The Mouse

The mouse is one of two primary input devices in Windows (the other is the keyboard). Moving the mouse on your physical desk controls the motion of the mouse pointer on your screen. By moving the mouse pointer over an icon or control and then clicking, you can select an item, open or move a file, run a program, or throw something away, for example.

A mouse has a left and a right button. You'll use the left button for most actions, but skillful use of the right button, which displays a shortcut menu, is a key to working quickly. Advanced mice have extra buttons for other functions.

Tips

• Most mice have a scroll wheel (a small wheel between the two main buttons) that helps you scroll through documents and webpages. On some mice, you can press the scroll wheel as a third button.
• Instead of a mouse, you may have a touchpad (used on laptops), trackball, or stylus (used on Tablet PCs).
• Lefties can swap the functions of the left and right mouse buttons. See "Configuring the Mouse" in Chapter 4.
• The pointer's shape changes depending on what it's pointing to. Table 1.3 shows the default pointers. To change the shapes, see "Configuring the Mouse" in Chapter 4.
• In text documents, don't confuse the cursor, which blinks steadily, with the mouse pointer, which never blinks. The cursor (also called the insertion point) indicates where text will be inserted when you type (Figure 1.11).

Figure 1.11 The cursor-the vertical bar at the end of the text-marks the insertion point for newly typed text. To move the insertion point, click the mouse pointer-the I-beam on the right-at a new insertion point or use the arrow keys.

Table 1.3 Mouse Pointers Shape Wh e n I t Appears The normal pointer. Click the area or item that you want to work with. Appears when you click the question mark (?) in the top-right corner of a dialog box. Click any dialog-box item to get "What's This?" help. Windows is doing something in the background- opening or saving a temporary file, for example. You can keep doing your own work, but response time may be longer than usual. Windows is busy with a task and will ignore you until it finishes. Typically, this pointer will appear in only one program window at a time; if it appears everywhere, your computer is indeed busy. Appears when you point to a window's border (side or corner). Drag the border to resize the window. See "Windows" later in this chapter. Appears when you point to a word or image linked to a help page, command, or website. Click the link to jump to a related destination or display pop-up information. The action that you're trying to perform is forbidden, or the item that you're pointing to is unavailable. The I-beam or I-bar appears where you can select or edit text. Click to set the insertion point, or click and drag to select (highlight) text. Helps you move an item precisely. This pointer often appears in drawing programs. Appears when you choose Move or Size from a window's control menu. When it does, use the arrow keys to move or resize the window and then press Enter, or press Esc to cancel. Also see "Windows" later in this chapter.

Figure 1.12 One tiny pixel is the pointer's hot spot, which you use to point precisely. For an arrow pointer, it's the tip of the arrow. In Microsoft's wilder alternative pointer schemes, finding the hot spot takes a little practice. To point: Move the tip of the pointer over the item to which you want to point (Figure 1.12). To click: Point to an item; then press and release the left mouse button without moving the mouse (Figure 1.13 and Figure 1.14). To double-click: Point to an item and click the left mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse. Tip Double-click too slowly, and Windows interprets it as two single clicks, which isn't the same thing. To change the speed of what Windows recognizes as a doubleclick, see "Configuring the Mouse" in Chapter 4. To right-click: Point to an item; then click the right mouse button without moving the mouse (Figure 1.15). To drag: Point to an item; press and hold the left mouse button while you move the pointer to a new location; then release the button (Figure 1.16). Figure 1.13 Click to select an icon... Figure 1.14 ...or activate a dialog-box item. Figure 1.15 Right-click an item to display its shortcut menu. Figure 1.16 Drag to move items such as icons and folders. What this action actually accomplishes depends on where you drag to. Tips Drag an object with the right mouse button to display a shortcut menu when you reach the new location. Press Esc during a drag to cancel it. Drag in a folder window or on the desktop to draw a rectangular marquee around icons. Releasing the mouse button selects the enclosed icons.