Gain Productivity on Your Laptop Computer with a USB Mouse - By: Sheila Jonstone

Is the trackpad on your laptop or netbook slowing your work down? It sure does for me! Unless a laptop is your main computer, you may have a hard time switching from a mouse on your main machine to the touchpad.

A large number of people have a hard time using touchpads. It's very easy to accidentally send your mouse cursor flying across the screen with a stray touch of the pad. This really becomes a problem when trying to do work that requires precise control of the mouse such as photo editing or organizing a large number of files.

The simplest solution is to plug an external mouse into your laptop's USB port. A regular mouse is much more comfortable and easier to use than a touchpad. It's also more precise.

There are two choices when it comes to mice. With a cord or without. Corded mice are inexpensive and widely available. You may even have an extra one already. The drawback is the cord. It's usually much too long to use on a laptop computer and frequently gets tangled or caught on objects.

Cordless mice have no wires at all and take up very little space on your desk. Many of them have a dongle that stores right into the mouse itself when not in use. Simply take the dongle out, plug it into a USB port and you are ready to go. The big downside to cordless mice is the fact that they require batteries. The battery always tends to run out of juice right when you are in the process of doing something very important on your computer. Using rechargeable batteries or simply carrying a spare one is a good idea.

Here's a great tip. Under your mouse options you can tell the computer to turn off the touchpad when you have another mouse plugged in. This will eliminate accidental touches of the trackpad. A simple but very helpful feature!

An external mouse plugged into your notebook computer can really make a difference in usability. Stop struggling with your touchpad and give it a try. I bet you won't be able to go back!

About the Author

Sheila Jonstone loves to help shoppers make smart purchases. Check out her latest site to find a great deal on Air Hockey Pucks and related products by brands such as Harvard Air Hockey.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Sheila-Jonstone/54988

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