From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
hamster
1. <programming> (From Fairchild) A particularly slick
little piece of code that does one thing well; a small,
self-contained hack. The image is of a hamster happily
spinning its exercise wheel.
2. <hardware> A tailless mouse; that is, one with an infrared
link to a receiver on the machine, as opposed to the
conventional cable.
3. <product> (UK) Any item of hardware made by Amstrad, a
company famous for its cheap plastic PC-almost-compatibles.
(1995-02-16)