Most of you wouldn’t even be alive when the first mouse (computer mouse) of history. It was in 1964, by the hand of Doug Engelbart. An invention that revolutionized the way we use our machines. His presentation was before 1,000 engineers at the Stanford Research Institute. Not much is known about it, but today we are going to show you everything we know.
Today, PC mice are authentic works of advanced engineering, with a multitude of features that allow us to have the best possible performance when it comes to… moving the cursor around the screen. However, its history did not begin like this and you will be surprised at the real origin of this peripheral that we use so much in our day to day.
What was the first mouse in history like?
Its function was very basic, a simple demo of what would end up being a current mouse. It did the basic job. It was made from a block of wood along with two metal wheels. that made it possible to move on a flat surface. All handmade with materials that he had at home, so creating another exactly the same was impossible.
Its connection was logically by cable, and its buttons were not like the ones we know today. It consisted of only one (not two, or more as in the current ones) with which you could click and that’s it. It would be red, and with a mechanism like a hotel bell button. Everything in a very basic and simple way, but it worked.
This led to new ideas from companies and improvements to the prototype that had been introduced by Doug Engelbart, which was originally the “XY Position Indicator for a Display System”. A bit more complicated name, right? It was then that it was called a mouse in the laboratory itself to make it easier to refer to it.
However, it was not until 1983 when Steve Jobs launched the first computer with a new model of built-in mouse. It was this moment that he exploded, making his mouse with a built-in ball the best seller in the world. More than half of those in the market were his.
In conclusion. Doug Engelbart’s revolutionary invention not only changed the way we use computers, but also inspired others to improve on the original prototype and take it to a whole new level.
The patent for this invention corresponds to its creator, however, the Copyright they were kept by the SMI (Stanford Research Institute) worth $10,000.
Since the creation of the first mouse, we have seen new technologies such as the touchpad, touch screen, and other improved input devices. However, the history of the mouse remains proof of how even the simplest inventions can change the world in significant ways.
Finally, Doug passed away in 2013. Before this, one of his phrases after seeing what his invention had become was. “I’m surprised the name has stuck”
