Thread

Did Xerox invent Mouse?

MacNN Development 13 posts Jul 5, 2004 to Jul 5, 2004

#1 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 04:26 MacNN

Yes, that thing that you're now holding in your right hand (sorry lefty =P)

If not, who did?

#2 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 04:45 MacNN

Google is your friend:

http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa081898.htm

He was at Stanford.

I seem to remember there is even grainy film of a demo of the early mouse on the web.

#3 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 04:46 MacNN

Google really is your friend "Computer Mouse video" gave me this:

http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/1968Demo.html

http://vodreal.stanford.edu/engel/03engel200.ram

I wonder how long it was until people wanted two buttons?

#4 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 04:59 MacNN

O... thanks for the links... i got those already.

My friend claimed that Xerox invented mouse, which i do not believe. However he claimed that Xerox invented it and he would bet his ass on it.

Anyway, does Xerox has anything to do with the mouse in its original development roadmap whatsoever? Or did Xerox buy the patent?

#5 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 05:21 MacNN

ya fren may not be rite on da invention part of mouse... but I'm pretty sure Xerox did have da patent for mouse and GUI... U can check dis out and tell me...

http://www.cedmagic.com/history/xerox-alto.html

P.S. ppl always thought mouse and GUI are invention of APPLE... tatz a pretty big misconception... peace.

#6 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 05:40 MacNN

Right - so:

1968: Invented at Stanford
1973: first appears in a "Manufactured" machine from Xerox (that no-one bought)
1984: Made popular by the Mac.

#7 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 05:47 MacNN

come on, party people, everybody knows Xerox copy things.

(i can already hear groans from Diggory's direction!

)

#8 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 05:50 MacNN

here is the history of GUI...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_GUI

obviously, Doug Engelbart from Stanford Uni is da inventor of mouse and GUI... but Xerox is da first to apply those into computer OS... I think Xerox has da patent for their ALTO... but not da mouse nor da GUI... however... I wud say da modern use of mouse and GUI are da patent of Xerox (or Apple wud have paid da patent fee to Dr. Engelbart instead of Xerox)... so therez definitely connection between Xerox and mouse-GUI... they are not only a photocopier company... like tat?

#9 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 05:53 MacNN

ya man!

#10 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 06:07 MacNN

Quote:

Originally posted by hkeze:
here is the history of GUI...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_GUI

obviously, Doug Engelbart from Stanford Uni is da inventor of mouse and GUI... but Xerox is da first to apply those into computer OS... I think Xerox has da patent for their ALTO... but not da mouse nor da GUI... however... I wud say da modern use of mouse and GUI are da patent of Xerox (or Apple wud have paid da patent fee to Dr. Engelbart instead of Xerox)... so therez definitely connection between Xerox and mouse-GUI... they are not only a photocopier company... like tat?

You go out of your way to spell things incorrectly and it makes it difficult to read. After getting through your first post, I felt relieved but groaned when I saw you had posted again.

#11 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 06:36 MacNN

sorry if my English gets on your nerves... still used to IRC kind of English... plus I am a newbie. I will learn the language used in here.. sorry about that... (do I need some grammatical check too?

)

#12 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 06:37 MacNN

Quote:

Originally posted by hkeze:
sorry if my English gets on your nerves... still used to IRC kind of English... plus I am a newbie. I will learn the language used in here.. sorry about that... (do I need some grammatical check too? )

Absolutely

oh, and welcome!

#13 Mon, 5 Jul 2004 - 09:12 MacNN

for a complete history check out
Triumph of the Nerds by Robert Cringely.