Purpose Behind Having a Pointing Device

You likely do not work with just a keyboard – at the least you have a keyboard with some kind of pointing device. The most common pointing device is the standard mouse. Your limitations in accessing the system that you use with just a keyboard – whether your operating system is Windows 98 or some other system – would be too great, too slow, or too cumbersome for memory (your memory!).

For instance, use only your keyboard to select another program…or to highlight a sentence for removal from a presentation…or to select a function from the menu bar of a Word document. The people that made your operating system designed most of these functions to be accessed with a mouse or some other type of pointing device. This is a good exercise to evaluate the limitations of your keyboard. By restricting yourself to using just the keys to manage the operating system, you will either experience a drastic reduction in speed or a reduction in access to various functions – or both.

You may remember that there was a day at the beginning of computer development where only text could be inserted into a document. The innovation behind using icons and point / click command structures with a mouse came about with the development of the GUI (Graphic User Interface) structure into PC’s and CAD databases.

Since we use these de facto operating systems (OS) and modes of selecting text and imagery with our computers daily, they have become the standard of how we expect to access our systems. No system would be fully functional without them. They enable us to achieve more from our system and move with a greater speed of accomplishment. In addition they can be modified or adjusted to help with space constraints, height limitations, lack of a stable surface, drafting or CAD systems, robotic arms or systems in motion and physical handicaps.

OS software generally falls into two types of functions – discrete or continuous / dynamic. Discrete functions are related to the individual keys that make up your keyboard. The stroke of a key produces a set command or signal – much like one of the letters of the alphabet – that is made to correspond to the particular key that you pressed. You can press that key a thousand times and it will always produce the same effect. Imagine if you had to have a discrete key for every command that is required by your system – how large would that keyboard be! In contrast, continuous or dynamic commands take you beyond the limitations of the legend information called out on the keyboard. These actions allow you access to the GUI and greatly reduce the size requirements of a keyboard. This means more movement or flexibility in your choices and less space required for those choices. Keyboard utilization requires both discrete and dynamic functions to access the full capability of your operating system.