Whether it is one with a ball, optical or of any brand or type, this device has been a fundamental tool in the world of computing. But have you ever wondered why it is called a “mouse”?
Today we are going to see what was the first in history and why that name stayed forever.
Where does its origin come from?
It all goes back to the year 1964 in which Doug Engelbart invented the first mouse in history. This was made of wood and its operation was very simple. It only had a “click” and a connecting cable.
At that time, the name of the invention had to be patented as it is today. He and his engineering team called it “XY Position Indicator for a Display System (XY Position Indicator for a Display System)”. A name that explained a little how this invention works.
However, in the lab they needed a more practical and memorable name to refer to the device in their daily conversations. It was then that the nickname “mouse” arose, which would mean “mouse” in Spanish. This simple and concise name allowed for more efficient communication between team members during the development and refinement of the team.
Doug Engelbart commented in one of his interviews already in the 21st century that he does not know the reason why he was called that, nor who was responsible for the team that put it inside it, but from that moment they began to refer to him like mouse.
He also referred to him with the following words: “I’m surprised the name has stuck”
It is curious that he himself did not know when that name was given to him or what was the reason. So, 50 years later, we’re still calling him by a nickname that wasn’t much discussed.
Was he named that way because of his similarity to a real mouse? Or maybe because of the speed with which the cursor was moving, similar to the speed of this running? Although it may seem interesting, it is something that we will probably never discover, since Doug Engelbart passed away in 2013 giving that last interview of him.
What we do know for sure is that we still call it a mouse, and that probably in another 50 years, if it still exists, its name will still be the same.
In summary, the name “mouse” is attributed to the first device invented by Doug Engelbart in 1964, something that normally does not happen, and that evolves over time, however this time and without meaning to, he stuck with that name. forever, becoming the term commonly used to refer to him. At least I don’t know any other.
As a final curiosity, it must be said that the patent for this invention belongs to its creator, but nevertheless, the copyright remains with the SMI (Stanford Research Institute). worth $10,000.
