Section Six: Demonstrating Proper Use of the Mouse

Understanding how a mouse works: When you move the mouse, the ball rubs against rollers inside the mouse. One roller measures side-to-side motion and the other measures up-and-down motion. The rollers have encoder wheels with metal points which send electrical signals to the mouse software in the computer. (to determine speed & pointer style)

How to Use a Mouse Correctly: The mouse is best operated on a mouse pad (a rectangular piece of cushioned material which provides better traction than the desk top. When you move the mouse right on the surface of the pad, the pointer arrow moves right on the screen (?). The mouse usually is attached to the computer by a fine cable, but wireless mouse units also exist.

The top of the mouse contains one or more buttons. After moving the mouse pointer on the screen, you simply press, or click the mouse button. To press & release a mouse button twice without moving the mouse is called double-clicking. This process is often used to start programs or to open a document. ( The function of the buttons can be changed to accommodate right-and left-handed people. ) The main advantage of a mouse is that it is easy to use. With a little practice, you can use a mouse to point to locations on the screen just as easily as using a finger. However, it has its disadvantages: it requires empty desk space where it can be moved about; it requires you to remove a hand from the keyboard whenever the pointer is to be moved or a command given; and the mouse must be cleaned to remove dust and dirt from the ball mechanism.

[ Supplementary Hands-On Practice/Assignment: Go into the game of Solitaire on the Windows menu and practice the use of the mouse in moving the cards in the game. ]

Section Seven: Understanding RAM and ROM Memory

Memory refers to the circuits which temporarily store program instructions and data. Memory chips are found on the motherboard and on other circuit boards which control computer devices such as printers.

Memory stores 3 items:

1. the operating system & system software coordinating the equipment
2. the application program instructions directing the work to be done
3. The data currently being processed by the application programs

The basic unit of memory is called a byte (consisting of 8 bits) and the size of memory is measured in kilobytes (KB = approx. 1,000 bytes), megabytes (MB=approx. 1 million bytes), or gigabytes (GB=approx. 1 billion bytes).

Three common types of memory chips are RAM, ROM, and CMOS.

RAM (random access memory) includes the chips that can be read & written by the microprocessor or other computer devices. Today, most RAM memory is installed using a SIMM (single in-line memory module) circuit board on the mother board ,having multiple RAM chips.

RAM storage data is erased when the power to the computer is off, & remains intact only while the power is on or until replaced by other programs and data. Many computers improve their processing efficiency by using high-speed RAM cache memory between the CPU and the main RAM memory of the motherboard. (This RAM cache memory stores frequently used instructions so that processing will execute faster than retrieving it from slower memory or storage.)