The 8 Different Types Of Computer Mice

The 8 Different
Types Of Computer

Mice

Created By: Loree Ricketts

Optical and Laser Mouses

More modern mouse designs use light, in the form of high-resolution LEDs or lasers, to track the
movement of the mouse. They've proven more reliable than mechanical mice because of their
lack of moving parts to break or need cleaning, and improvements in both the hardware and
software have made it possible for mice to be much more accurate and sensitive.

Electromechanical Mouses

When the mouse first became an essential accessory in the 1980s, it used a refinement of Engelbart's
mechanical mouse. Instead of wheels, the mouse had a heavy rubberized ball which could roll in any
direction. Two rollers inside the mouse recorded the ball's motion and transformed it into electrical
signals, while a third roller provided tension to keep the ball pressed firmly against the other two.

Specialty Mouses and Mouse-like Devices

In some specific situations – while you're at a screen giving a presentation, for example – you may not be
able to use your mouse on a flat surface. Manufacturers have evolved various mouse-like devices using
accelerometers that can be used in these situations, translating the motions of your arm through the air
into movements of your on-screen pointer. Because it's a niche scenario, these aren't widely known or
used.

Serial Mouse

The IBM PC didn't have a joystick port, but it did have an RS-232C or serial port for communicating
with other devices. When the mouse first became mainstream in the 1980s, early models from Microsoft
and Mouse Systems were often designed to attach to this port. Serial ports came in 9-pin and 25-pin
versions, but a serial mouse would work on either of those connections with an appropriate adapter.

Bus Mouse

The problem with connecting through the serial port was that it was often used by other devices, such as
external modems. One way around that issue was to use a bus mouse, which came with its own
controller card. The card was installed into a slot on the computer's expansion bus – hence the name
and then the mouse was plugged into it. These often had a proprietary interface, so they couldn't easily
be moved between computers.

PS/2 Mouse

When IBM introduced its PS/2 series of personal computers, it introduced a new, standardized port for
the keyboard and mouse. These so-called PS/2 ports were small, round connectors, usually color-coded
so you knew which device to install where.

USB Mouse

When the USB interface was first defined in the 1990s, one of its design goals was to provide a single
port that could be used for any peripheral device including a mouse. Any types of mouse that still use
a cord typically continue to use a USB connector.

Wireless Mouse

Cords can be messy and inconvenient, so wireless mice were an obvious next step. Some conventional
designs plug a small wireless dongleinto the USB port and use that to communicate between the mouse
and the computer. An alternative approach uses the Bluetooth wireless protocol to communicate between
the mouse and the computer. Modern laptops and tablets typically have Bluetooth built in, so a Bluetooth
mouse doesn't require a dongle.

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