Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.Pointing
- – press the left mouse button on the left side of the mouse. Left-click is often referred to as “regular-click” and it is used for many common computer tasks, such as selecting objects, closing windows, opening hyperlinks, double-clicking, etc.
- – press the right mouse button on the right side of the mouse to display a popup menu showing commands for a selected item.
- – sliding content (text, images, etc.) vertically or horizontally on a computer screen and allowing the user to view different parts of information in a window.
- – a vertical bar on the right side of a window or screen that allows the user to scroll the window viewing area up or down.
- – a horizontal bar on the bottom of a window or screen that allows the user to scroll the window viewing area to the left or right.
- – sliding content up or down on a computer screen using a vertical scroll bar.
- – sliding content left or right on a computer screen using a horizontal scroll bar.
– press and hold the left mouse button to grab an object (such as an icon on the desktop) and place it to a different location.
Laptop Touchpad
Laptop touchpad (or trackpad) – an input device for laptop computers that is made up of a flat, touch-sensitive surface. It provides a way to move the cursor around the screen or give an instruction (highlight text, select and open applications, etc.).
Use a laptop touchpad (or trackpad)
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Tap (click) – point an object on the screen and then tap on the trackpad to select items / commands, open menus / hyperlinks (links), or close windows.
- Double tap (double click) – double tap on the trackpad on any folder, file, program, word, etc. to open / select it.
- Drag and drop – double-tap the trackpad to grab an object and place it to a different location. Example: drag the selected text to the new location.
- Right-click – tap two fingers anywhere on the trackpad to display a popup menu showing commands for a selected item.
- Scrolling – tap two fingers on the trackpad and slide fingers up or down to scroll.
- Select – swipe in from the left or right of the sentence or word (tap the right or left of the sentence or word and swipe towards the other side).
a device used to control the movement of the pointer (cursor) on the screen.
point an object on the screen and then press a button on the mouse to select objects / commands, open menus / hyperlinks (links), or close windows.
quickly click the left mouse button twice on any folder, file, or program to open it.
press the left mouse button on the left side of the mouse. Left-click is often referred to as “regular-click” and it is used for many common computer tasks, such as selecting objects, closing windows, opening hyperlinks, double-clicking, etc.
press the right mouse button on the right side of the mouse to display a popup menu showing commands for a selected item.
sliding content (text, images, etc.) vertically or horizontally on a computer screen and allowing the user to view different parts of information in a window.
a vertical bar on the right side of a window or screen that allows the user to scroll the window viewing area up or down.
a horizontal bar on the bottom of a window or screen that allows the user to scroll the window viewing area to the left or right.
sliding content up or down on a computer screen using a vertical scroll bar.
sliding content left or right on a computer screen using a horizontal scroll bar.
press and hold the left mouse button to grab an object (such as an icon on the desktop) and place it to a different location.
a small, flat surface on a laptop or other computer that does the same things as a mouse.
From WikiEducator
Pointing devices or cursor control devices used to control the movement of the pointer to select items on a display screen.
Mouse
MouseThe mouse is a point and click device. As you move the mouse across a surface, it senses this movement either mechanically or optically. This is translated into the movement of a pointer on the screen. Functions are represented as icons on the screen. When you click on these using a mouse button, the function is executed.
Touchpad A touchpad is a device that senses pressure to guide the pointer on the computer screen. It is generally a small square area below the keyboard. As the user moves his/her finger across the touchpad, the pointer moves on the screen. Next to the pad are two buttons used for clicking in exactly the same way as those on a mouse. Touchpad is a popular alternate pointing device for laptops.
Track BallTrackball
A trackball acts as a type of overturned mouse. The ball is on the top side of the object. By rolling the ball you can move the pointer across the screen. Some keyboards have an in-built trackball especially in laptops.
JoystickJoystick A joystick is a device that is familiar for use in games to move objects on the screen. However, it is also used to control the movements in computerised industrial machines such as lathes. It consists of a small vertical lever which can move in any direction. These movements are translated to the computer which in turn uses them to control the movements of machinery.