A touchpad is a flat, touch-sensitive surface that lets you control a cursor on a computer screen by moving your finger across it. Most laptop computers have a touchpad built in below the keyboard, so you can use the computer without needing a separate mouse.

When you slide your finger across a touchpad, the cursor moves in the same direction on the screen. Tapping the touchpad once works like clicking a mouse button. Many touchpads recognize gestures too: swiping with two fingers might scroll a page, while pinching or spreading your fingers can zoom in and out, just like on a smartphone screen.

Touchpads made portable computers much more practical. Before touchpads became standard in the early 1990s, laptop users had to carry a mouse everywhere, which was awkward when working on an airplane or in a coffee shop. The touchpad solved this problem by building the pointing device right into the laptop.

Some people prefer using a mouse for precise work like drawing or gaming, while others love the convenience of keeping their hands near the keyboard. Either way, the touchpad gave computer users new freedom to work anywhere.