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Poor mouse selection can nibble away at computer productivity

By Riley Gay

Computers are quite incredible devices, really. They are capable of doing so many wondrous things.

Functions that could barely be imagined only a short time ago, from lightning-quick calculations to managing complex graphics manipulations to truly astonishing gaming and entertainment, can be handled by even the most modestly priced home computer.

Despite its amazing potential, though, what your computer can deliver is only as good as what you, the user, put into it, and how well you can communicate.

There’s an adage about using the right tool for the job, and choosing the right input device for your computing style will let you be more productive and will bring more enjoyment to whatever it is you’re doing.

Ask almost anyone and you’re apt to find general agreement that sometime in the foreseeable future we’ll all be using voice commands to communicate with our computers.

In fact, voice recognition is already being used to a limited extent, even though we’re still at least a few years away from a truly Star Trek-like command of our computers.

At least for the time being, accuracy just isn’t high enough for voice to be a reliable input method.

In the meantime, though, there are a lot of other choices available for inputting data and communicating with your computer.

Along with the standard mouse and keyboard, for instance, you can opt to use a tablet and pen input for graphics manipulation or, for gaming, there are joysticks, game pads, even steering devices to simulate driving or flying.

The mouse you may have used when you first learned to operate a computer has even gone through its share of changes.

When it was first introduced, the standard mouse utilized a rolling ball that enabled you to move the cursor around the screen, and a single button to select an object or perform an action.

With the release of Windows 95, a second button was added to the basic mouse and a “Windows key” started cropping up on keyboards.

Since then, mice and keyboards have acquired a host of new functions, along with a number of specialized keys, buttons and scrolling wheels that can be assigned to perform a wide array of tasks and simplify the way you work.

With today’s rolling mouse, even the ball has been upgraded, replaced with a low-power optical laser for more precise control. And you can throw away your old mouse pad; this optical mouse will track on almost any surface.

On top of all that, your mouse and keyboard no longer need to be tethered to the computer. Wireless technology has set them free.

With all of these changes, choosing which mouse is right for you is not as easy as it once was. The good news is that, with a little effort, you’re more apt to find one that will fit the way you work or play.

Whether you choose the more familiar mouse that you push around, or a stationary mouse equipped with a trackball that you control with your thumb or finger, you’ll find dozens in every shape and size from which you can choose.

It may take some time to sort through all the options, but the reward will be a more natural and efficient link between you and your computer. And upgrading your old mouse can be one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make your computer work the way you want it to.

Working with graphics, free-form drawing or photo manipulation can be a lot easier if you use a graphics tablet.

By employing a digital pen and drawing surface, graphics tablets can allow for more fluid motion and pinpoint control to let loose your creativity.

When it comes to gaming devices, the sky is, at least figuratively, the limit. For flight games, for instance, there are joysticks as well as yokes to simulate a true-to-life cockpit experience.

For driving and racing games, steering wheels and even foot pedals are available that put you right into the action. If strategy games are your preference, there are game pads aplenty from which to choose.

Today’s multimedia PCs can handle so many different things so well -- from everyday tasks to artistic creativity to family entertainment. Where input devices are concerned, though, one size just doesn’t fit all, and the idea of using the same input device for every kind of task simply doesn’t compute.

Neighbor Riley Gay is Wrangler News’ technical services director.

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