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Humble Mouse Turns 40
A look at milestones in the life of that crucial computer accessory
By Harry Kimball
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Posted Dec 9, 08 2:39 PM CST
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(Newser)
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It’s been 40 years since the computer mouse made its public debut, and though innovations have been legion, the basic concept is still the same. Macworld takes a look back at some key moments in the device’s evolution.
- 1963: The first recognizable mouse prototype is built. It only had one button, but more were to come—well, not for Mac users.
- 1972: The first all-digital mouse is conceived; previous attempts needed to translate analog signals for computers to understand.
- 1981: The first commercial mouse is produced—for a $20,000 Xerox system nobody bought.
- 1984: The debut of the classic, and enduring, Apple one-button mouse.
- 1987: IBM starts selling PS/2 computers, and with them PS/2 mice, which would become the standard for PC clones.
- 1999: Optical tracking is freed from the need for a special mouse pad, and Microsoft releases the first viable wireless mouse.