“You’re probably using a mouse today, but you may never buy one again. All the planets are aligning against this humble pointing device,” Mike Elgan writes for Datamation.
“The computer mouse has long been associated with the PC, but in fact it was invented during the Kennedy administration (in 1963) by Silicon Valley engineers Douglas Engelbart and Bill English,” Elgan writes.
“The mouse was nothing but a lab rat until the Xerox Star shipped in 1981. Though it was the first time anyone could buy a mouse, few did. The Star was overpriced ($16,000) and poorly marketed. The IBM PC came out that year, too — without a mouse. But when the Apple Macintosh hit in January of 1984, the mouse went mainstream and has been with us ever since,” Elgan writes.
Elgan continues, “Now, Gartner analyst Steve Prentice says the mouse’s dominance as the leading pointing devices may be over within 2 to 4 years. And I tend to agree. Several recent developments are slowly changing — or threaten to change — our mouse habit.”
1. Apple’s giant trackpad with multi-touch
2. Gaming pointing devices
3. “Brain-reading” devices
4. Apple iPhone and the “iPhone Killers”
Elgan writes, “I’m confident that Apple will take advantage of its many patents for ‘multi-touch’ systems and ship an iPhone-like version of Mac OS within the next year or two… So take the time to savor every point and every click. It won’t last. The mouse is as good as dead.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a “mouse.” There is no evidence that people want to use these things. – John C. Dvorak, Feb 1984
[Thanks to Bill Cosby for inspiring the headline.]
Don’t know about the death of the mouse; using a 4-button programable roller-ball device (technically not a mouse I suppose), multi-touch won’t ever match the capacities of what I have. Every application can be programmed for different functions and/or keystrokes, so repetitive key commands are set for a particular button or combination thereof. I enjoy (and miss) some of the features on my trackpad when using my desktop but nothing compared to what I miss in the trackball features when using the laptop.
Look out for the farmer’s wife.
Apple may ditch the mouse within a couple of years, but it will take Microsoft PCs several years to catch up.
I am not convinced….sure the trackpad is great but I think people wold like to have both. Sometimes it is as superficial as having a designer mouse. But programmability is another important feature.
We’ll see.
Since when have they been able to turn Mice in to Rats? Why isn’t this a bigger story?
Touch computing is vastly different than traditional computing. Imagine sitting at your desk touching your screen instead of using a keyboard and mouse… Your arms would be tired in minutes. Under the current computing model, the ergonomics just don’t work. I’m sure there’s another solution out there that will bring touch to computers, but touch-screen computers like the Surface and ones from HP aren’t it.
I’ll always prefer a mouse. It’s much easier to keep clean since some of us often have lotion or some other lubricant on our hand when navigating a computer.
@ R2?
Pr0n much?
My guess is the only way the mouse will go is if the traditional GUI goes with it.
Preemptive Afib, Ha, ha, He, he, Ho, ho ho strike (what’s next tee hee hee, giggle, snort?):
Apple mice have always sucked, fanbois. You pathetic, uneducated, biased and smelly idiots are clueless. Apple has secretly purchased every single MacBook Air to avoid embarassment. Apple’s sales are in decline because I know more than any of you. I don’t have to prove it. You do. Stinky fanbois.
Eventually the mouse will disappear but no way in the next 2 to 4 years. Apple did away with the floppy how long ago and people still use floppy disks. Granted not as much but they aren’t dead yet.
No one uses floppys
They are dead.
RIP
Rather than Apple dictatorially mandating what is “best”, why not let consumers make that decision? No doubt, the replacement for the mouse will be more expensive and have limited functionality.
Give the consumer choices, Apple!
Give the consumer options, Apple!
Apple, think of how poorly “brain reading devices” will function for the likes of Ampar, MCCFR, and Jubei.
“Neural network not detected”
“Associated hardware not located.”
“Brain not active, please reinitiate.”
“Application cannot open.”
“Cranial connection needs major repair.”
“Invalid volume detected.”
“Block volume zero.”
“Incorrect block count.”
“Address error.”
“Illegal instruction.”
“Unimplemented core routine.”
“Miscellaneous hardware exception error.”
“Driver cannot respond to Read call.”
“illegal instruction.”
There is an application for the iPhone that you can use the iPhone touch screen to control the mouse pointer in the computer. I believe that iPhone era is coming…
Well think of Replacing your mouse and mouse pad with a 6×8 sized OLED pad that has Multitouch and pen capability. It could essentially be used for any kind of input. Would have custom user defined buttons if you want. Great for CAD, photo work, or even gaming. Whatever you want it to be it could be. I would change over to something like that in a heartbeat.
Continuing thought…
Hell, put 2 of the Multitouch pads together and make a virtual Keyboard!
@ Jay-Z… Exactly on point.
The mouse is so popular because it requires so little effort to move around and interact with the screen. And people with disabilities will still favor a trackball.
I can’t see HP’s new touch computer doing very well either. Anyone who has used an iPhone knows all that flicking and scrolling gets tiresome after awhile. Do that on a bigger screen and you have a recipe for a real workout (not that there’s anything wrong with that… but some people use their computers for relaxation).
Trackpads will have to likely emulate a mouse better if they’re going to supplant it.
Ampar… very good impersonation. Except he showed up as a Ho.
I’m all about touch, my hands have suffered enough under the repetitious clicks of the mouse. Touch is organic and natural and the future of UI and only apple can do it right.
Bring it!
Not going to happen.
Try doing design work with your fingers, holding your arm out at length for 8 hours a day.
“Apple’s sales are in decline because I know more than any of you. I don’t have to prove it. You do.”
No, fanboi, Apple does. Sales data for publicly owned companies are not state secrets. However, if you know where these data are located, please share.
Please no more links to Apple’s PR unit aka Apple’s Ministry of Propaganda aka Department of Fibs, Exaggerations, Concoctions, Errors, and Shams (F.E.C.E.S.).
Track pads give me serious problems in my wrists and hands over time. I tried converting to a track pad many years ago, and after about six months the doctor was recommending that I have an operation. I’m all for doing something other than mouses – I’ve been using a trackball for many years and find it to be an overall improvement over a standard pick-up-and-put-down mouse.
Maybe the mouse will RIP sometime, but not yet awhile.
Mice and/or pens have better ergonomics than multi-touch for repetitive jobs, particularly graphics intensive programs like Quark and Photoshop.
Ampar,
Jim TIV posted, “Monkey see, monkey do.” Even your staunchest advocates recognize that you have no inherent imagination, no intrinsic wit, and no native intelligence.
Thanks, Jim. Our latest troll, the Incredible Sulk is getting freakier and more desperate by the minute.
I wonder if he had some frightening or tragic experience with Avril Lavigne?