Posted by admin in With the computer mouse completing 40 years of its evolution, now seems like as good a time as any to look at its journey.
Has any of you readers seen the movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley?” If you haven’t, you should. It claims to have at least two sources for all the scenes they’ve shown in the movie, and it’s sure quite interesting to see how the two goliaths of the computer industry – Apple and Microsoft – went on to become what they are today.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s delve into the history of the mouse.
Contrary to what most people think – that Microsoft Windows was the first operating system to have introduced the mouse, and contrary to what a few others think – that a Mac was the first system to use it, the truth is that Xerox was the first company to introduce a mouse commercially.
Here’s what it looked like:
However while Xerox was very skeptical in marketing its system, Apple took it to the next level with their computer named Lisa. Here’s what the first Apple mouse looked like:
Then it was Microsoft’s turn to capitalize on the invention. So they came up with something similar, and as we know, Bill Gates turned out to be a lot smarter than Steve Jobs when it came to marketing his products. Here’s what the first mouse by Microsoft looked like:
Then came optical mice. Here’s a diagram of the chip that was used by Xerox in creating their first optical mouse:
Here’s one that was developed by Microsoft and soon became a benchmark for optical mice
And now time for a little trivia:
Here’s a dialog from one scene in The Pirates of Silicon Valley, when Steve Jobs realizes that Bill Gates has outsmarted him in making use of the concept of mouse and Apple’s personal computer for his benefit before Steve Jobs could capitalize on his own vision:
“Steve: I trusted, I believed … you turn your back and you get whacked. Our guys come back from Japan with these NECs and it’s loaded with Microsoft program, your Microsoft program.”
“Bill: There may be some similarities Steve.”
“Steve: Similarities? Try theft.”
“Bill: Steve, all cars have steering wheels but no one tries to claim that the steering wheel was their invention.”
“Steve: We have a contract, you and I.”
“Bill: Well, you should read it more carefully.”
“Steve: What is this? This is like doing business with a.. like a praying mantis, huh. You get seduced and then eaten alive afterwards.”
“Bill: Get real, will you? You and I are both like guys that had this rich neighbor, Xerox, that left the door open all the time. And you go sneaking in to steal the TV set. Only when you get there, you realize that I got there first. I got the loot Steve! And you’re yelling, that’s not fair! I wanted to try to steal it first! You’re too late.”
“Steve: We’re better than you are. We have better stuff.”
“Bill: Look at it Steve. That doesn’t matter!”
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