How did the first mouse appear? - briefly
The first computer mouse was created by Douglas Engelbart’s research team in 1964, with Bill English constructing a wooden prototype that featured two perpendicular wheels for motion detection. It was publicly demonstrated during the 1968 "Mother of All Demos," marking the debut of the device.
How did the first mouse appear? - in detail
The first computer mouse emerged from a research project at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in the early 1960s. Douglas Engelbart, who led the project, sought a device that could translate hand movements into on‑screen cursor control, enabling users to interact with graphical interfaces more efficiently than with keyboards alone.
Engelbart’s team built a prototype in 1963 using a wooden shell, two orthogonal wheels, and a single button. The wheels detected motion along the X and Y axes, while the button provided a simple selection mechanism. The device connected to a computer via a cord and transmitted electrical signals that the system interpreted as cursor displacement.
In 1968, Engelbart demonstrated the mouse during the famous "Mother of All Demos," showcasing its integration with hypertext, windowing, and collaborative tools. This public presentation proved the practicality of point‑and‑click interaction and sparked interest among academic and corporate researchers.
Subsequent developments refined the technology:
- 1970s: Xerox PARC introduced a ball‑based mouse, improving tracking accuracy and enabling use on any surface.
- 1980s: Apple incorporated the mouse into the Lisa and Macintosh computers, standardizing the three‑button design and ergonomic shaping.
- 1990s: Optical sensors replaced mechanical components, eliminating moving parts and increasing reliability.
The initial wooden prototype thus laid the groundwork for modern input devices, evolving through mechanical, ball, and optical generations to become the ubiquitous mouse used in contemporary computing.