Sunday, February 26, 2012

Design Autobiography 2


The evolution of the wireless mouse has started long since humans started pointing at things. We have always needed to show what we are talking about in a physical way, and this began with the use of hands. Pointing rods were then used as instructional tools to point at things on blackboards and for other presentations. The 1952 brought about the original prototype for a mouse, or "trackball" as it was called then. It was developed for a secret military project and was not patented. As computers became more widespread in the 1960s and 1970s, later models were produced such as the "Smaky Mouse". Apple's first PCs used a boxier version in the 1980s called the Lisa Mouse. Later models of computers in the 90's and 2000's brought about sleeker and more precise mice, still with cords. In the last couple decades, advances in nano receiving technology made it possible to make the mouse wireless, like the one I use that I believe is a product of good design. One could even say that these evolution in pointing technology has brought us back to the finger point, because of touch screens on phones, tablets, and computers.


http://www.thechangeblog.com/watch-where-you-point-that-finger/
http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/Archive/patent/Mouse.html
http://www.superstock.co.uk/stock-photos-images/255-4192A
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SmakyMouseAG.jpeg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_Macintosh_Plus_mouse.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)