Laptop keyboards are bad enough, but laptop pointing devices — touchpads, eraser sticks, trackballs — are almost pointless. That's where Atek's mini mouse comes in.

Officially known as the Super Mini Optical Mouse, it's a thumb-sized, two-button clicker, just 2 1/2 inches long and an inch wide, that connects with a 3-foot cord to your laptop's USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. (A PS/2 version is in the works and should be available shortly.) No special software is needed.

The $49.95 mouse is small enough to work on the palm rest of your computer, but because it uses optical technology instead of a moving mouse ball underneath, it'll operate on almost any surface, including an armrest or your pantleg.

The mouse works with Windows 98/Me and 2000 operating systems, and the PS/2 version will add Windows 95 compatibility.

It's available online at Atek Electronics (www.atekelec.com), iGo Mobile Technology Outfitters (www.igo.com) and J&R Computer World (www.jandr.com), and will be in computer stores nationwide soon.