com). Although basic trackball mice are still commercially available, they have been largely overshadowed by newer versions of the computer mouse based on optical and laser technologies. All computer mice allow the user to control the position of a cursor on the screen (or alternatively, a player position in a game) as the trackball, optical or laser sensors detect user movements and translate those into digital input. The mouse devices installed on the latest versions of laptop computers work differently from trackball and optical mice that are external to the computer but the underlying input principles are the same for laptop track pads and click buttons as they are for external mice. External mice may be wireless as well as wired, allowing users increased ergonomic flexibility.

Like most computer-related inventions, the mouse has had a positive effect on social change. Making computers more accessible to a greater number of people,...
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