computer science

IntelliPoint

IntelliPoint is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IntelliPoint rather than just read about it. In short: Microsoft IntelliPoint is the Microsoft-branded software driver for the company's hardware mice. Microsoft has released versions for both Windows and Mac OS X.

Key takeaways

IntelliPoint belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IntelliPoint to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IntelliPoint from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Microsoft IntelliPoint is the Microsoft-branded software driver for the company's hardware mice. Microsoft has released versions for both Windows and Mac OS X. It has been succeeded by Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center, which combines IntelliType (a Microsoft keyboard driver) with IntelliPoint.

Features Software features may only be available with certain mice models. (Button options are specific to the selected model.) On Mac OS X 10.4-10.7.x, IntelliPoint features can be accessed by opening Microsoft Mouse in System Preferences. Depending on the software version and specific mouse product, users can define mouse buttons to run any executable program or file they desire (or a control key + letter combination) and can even define buttons for different functions in chosen programs. With IntelliPoint 4, users were able to specify mouse wheel behavior to scroll one screen at a time. This feature was useful in situations where the user had to work with windows of varying size and a fixed scroll rate alternated from being too fast or too slow depending on each window. This feature was incorporated into the Windows XP operating system and removed in IntelliPoint 5. The "Alt+Tab" button combination was also replaced with "Next Window," effectively preventing users from alternating between specific programs, and instead having to cycle through one by one (although this can be hacked back in the registry).

Scrolling

Universal Scrolling is a software function within IntelliPoint that allows a scroll wheel to work with programs that do not natively support that method of input. If a program supports scroll wheels natively, the Universal Scrolling feature will generally not interfere with the native implementation.

Supported mice IntelliPoint supports older models of Microsoft mice, as well as generic 3/5-button mice.

Note: Version 8.0 and above dropped PS/2 support for the following list. As even adapters cannot assist, Microsoft keeps version 7.1 as an offered download for users who still own mice with PS/2 connectors (instead of USB).

Arc Arc Touch Basic Optical Mouse Basic Optical Mouse v2.0 Comfort Optical Mouse 3000 Comfort Optical Mouse 500 v2.0 IntelliMouse IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0 IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 IntelliMouse Explorer 4.0 IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth IntelliMouse Optical Explorer Mouse Explorer Touch Mouse Explorer Mini Mouse Laser Mouse 6000 Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 Mobile Optical Mouse Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Notebook Optical Mouse Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 Optical Mouse Optical Mouse by Starck Sculpt Comfort Mouse Sculpt Mobile Mouse Sculpt Touch Mouse SideWinder Mouse SideWinder x8 Mouse (for gaming) Standard Wireless Mouse Touch Mouse Trackball Explorer Trackball Optical Wheel Mouse Wheel Mouse Optical Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0 Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer with Fingerprint Reader Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 v2.0 Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 6000 Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 7000 Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000 Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Wireless Notebook Mouse 5000 Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0 Wireless Optical Mouse 2000 Wireless Optical Mouse 5000 (also Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0)

References

External links "Mice - Software Downloads - Microsoft Hardware (Windows (32 or 64 bit) and Mac OS X Versions 10.4-10.7.x (32 and 64-bit))". Microsoft.

Universal Scrolling Description of Universal Scrolling Feature for Microsoft IntelliPoint

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IntelliPoint

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IntelliPoint claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IntelliPoint before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IntelliPoint ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IntelliPoint

In research: IntelliPoint appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IntelliPoint in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IntelliPoint is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Microsoft software, Utility software for Windows, Utility software for macOS, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IntelliPoint outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study IntelliPoint in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IntelliPoint means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IntelliPoint out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IntelliPoint in simple terms?

Microsoft IntelliPoint is the Microsoft-branded software driver for the company's hardware mice. Microsoft has released versions for both Windows and Mac OS X.

Why does IntelliPoint matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IntelliPoint?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IntelliPoint.