Do you need a mouse for your Custom Laptop?

Laptops today come with at least one means of navigation: the touchpad, sometimes called a trackpad. This pointing device has been used on computers since the 80s. In 1994 Apple was the first to put a touchpad in a laptop. Earlier laptops used trackballs. Although trackballs may be still used for ergonomic purposed for desktops, they are almost never found in modern laptops like these: http://www.avadirect.com/custom-laptop-computers.

Another early pointing device is called the pointing stick, or what I like to call the nubbin. This pointing device is a small rubber joystick that is mounted in the keyboard and is still found on some modern Dell and Lenovo laptops. If a pointing stick was included in a custom laptop there was usually another pointing device like a touchpad or a trackball.

Some of the latest laptops also have another method of navigation: touchscreens. Windows 8.1 was designed to be touch-friendly, so a big wave of touchscreen laptops was released when Windows 8 was available. The touchscreens on laptops most commonly allow for multi-touch, i.e. when the screen recognizes that you have multiple fingers touching it and it uses this to recognize a certain gesture, like pinching to zoom in on a picture or map.

So with all of these navigational devices available on laptops would you ever need an external mouse? That is not a rhetorical question but rather a personal one. Which pointing device you prefer is a personal decision. For some people the convenience and the portability of a touchpad is all they need. This is especially true for college students and road warriors who have been toting their laptops from room to room.

Others prefer the ergonomics of the mouse. Using a trackpad extensively can lead to issues like carpal tunnel. Mice (at least large ones) tend to cradle your hand in a more comfortable position reducing strain and repetitive motion issues, whereas with a touchpad you can use it in any hand position, including uncomfortable positions or ones that cause carpal tunnel.

For others external mice give them the precision they seek. Graphic designers, engineers and even gamers rely on the accuracy of their pointing device and this cannot be achieved with a trackpad or a pointing stick. Above all else, some users are just used to using a mouse and will carry one around along with their laptop. There are many portable mini mice available for such a purpose. These mice are typically tiny at just a couple inches long. For the most part they have all the regular features of a computer mouse: left click, right click and a clickable scroll wheel. Usually they are wired and have a thin retractable USB cable. I don’t recommend these mice as they are still small enough to be uncomfortable and cause hand cramping, and if you’re going to carry something around it might as well be a full sized mouse. After all, the regular mouse isn’t that large compared to the rest of your custom laptop. Finally, since the trackpad or other pointing device on your laptop can break, it’s always a good idea to have a spare so you don’t have to end up using someone else’s custom PC.