Most universal name for a computer mouse

Question

I was watching a Spanish video today and they were talking about computers and keyboards, etc., and they happened to translate "computer mouse" as "el ratón." First of all, I think it's quite hilarious that in English it's a mouse, and in Spanish it's a rat. Is it a greater evil in one language than the other? Haha... However, what I was really wondering whether "el ratón" is the most universally used translation of "mouse." I know it's hard to generalize, but I was mostly curious if there are any alternative Spanish names for this rather necessary and dimunitive member of all computers.
I have never heard anyone refer to a computer mouse as "un ratón", but then again it might just be that my Spanish-speaking friends are more likely to use the Spanglish alternative ("el mouse") than the proper dictionary term.

I came at this one from the other direction. Despite seeing it online and in class, I could never remember which was which between Rata y Ratón. Luego, empece a notar que computadors tienen ratones, y se puso fácil. Of, of course, ratón is mouse. - rogspax, Feb 5, 2013

Answer 1

Both my texts, and every Spanish speaking friend I know (mostly Mexican, but a few others too) all say ¨el ratón¨. It seems pretty universal.

The one (in the area of computers) that I¨ve seen vary the most so for is CD-ROM.

El CD-ROM. El disco compacto, El cederrón.

Sometimes it seems like the only universal Spanish words are el and la, but I guess now we can add Ratón. 3 and counting... - rogspax, Feb 5, 2013

Answer 2

El ratón is normal. It means mouse.

A rat is una rata. I should know.

Hahaha! - --Mariana--, Feb 4, 2013

;) And how DiD you come up with that name? - rogspax, Feb 4, 2013

Very good Annie. - gringojrf, Feb 4, 2013

You know haow it is, I do a lot of guessing, nothing to do with my poor children having toi be called ratties, no. Not at all. - annierats, Feb 4, 2013

Haha... thank you. Apparently I have been confused about the meaning of "rat'on", which is mostly due to the fact that I live near a little isle that is called "Isla de los Ratones", but even tourism guides insistently translate it "Rats' Island." Haha.. - latinabi, Feb 5, 2013

Mice's Island just isn't as catchy as Rats' Island, I guess... - latinabi, Feb 5, 2013

Pretty funny that the tour guides get it wrong. I´ve seen that in Germany when friends were visiting and joining them on a touristy guided tour and hearing what some slacker kid said and thinking ¨wait, he´s from here, how can he be that wrong?¨ - rogspax, Feb 5, 2013

Answer 3

Guatemala = Ratón