Other pointing devices

Laptop computers often have a touchpad on the keyboard which the user can use to direct the pointer on the screen by moving a finger across the pad. A graphics tablet (or digital tablet or simply tablet) is a device which functions like an electronic pen and paper. The user can draw on its flat surface with a special 'pen' or 'stylus', and the drawings are transferred onto the screen.

Other input devices include:

a light pen: acts like a mouse, but allows the user to move the pointer and to select objects on the screen by pointing at them with the light pen, which uses a light-sensitive detec­tor

a joystick: similar to the device a pilot holds when flying an aeroplane, often used for playing computer games

a pointing stick: a miniature joystick the size of a pencil's eraser tip, situated between the keys of a notebook, and oper­ated with a fingertip to move the pointer on the screen

a tracker ball: a ball moved by the user's palm or fingers to move the pointer on the screen.

Alan Simpson “English for IT and the Internet”

1. What is a pointing device?

2. What is a mouse? What do we use it for?

3. What is the difference between a cursor and a pointer?

4. What other pointing devices are described in the text?

5. Which of the pointing devices do you think is the most convenient?

6. Recommend the most suitable pointing device to the following people. Convince them that it is the best choice.

1. an ordinary user to work with a desktop computer at home: to surf the Internet, to work with docs;

2. a teenager needs something to play an airplane simulation game;

3. a graphics designer to use at work;

4. a businessman to use the laptop when travelling;

5. a student using a tablet in the University.

Exercise 5. Give Russian equivalents to the words given below.

a pointing device a mouse mat the primary mouse button the secondary mouse button to control the position of the pointer I-beam pointer

selection pointer to tap in rapid succession to direct the pointer flat surface a light-sensitive detector to be similar to

Exercise 6. Correct false statements.

1. Pointing devices allow the user to move the elements.

2. Among pointing devices we can name a mouse, a touchpad, a mouse mat, a navigation key, a light pen, a joystick.

3. All mice have two or three button and a wheel.

4. A mouse is used to control the position of the pointer on the screen. As you move the mouse, the mouse pointer moves in the opposite direction.

5. The terms pointer and cursor are often used interchangeably, there is no distinctions between them.

Vocabulary

WORD

TRANSLATION

COMBINATIONS

a mouse (mice)	мышь (мыши)	mouse pointer mouse pad
keyboard	клавиатура
a key	клавиша	function key numeric keypad navigation keys alphabetic keys shortcut keys

to scan something (in/on, into/onto)	сканировать
to input	вводить данные
voice recognition software	Программное обеспечение распознования голоса
to edit	редактировать
button	кнопка	primary mouse button secondary mouse button
to point a point	указывать указание	a pointer a pointing stick
to click a click	нажать нажатие	double-click right click left-click
to drag	тащить
to scroll (up/down)	прокручивать страницу вверх/ вниз
to roll the wheel	прокручивать колесо мышки
to drop	отпустить

Exercise 7. Match each term with the correct definition.

primary button navigation keys right click numeric keys secondary button point to drag a peripheral to drop

to tap the mouse button on the right side to release the button of the mouse and the item after dragging it a special keypad with numbers only. The keys are laid out like the keys on a typical adding machine to move the mouse pointer so that it is touching the item left mouse button a device able to be attached to and used with a computer, though not an integral part of it to point to an item and then move the mouse holding down the device move the mouse special keys to move around through the text on the screen. right mouse button

Exercise 8. Choose the right word.

1. When you move an item across the screen you should hold the mouse right (button/key).

2. Can I (edit/change) the brightness of the photo.

3. Right (point/click/drag) means to point to the item and tap the button on the right.

4. When you use optical mice you actually do not need a mouse (pad/pointer).

5. To find the end of the text quickly (roll/ scroll) it down.

6. To (scan/input) a text into your computer make sure the scanner is on.

7. (Scroll/Roll) the text up to find the introduction to the topic.

8. To play some games it’s more convenient to use a (joystick/keyboard)

9. To move up or down the document you can (roll/scroll) the mouse wheel.

10. To put the cursor into the right place (click/point) a button.

11. Two clicks of a mouse are called (double/dual) click.

12. I don’t think the scanner is (compatible with/ suitable for) the computer.

Exercise 9. Complete the gaps. Make sure that you use the correct grammatical form