Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
virtual or onscreen keyboard
A replica of a
keyboard on the screen that users can tap or click
to simulate typing.
© iStockphoto.com/pengpeng
Figure.3 2
An ergonomic keyboard.
Step by Step
Using a Virtual Keyboard
Devices that don't have physical keyboards, like tablets and smartphones, use a
virtual keyboard
, which is a software
replica of a keyboard that pops up on the touch screen. Even if you have a regular keyboard, you can still try out a virtual
keyboard in Windows if you like. Follow these steps to use the virtual keyboard in Windows 7:
1
Click the Start button and type key and then click On-Screen Keyboard. A window appears showing a virtual
keyboard.
2
Open an application in which you can type text, such as Notepad. To open Notepad, click the Start button, type
notepad into the Search field, and then click Notepad.
3
Experiment with the keyboard by clicking keys to type the letters.
4
When you are finished, click the Close (X) button in the upper-left corner of the On-Screen Keyboard window.
5
Close the application you opened in Step 2 without saving your changes.
Pointing Devices
A pointing device is a piece of hardware that enables you to move an
onscreen pointer in a graphical user interface like Microsoft Windows.
A
mouse
is the most common pointing device. It is a palm-sized object
that you move across a flat surface to move the pointer on the display. A
mouse has one or more buttons on it; you press the buttons to act upon
whatever the pointer is pointing at.
mouse
A pointing device that the user moves
with his or her hand across a flat surface to move
an onscreen pointer.
A mouse can be either mechanical or optical. A
mechanical mouse
has a chamber on its underside with a rubber ball in it. As you roll the
mouse across a flat surface, the ball turns, activating sensors inside the
chamber that translate the ball's movement to onscreen pointer activ-
ity. An
optical mouse
has a light-emitting diode (LED) and a sensor on
its underside, as shown in Figure 3.3. The light bounces off the surface
mechanical mouse
A mouse that operates by
rolling a rubber ball inside a chamber containing
sensors.
optical mouse
A mouse that operates by
bouncing light off a flat surface and measuring the
reflection.