Innovation: Computer Mouse

The computer mouse as we know it today was invented and developed by Douglas EnglebartDouglas during the 60's and was patented on November 17, 1970. While creating the mouse, Douglas was working at the Stanford Research Institute, a think tank sponsored by Stanford University, and originally referred to the mouse as a "X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System." This mouse was first used with the Xerox  Alto computer system in 1973. However, because of its lack of success the first widely used mouse is credited to being the mouse found on the Apple Lisa computer. Today, the mouse is now found and used on every computer.

 

Today, the mouse is an essential input device for all modern computers but it wasnt so long ago that computers had no mouse and no graphical user interface. Data was entered by typing commands on a keyboard.