Touchy-feely.Not everyone is fond of the touchpad A stationary pointing device that provides a small, flat surface that you slide your finger over using the same movements as you would a mouse. You can tap on the pad's surface as an alternate to pressing one of the touchpad keys. See mouse, trackball and pointing stick. or pointing stick A pointing device that looks like a pencil eraser between the G, H and B keys. It is moved with the forefinger, while the thumb is used to press related keys located in front of the space bar. IBM popularized this device by introducing the TrackPoint on its ThinkPad notebooks. device on most laptops. Some people like the feel of a good, old-fashioned two-button mouse. The Atek Super Mini Optical Mouse is a precise pointer that is more accurate than its ball-based counterpart; and, at only 2.5 inches long and 1 inch wide, the USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. and PS/2 mouse is about the size of a pack of chewing gum--and it doesn't stick. Best of all, the mouse fits anywhere (even on your palm rest) and doesn't require a mouse pad A fabric-covered rubber pad roughly 9" square that provides a smooth surface for rolling a mouse. There are also mouse pads that provide a better surface; for example, 3M makes the Precise Mousing Surface, an ultra-thin mouse pad that is engineered to reduce friction. . The Kevlar-reinforced cord helps, too. ($49.95; www.atek.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --S.A.D. |
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