Thirty years ago(1968) a man named Douglas Engelbart was paid $10,000 to invent the first mouse. It wasn't much to look at, just a rectangular wooden body with a wire sticking out from the back. The mouse got it's name because it looked like a little rodent mouse. Though the mouse doesn't look complex, it does a very important job. It works as a translator between humans and computers. Before the mouse was invented, the only people who could use a computer were computer scientists who knew a code language that was used to talk to computers.
Now, with the use of a mouse, a computer can be used by anyone. All that one has to do is move the mouse, and an arrow on the screen moves in the same direction. No more studying an all new language just to use a computer. Thanks to Mr. Engelbart, access to a computer is right at your fingertips. Besides the more famous mouse, Douglas had over 20 patents including...
- 2-dimensional display editing
- in-file object addressing (linking)
- hypermedia
- outline processing
- flexible view control
- multiple windows
- cross-file editing
- integrated hypermedia email
- hypermedia publishing
- document version control
- shared-screen teleconferencing
- computer-aided meetings
- formatting directives
- context-sensitive help
- distributed client-server architecture
- uniform command syntax
- universal "user interface" front-end module
- multi-tool integration
- grammar-driven command language interpreter
- protocols for virtual terminals
- remote procedure call protocols
- compileable "Command Meta Language"
Today, the computer industry is trying to find a way that people can actualy feel what they are looking at.
Douglas Englebart now lives with his wife and his two cats in San Francisco Bay. He has four children, and eight grandchildren.
Douglas's hobbies are exercising, hiking, camping, sailing, reading, folk dancing, and biking. He enjoys raising ducks, earthworms, and bees. He also likes making up science fiction stories for children.
If it wasn't for Douglas Engelbart we wouldn't be using our computers as easily as we are today.
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