands. But most of us have never had to use them and don't know what they are. Look in section "How To..., Lesson #5" for Windows keyboard commands - it wouldn't hurt to print them out and have them for a reference, just in case!

What do you do if you should lose your mouse? A lot of times when you've lost your mouse, something strange happened during the boot-up sequence that caused the operating system to lose the mouse. That can usually be solved by simply shutting down the computer and turning it back on (re-booting). It's always a good idea to shut down your computer in the prescribed way and even without a mouse that can be done by using the appropiate keyboard commands.

Also, as with anything electronic, you'll want to make sure it is properly plugged in. Check on the back of your case and make sure the cable connection is secure. A serial mouse (one connected to the serial port - usually Com1) can be relaced or re-connected while the computer is running; for a PS/2 type mouse you must shut down the computer before re-connecting or replacing. Your computer's operating system detects the mouse during the boot-up sequence, so if you've tried the things above and you still don't have a mouse it's probably because your mouse died (and needs to be replaced) or your operating system has a problem - something beyond the scope of this small article.

The most common problem with a mouse is that it becomes jumpy - hard to operate - it dosn't move smoothly. That's easy to fix - and is the most common routine chore associated with a computer. All that is happening is that the sensor shafts (that are moved by the small rubber ball on the bottom of the mouse) are getting dirty. It's a simple matter to turn the mouse over, pop out the rubber ball, clean the shafts (and the ball) and re-assemble. Click HERE to go to an article about keeping your computer clean and which explains in detail how to clean your mouse. It's always best to keep your mouse on a mousepad (and keep the mousepad clean!) so you won't have to do this too often, but, sooner or later, it's a task we all face.

   In the PC world, the most common mouse has two buttons. So why is there a three button mouse? What can I say? - some folks like them. There's no difference in how they operate. All mice use drivers - a software program that converts mouse signals to something the computer operating system understands - and a three button mouse requires a special mouse driver that allows the operator to decide what to use that middle button for. Folks I know that use a three button mouse really like them and don't enjoy computing as much when they have to use a two button mouse. And then folks like me figure computing (and life its own self, for that matter) is complicated enough without adding another button. I think it's fair to say that it is a personal choice and you'd have to try a properly setup three button mouse for a while before you could make up your own mind which you liked the best.

There are always improvements - well, changes at any rate - in the computer industry and mice are no exceptions. Some of the later innovations are a two button mouse with a little wheel between the buttons (for scrolling down menus, etc.) and optical mice - mice that use a low-power laser to detect movement rather than the normal rubber ball/X-Y sensors. The optical mouse, for one, looks like the wave of the future; they operate very smoothly and there are no moving parts that will clog up or get dirty. As this is written they are pretty new and a bit pricey, but as they gain market share (and more manufacturers enter the market) the price will surely plummet.

Suggested Reading:
"Getting to Know,- Cleaning Your Computer"
"How To...,- Lesson #4, Using a mouse"
"How To...,- Lesson #5, Keyboard Commands"

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