The mouse is the primary input device used to interact with objects in Microsoft® Windows®. The term mouse can also refer to other pointing devices, such as trackballs, touchpads and pointing sticks built into notebook computers, pens used with Windows Tablet and Touch Technology, and, on computers with touchscreens, even a user’s finger.
Physically moving the mouse moves the graphic pointer (also referred to as the cursor) on the screen. The pointer has a variety of shapes to indicate its current behavior.
Pointers
| Shape | Name | When used |
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Normal select | Used for most objects. |
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Link select | Used for text and graphics links because of their weak affordance. |
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Text select | Used for text to indicate a location between characters. |
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Precision select | Used for graphic and other two-dimensional interaction. |
