Douglas Engelbart, Father of the Computer Mouse, Dies at Age 88

[hh5]

Engelbart, who served as a U.S. Navy electronic radar technician during World War II, began working at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in the late 1950s. It was there that he worked on some of the first graphic user interface computers and the idea of the computer mouse. In 1970 he received a patent for the mouse, which was at the time a thick wooden device with two wheels and three buttons.

 

"This invention relates to visual display systems, and more particularly, to device for alternating the display at selected locations," the patent, filed by Engelbart on June 21, 1967, reads. The mouse, of course, wasn't popularized until Xerox PARC began experimenting with the device and then Apple began to ship the mouse with the Apple's Lisa in 1983.

 

Englebart had said that he did not, however, come up with the name "mouse." When asked in an interview with Stanford about the name in December 1986, Engelbart said, "No one can remember [who came up with the name]. In the lab, the very first one we built had the cord coming out the back. It wasn't long before we realized that it would get in the way, and then we changed it to the front. But when it was trailing out the back like that, sitting there, just its funny little shape."

 

But Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak believes Engelbart's greatest contributions go way beyond the mouse.

 

 

 

[Sasha Distan]

he made computer use loads easier. we'll miss him

[Bill W]

Another contribution that changed the world, but I'm not sure how the term mouse applied looking at that.  Obviously, the term must have been given to one of the later improvements on the device.  RIP, Douglas Engelbart, and I shall think of you every time I used my computer. 

[Slytherin]

The very first mouse - wow  I can't work without a mouse, great invention.. RIP Mr Engelbart

[Thorn Wilde]

Cheers very much, Mr. Engelbart! You had a good run on this Earth.

[Zombie]

tbh I never liked the nasty little critters - gave me hand cramps - always preferred a trackball using a desktop.

And with a laptop / netbook / iPad whatever they're entirely redundant.

 

But kudos to the guy - it allowed a revolution in computing and the guy deserved all the recognition he's had, along with his place in computer history

[Former Member]

Wow...another great mind bites the dust.  I've always had a strange fascination with computer mice.  I think it's awesome.  He will be missed!

[Thorn Wilde]

Wow...another great mind bites the dust.  I've always had a strange fascination with computer mice.  I think it's awesome.  He will be missed!

 

I pretty much have a small collection of older computer mice lying around. My favourite is the Apple hockey puck, which shipped with the iMacs in '98, which I still use on occasion just for shits and giggles. Not because it's very good, because it isn't, it's quite clumsy and very silly, but it's so cute!

 

[Sasha Distan]

I pretty much have a small collection of older computer mice lying around. My favourite is the Apple hockey puck, which shipped with the iMacs in '98, which I still use on occasion just for shits and giggles. Not because it's very good, because it isn't, it's quite clumsy and very silly, but it's so cute!

 

 

They were awful!

 

my Cris collected vintage keyboards. it's a fairly cheap hobby since mostly people chuck old keyboard pretty regularly. IBM Model M in a skip people. madness.

[Former Member]

I pretty much have a small collection of older computer mice lying around. My favourite is the Apple hockey puck, which shipped with the iMacs in '98, which I still use on occasion just for shits and giggles. Not because it's very good, because it isn't, it's quite clumsy and very silly, but it's so cute!

 

 

It's so cute and round and   !!!!!!