An optical input apparatus including light sources, light receiving areas, and processing circuits. The light from the sources can be reflected by fingers into the receiving areas where the incident light can trigger electrical signals. The processing circuits can process the signals and transmit corresponding data entry or pointing information to host computer or other electronic systems.The light receiving areas can be arranged and assigned functions to perform keyboard and mouse functions. Additional touch/pressure-triggered switch can be included to assist selection of keys. This invention enables fast and touchless operation of keyboard and mouse that avoid repetitive strain injuries and pains. It also enables fast and more convenient use of small size keyboard.