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:
Click the Start button and type key and then click On-Screen Keyboard. A window appears showing a virtual
keyboard.
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.
Experiment with the keyboard by clicking keys to type the letters.
When you are finished, click the Close (X) button in the upper-left corner of the On-Screen Keyboard window.
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.
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