A mouse is a simple pointing device consisting of a ball that rolls against rollers while an arrow tracks the movement on a screen. It permits commands to be forwarded to the computer regarding what requires to be added and the location to do so.
When using the mouse:
- Place the pointing finger on its left button
- A single click requires gently pressing down before releasing the respective mouse button.
- Double clicking requires quick double pressing of the button simultaneously.
- Keep pointing finger resting on left mouse button, while double clicking and avoid lifting it off. ( the latter works for single clicking)
To drag an object with the mouse:
- Press the button down and hold before moving the mouse. In certain programs items are dragged and dropped by first clicking on the item that requires to be dragged.
- While the mouse button is held down, the object should be dragged to a similar location.
- The mouse button can now be released.
The 3 basic skills required for beginners to use a mouse include:
Pointing
When the mouse is slid on its pad, it moves the screen’s pointer.
The hand is then rested on the mouse and slowly moved around the pad to view what occurs to the mouse arrow according to the screen display.
Clicking
Gently press and release the left button of the mouse, while keeping the hand on it. (This is a means of giving a command to the computer).
Shift the mouse pointer over an icon of the computer to notice the change of the arrow into a pointed hand meaning that this icon links another destination. The left button of the mouse should be clicked for the link to be followed.
Scrolling
Scrolling is basically the upward and downward movement of the mouse within web pages or in various computer windows. This is accomplished by moving the “elevator” upwards and downwards in the scroll-bar at the screen’s far right. There are three ways of doing this:
- For a single line to be moved at a particular time, the arrow on the scroll bar top or that on its bottom should be clicked.
- For a single screen to be moved at a particular time, the clear space on the scroll bar, below or above the elevator should be clicked.
- For movement in the entire document, the mouse should point at the elevator while the left button is pressed and held down.
The elevator can now be slid upwards and downwards with the use of the mouse before releasing the button after getting to the location desired. Initially, it is difficult to use a mouse, but it simply entails an eye and hand coordination.
