Shockwave and Flash are programs like this that greatly enhance Internet graphic displays and animation. They will add to your Internet viewing pleasure, and, once they are downloaded, you will be able to view any Web pages that use them. Mine doesn't seem to work well without one. An optical mouse does not need a mouse pad. These mice have an optical eye on the bottom rather than the roller-ball that is found on traditional mice.
Optical mice work on any surface except for very shiny ones like mirror and glass.
Every once in awhile when using Word, I try to open a document but get an error saying the document is already in use. I check but the document is not open. Word and several other software programs seem to lose track of themselves. Close Word and press the CRTL key, the ALT key, and the DEL key all at the same time. A list of programs currently running will appear.