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"The History of Mice"

The mice of today are different than their original predecessors, though not as different as one might think. The purpose of my essay is to explore the various changes and modifications of the mouse over the years that brought it to its current incarnation. Additionally, my essay will touch on possible future developments and models of the ‘mouse’.

There is one way in which mice have not evolved at all over their entire course of history– that is, their use of the X–Y coordinate system to operate as a tool. At its conception, in 1963 (Stanford, “The Demo”), the mouse aided in a system that was ‘list-like’ in nature (somewhat similar to a Command Line Interface). Doug Engelbart demonstrated his invention in 1968, along with a number of other features. His model featured a covered box with a single button, which he called a ‘pointing device’. His team however nicknamed it the ‘mouse’, because of the ‘tail’ or cord that connected it to the computer. Engelbart patented the device in 1970 as an “X–Y position indicator for a display system”. This description was quite accurate, as under the box/chassis were two perpendicular wheels, that, when turned, would communicate to the computer how far to move the cursor (or tracking spot/bug as he called it then) left-right (X-axis) and up-down (Y-axis). Engelbart did not, however, envision how widespread his contraption would become, primarily because he also did not foresee the en masse introduction of the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Though it was Engelbart’s team that began the original experimentation of the GUI system (through text-based hyperlinks activated by the mouse), it was researchers at Xerox PARC who took it to the next level in 1973 (“The First GUIs”, 2004 / “PARC, about”, 2002). By adding graphics to the computer monitor, they started a revolution, and along with it, the mouse took the landscape ‘by storm’ as an invaluable input device. When the mouse was included with the Xerox Alto, it had undergone a new transformation, thanks to a man named Bill English (who originally worked with Engelbart). Rather than using two disk-like wheels to control the motion, he replaced them with a single sphere, or track-ball, which was able to roll freely in any direction. The same mechanical principles still applied, but it became the standard in computer mice for a very long time. Notably, the Alto’s mouse had three buttons.

The Xerox Alto was a research machine, used primarily at Universities lucky enough to receive a donation. Both the computer and the mouse would not achieve home or ‘personal computer’ status until Macintosh introduced their “Macintosh 128K” in 1984. It was affordable to the average person, retailing for $2,495 at its release, giving it great commercial success (“Compact Macs”, 1997). The mouse that was included with the computer featured the track-ball, but only a single button (it is interesting to note that Macintosh stayed with the idea of a single button mouse for many years following as well, and arguably, to an extent, still does today).

It was in the early 1980s that the mouse finally underwent another transformation, though it by no means became predominant until the late 90s and on. Two men are accredited with having invented the ‘optical mouse’– Steve Kirsch and Richard Lyon. Steve Kirsch, founder of Mouse Systems Corporation, created a rudimentary, early version of the optical mouse (Perry, “Steve Kirsch”). His design used an infrared LED, an optical sensor that had four quadrants, and a specific ‘checkerboard’ mouse-pad. Because of the design on the pad, the mouse was able to effectively track the motions of the user. It was a unique design, but the requirement of the pad was its downside. Richard Lyon’s design was similar, using light dots on a dark mousepad; though in Lyon’s design, the pad could be rotated in any orientation, and still function properly (“Optical Mice”, 2006). As computing power became less of an issue, ‘image-processing’ chips could be placed into the mice, allowing it to essentially ‘take pictures’ of the surface underneath it. As a result, the optical mouse became a suitable, and favorable, alternative to track-ball mice, which often had to be cleaned of lint and dust.

The next step in optical mice was a laser diode, which took a higher resolution image, making it more reliable still. This technology was pioneered by Sun Microsystems in 1998 (“Mouse”, 200 cool , but didn’t really hit the market until later on. It would seem that this technology is still today advancing to a greater degree– on September 9th of this year, Microsoft officially announced their ‘BlueTrack’ technology (“Microsoft BlueT...”, 200 cool , which will, allegedly, work on virtually any surface, including carpet! This is accomplished by combining the amazing resolution provided by laser and the wide scope/angle provided by optical. It could just be a new standard for computer mice of the present!

Another feature we are used to seeing on today’s mice is a scrollwheel. The scrollwheel actually made its very first appearance in 1995 when Genius produced their EasyScroll mouse, though it had been in development back into 1993 (Atwood, “Meet the Invent...”, 2008 / Eric, “The History of...”). It was Eric Michelman who was the original visionary, working for Microsoft. At first, he conceived the ‘wheel’ as more of a ‘lever’ or joystick for scrolling and panning. It took a long while for the idea to get ‘rolling’, but Microsoft brought forth their Intellimouse, with full support from Microsoft’s programs, which popularized it. Now scrollwheels/scrollballs are a commonplace, practically ubiquitous, helpful for all sorts of applications, including those with ‘zoom’ features.

An additional option that is becoming more and more popular in mice is wireless capabilities. The wireless revolution has been seen in a plethora of devices, from telephones to garage door openers to headsets and more. For mice, their ability to communicate wirelessly to the computer is achieved through radio frequency technology (“How Computer Mi...”, 200 cool . Due to a lack of information, however, it is difficult to ascertain exactly when wireless mice hit the regular market and started becoming a popular alternative.

There have been other advances in mouse hardware, though they have not caught on to anywhere near the same degree. For example, Logitech attempted to add ‘another dimension’ to the interaction between computer and user by creating their iFeel tactile mouse in 2000 (“Logitech’s iFeel Opt...”, 200 cool . Using vibrations, the mouse would create another layer of sensation for the user to experience. Another interesting advancement is that of ‘bats’ or flying mice, which are three dimensional mice (literally adding a third dimension). Also pioneered by Logitech in the early 1990s, the device would allow you to manipulate 3D environments and models in a way that no other two dimensional mouse could (“Navigate your 3D World”, 200 cool . One can easily see how Nintendo’s current ‘pointing device’, the Wiimote, which operates exclusively with their software/games, holds a distinct similarity to this technology.

The question of tomorrow still lies. What can we expect to see in the future? There are, of course, multiple possibilities, and it can be very difficult to predict the future. The mouse may become obsolete with the wave of highly advanced touch screens and other peripheral inputs (“Computer Mouse to...”, 200 cool . Or perhaps it will simply to continue to adapt to the fit the times, serving as a tool between computers and us. After all, they’ve been a consistently used device for basically half of a century. I find it doubtful that after we’ve gotten so used to its presence, that it would up and disappear.

Perhaps we’ll continue to integrate. I imagine a mouse built directly into your hand(s), with up to five buttons in the tips of the fingers just under the skin. An image chip in our palms, we’ll be able to scan over any surface and click. Of course, the screens will probably be implanted somewhere in our eyes. Maybe the presicion and fantastic resolution in the palm will allow for scanning images (replacing scanners) and/or taking pictures (replacing digital cameras) as well. And it would all require no more power that the current that flows in our synapses that tell us to move. The possibilities are endless!

Or that could just be my science fiction bent kicking in. Regardless, I think the future of ‘mice’ is bright.