History of Computer Mouse

Many of us use computers everyday, but we rarely give a thought about how the computer evolved to what it is today. Leaps and bounds in technology have enabled the computer to be used by even the average human. However, easy as it seems to operate the computer, this feat would have been very difficult without a small device known as the 'mouse'. It plays a very important role in navigating through computer content, and is often unnoticed by people when they use it. It is an electronic device, smaller than the palm, that has one or more buttons. This device makes computer operation easy and hassle-free. To put it simply, it is used for moving the cursor displayed on the computer monitor, to select a displayed option. The computer mouse has been through various technological advancements till now, which include physical changes as well as modifications and enhancements in the features.

"It would be wonderful if I can inspire others, who are struggling to realize their dreams, to say if this country kid could do it, let me keep slogging away''. - Douglas Engelbart.

The computer mouse was invented by a US inventor, Douglas Engelbart. He is not only the inventor of the computer mouse, but of many more devices too, like specialized machinery - which could only be used after operational training - and simple user-friendly devices, which could be used by anyone. His most famous innovation or invention is the computer mouse, which is used all over the world. Moreover, he also contributed to inventions such as windows, email, Internet technology, computer video teleconferencing, hypermedia groupware, etc. among others.

In 1964, a full-scale working model of the computer mouse was developed and used with a Graphical User Interface (GUI). It was a shell made of wood with two metal wheels. Douglas Engelbart filed for, and received a patent for this, in 1970. In the patent application, he mentioned it as an "X-Y position indicator for a display system." It was simply named 'mouse', as the wire that was connected behind, was similar to the tail of a mouse. The name stuck and till today it is known as a 'mouse', in computer parlance. As there was no procedure of issuing patents for software products at that time, Engelbart did not receive a patent for his version of Windows. He had, however, acquired more than 45 patents to his name.

In the 1960s and 70s, while at the Stanford Research Institutes's Augmentation Research Center, he concentrated on developing a system called as the 'oNLine System' (NLS). Many of his inventions such as the computer mouse and Windows were components of this system. In 1968, there was a public presentation, organized at the Augmentation Research Center, to display the mouse, Windows, hypermedia, and video teleconferencing. This conference lasted for an hour and a half. Before the invention of the computer mouse, various input devices like light pens, graphic tablets, and joysticks were used as a substitute for keyboards.

In 1984, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, Inc., re-designed the computer mouse for his Macintosh computers. Douglas Engelbart received the 1997 Lemelson-MIT award along with a prize money of $500,000, which is the highest monetary award given for any invention till date. In 1998, his name was eventually introduced in the 'National Inventors Hall of Fame'.

The invention of the computer mouse has proven to be extremely useful for operating computers easily. There are many user-friendly functions being introduced in the 'mice' manufactured today, thereby enhancing their usability. This small device has undergone many changes since its inception by Douglas, but, if not for his invention, navigating through a computer would be far from the easy task it is today.