MOSTLY MICE

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Once you become accustomed to using a mouse with your computer, you probably find it awkward to run programs without mouse support. Luckily, a solution has arrived for users of three major word processors. Mostly Mice Software offers three products that add mouse capability to existing word processors: El Perfecto, for Word Perfect; The Star-Mouse, for WordStar; and Mouse-Mate, for MultiMate.

Installating the drivers is easy. Simply run the install program and answer some questions about how your system is configured, and the files will be copied to the appropriate directory.

After you've installed the program, you'll find a number of menus available within your word processor that can be selected with a mouse-button click or keypresses. These are especially handy if you're just learning the program, since most commands can now be easily selected from a menu. If you're a seasoned user, you'll still often find making selections with the mouse easier than executing the sometimes awkward keystrokes.

Placement of the mouse pointer requires some practice. The cursor itself is easy to position, but choosing the exact spot for marking a block or deleting a character takes some getting used to.

If you find yourself intimidated when using your word processor or you're looking for shortcuts, consider these useful packages.

RICHARD C. LEINECKER