Simple question about mice...

[123456]

You guys surely remember those older 3-button mice? I used to use them back in the day but it's been so long since then... I was just wondering what the middle button's function was.

http://www.djx.com.au/blog/wp-content/images/mouse/old-logitech-3-button-ball-mouse.jpg

[Fruss Tray Ted]

You do realize that your roller/scrollwheel is usually a button also?

The third button was once a programmable click to do any of several things in the older OS'es but I just use it to place the little scroll icon on a page to move U/D.

[Paul Komski]

Left, Right and Middle click can have both default and customisable options (depending on make and drivers) and Left and Right can usually be swapped around by the Windows settings.

Some applications respond in special ways to a middle click. In multi-tabbed versions of Firefox and IE, for example, middle-clicking on a link should open the page in a new Tab.

[Variable]

Back when I worked on SUN workstations the three button mouse was called a SAM Mouse - Select Adjust Menu (from training class to learn how to use a mouse :) ) If I remember correctly you could adjust the window with it, it had option to bring a window to the front or push it to the back. Probably other options too but I don't remember. But the middle button was the "Adjust" button.