Choose one that is comfortable and flexible to suit household needs. Always use a mouse pad for a smooth glide. Clean the ball often as dirt and grease from your hands get into the mouse and can impair performance. You can use it that way too, but better to get one designed to be used as such. People with certain impairements may find this type more usefull.
Most portable computers have a trackball device included on the keyboard.
It uses less space than a mouse and won't get lost as easily. Well you did not buy a computer just for work. The arrow keys on your keyboard can be used, but it's a joke. A mouse might do, but it's clumsy. Games are heavy users of joysticks.