What is pointing device?

A pointing device is an input interface (particularly a human interface device) that allows a user to input spatial (i.e., continuous and multi-dimensional) data to a computer. CAD systems and graphical user interfaces (GUI) let the user to control and give data to the computer using physical gestures — point, click, and drag — for instance by moving a hand-held mouse across the surface of the physical desktop and activating switches on the mouse. Movements of the pointing device are echoed on the screen by movements of the pointer (or cursor) and added visual changes.

While the nearly all common pointing device by far is the mouse, a lot of more devices have been developed. But, mouse is normally used as a metaphor for devices that move the cursor.