Mouse is one of the most humble yet sophisticated PC accessories. Though today use of mouse has been displaced by the touch screen displays yet many stick to this modest gadget for the flexibility and agility it provides to carry on everyday computing tasks. Mouse that we know today is not what it used to be perhaps its evolution has been quiet interesting. Let us see how this wonderful gadget has shaped up over the course of time.
1. X-Y position indicator for a display system
This is perhaps what first mouse ever looked like, for many it seemed like a wooden toy with two perpendicular discs rather than a mouse itself. Nevertheless Douglas Engelbart, the engineer from Stanford Research Institute was credited with first mouse.
2. Telefunken Rollkugel
Though Engelbart was the first to invent mouse but it was not commercially viable to produce and use due the limitation of its overall use. In 1968, Telefunken developed first mouse with a rolling ball it could be moved over the table to displace cursor on the display. This was the first mouse that was retailed in the market.
3. Xerox Alto mouse
Xerox invented the third generation of mouse in 1972 and it was Bill English in who made this possible. Bill was also responsible for helping Douglas Engelbart to invent first mouse in 1960. The mouse that Xerox came up with had three buttons and a shaped that inspired future generations of mice.
4. Apple Lisa Mouse
Apple took inspiration from the Xerox Alto mouse developed at Xerox's PARC research facility in the late 70’s. Apple toned down the mouse a bit and replaced the three button with a single one it also changed the shape a bit here and there and a new mouse was born which was bundled with Apple Lisa Computer and sold. Although the Lisa computer was not successful but the mouse design became the reference for future design.
5. First Optical Mouse
Richard Lyon at Xerox was the first with a concept of making optical mouse with image sensor and motion detection sensor. But it was Steve Kirsh who successfully commercially shipped optical mouse with infrared LEDs and predictive algorithms.
6. The Metaphor Mouse
Back in 1980 when Logitech was a start up, developed the first commercially viable wireless mouse for the Xerox’s Metaphor workstation. Though it was good to have a cordless mouse but it could not be a commercially successful product as IR technology used required clear line-of-sight between transmitter and receiver but the real life work condition was too different.
7. Mouse Systems ProAgio
Mouse Systems, owned by KYE was the first company to develop scroll mouse in the year 1995. It sold the mouse under the name ProAgio Scroll Mouse. The mouse used optical mechanical technology at 400 dpi, with its ball tracking technology in the middle of the mouse.
8. Microsoft IntelliMouse
A year after the debut of Mouse Systems ProAgio scroll mouse Microsoft launched Microsoft IntelliMouse. It was marketed as a mouse which offered complete solution for word, excel, internet browsing etc.
9. Razer Boomslang
Razer was the first company to develop high speed mouse for gamers. It featured optical resolution of 2000 dpi versus 450 dpi of the standard mouse and USB connection compared to that of PS2. It was first gaming mouse that was well received by the gamers and applauded by reviewers. But the price tag of $100 was bit too high.
10. Apple Magic Mouse
The mouse today that we use is sleek, slim and technologically advanced. Apple Magic Mouse debuted in 2009 and support multi touch gestures.
Source: http://goo.gl/blCZg
