Wireless Mouse

Introduction

The first mouse was invented by Dougles Engelbart of Standford Research Center in Menlo Park, California in 1963 (Stefik and Stefik,). At that time, the arrow keys on the keyboard were the only way of moving the cursor around the computer screen, the keys were inefficient and awkward, because of this problem, Dr. Engelbart, created a small, brick-like mechanism with one button on top and two wheels on the underside. The two wheels detected horizontal and vertical movement, and the unit was somewhat difficult to maneuver. The unit was linked to the computer by a cable so the motion signals could be electrically transmitted to the computer for viewing on the monitor (Holmes n.d.).

In 1972, the ball mouse was invented by Bill English (Ceruzzi, 2003). The wheels on the mouse’s undercarriage had been replaced by a single, free-rolling; and two more buttons had been added to the top.

Parts of Mouse

The Body

·         Skin – is the outer, hard plastic body that the user guides across a flat surface (Holmes n.d.)

·         Tail – is the electrical cable leading one of the ends of the mouse and finishing at the connection with the Central Processing Unit (CPU).  At the tail end, one to three buttons are the external contacts to small electrical switches. The press of a button closes the switch with a click; electrically, the circuit is closed, and the computer has received a command.  The wireless mouse doesn’t have this part (Holmes n.d.).

The Brain

·         Driver – is an external brain that tells the computer to understand the mouse’s signal. The driver tells the computer how to interpret the mouse’s IC data stream including speed, direction and clicked commands (Holmes n.d.).

Categories of Mouse

·         Trackball Mouse – the ball is rolled at one place with the fingers and thumb rather than rolling the mouse on the table top (Chindananda, 2007).

·         Joystick Mouse – usually includes two upright sticks which are modified with the hand  and a button is pressed on either stick (Chindananda, 2007).

·         Light Pen – utilizes a light-sensitive detector, requiring the user to hold a pen and point it at the screen (Chindananda, 2007).

·         Touch Pad Mouse - is a small, flat and rectangular pointing device that is sensitive to pressure and motion (Chindananda, 2007).

·         Wireless Mouse – a mouse without a cable. It works up to one and a half meter away from the computer (Chindananda, 2007).

Wireless Mouse: How it Works?

Wireless mice usually work via frequencies commonly referred to as RF or Radio Frequency transmitter and radio receiver

           RF Transmitter

           RF Transmitter records the mouse movements and buttons that are clicked and send the information via signals to the receiver

            RF Receiver

            RF Receiver is connected to the computer peripheral mouse input. It receives the signals, decodes them and sends it directly to the computer.

Bluetooth RF

Another technology that is emerging and now beginning to be used in large number for wireless mice is Bluetooth RF Technology. Blue tooth is now used instead of infrared (Tech FAQ n.d.). Bluetooth is known to connect computers to peripherals such as keyboards, printers and headsets. Because of its decent range capability of 33 feet, it is now one o the most used frequencies in wireless connection.

Advantages of Wireless Mouse

Wireless mice are inexpensive. This technology is can be purchased for as low as US$25. This technology is also lightweight, so it means that it can be moved more comfortable and easily.  It is also hassle free, because it can be use in any surface. And because of its wireless technology, the users of the mouse can move freely because they are not tied to the computer.

Disadvantage of Wireless Mouse

It is uses battery, and because of this, recharging of battery is necessary. There are things that can interfere the signal, because of this, the user have to make sure that there are nothing that might affect the signal.  Wireless mouse is prone to loss, because it is not connected to computer; there is a big chance that it might get lost, so the user should always keep it in a safe place. This technology also needs more maintenance than the usual mouse, because if not, it might affect the signal.

References

Ceruzzi, P. (2003). A history of modern computing. MIT Press.

Chidananda, M. R. (2007). History & types of mouse, trackball, touchscreen, joystick, cardless, wireless, bluetooth. Logitech. Retrieved on 28th November, 2010 from http://infiya.blogspot.com

Linux Reviews. Computer mouse. Retrieved on 28th November, 2010 from http:www.linuxrevies.org.

Cheap-Computer-Reference. History of Computer Mouse. Retrieved on 28th November, 2010, from http://www.cheap-computers-reference.com.

MAC. Optical apple. Retrieved on 28th November, 2010 from http://infiya.blogspot.com/

Holmes, G. Background. Retrieved 28th November, 2010, from http://www.madehow.com.

Hook, B. (2003). The computer mouse trajectory. TechNewsWorld. Retrieved on 28th November, 2010 from http://www.technewsworld.com.

Tech-Faq. How does a wireless mouse work? Retrieved 28th November, 2010 from http://www.tech-faq.com/.

Lewis, M. J. and Jones, R. L. (1996). Using computers in history: a practical guide. Routledge.

Warwickcrystal. Mouse and Mouse. Retrieved 28th November, 2010 from www.warwickcrystal.co.uk/

Richardson, R. (2005). 'Taking control of your digital imaging'. THE Journal. 33(33), 46.

Stefic, B. and Stefik, M. (2004). Breakthrough: stories and strategies of radical. MIT Press.

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