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The computer mouse is a common pointing device, popularized by
its inclusion as standard equipment with the Apple Macintosh. With
the rise in popularity of graphical user interfaces in MS-DOS; UNIX,
and OS/2, use of mice is growing throughout the personal computer
and workstation worlds. The basic features of a mouse are a casing
with a flat bottom, designed to be gripped by one hand; one or more
buttons on the top; a multidirectional detection device (usually a ball)
on the bottom; and a cable connecting the mouse to the computer. By
moving the mouse on a surface (such as a desk), the user controls an
on-screen cursor. A mouse is a relative pointing device because there are
no defined limits to the mouse's movement and because its placement on
a surface does not map directly to a specific screen location. To select
items or choose commands on the screen, the user presses one of the
mouse's buttons, producing a "mouse click."
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