In computing , a mouse (plural mice or mouses ) functions as a pointing device by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of a small case, held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates into the motion of a pointer on a display .

The name mouse , coined at the Stanford Research Institute , derives from the resemblance of early models (which had a cord attached to the rear part of the device, suggesting the idea of a tail) to the common eponymous rodent .

The first integrated mouse — shipped as a part of a computer and intended for personal computer navigation — came with Xerox Star 1981.

Advantages:

•  It allows the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features can add more control or dimensional input.