If you’re old enough to remember when computers didn’t come with a mouse as standard, prepare to feel a bit ancient – this week, the humble point-and-click mouse cursor turns 50 years old.
The video above was put together by the YouTube channel Posy. It provides a comprehensive history of the mouse cursor, starting with Douglas Engelbart’s landmark computer demonstration in 1968, now known as the “Mother of All Demos”.
The video also reveals how the design has evolved over the years, starting with a short, vertical line with a small arrow top to the fully customisable options we have today. (I have a particular soft spot for the weird-arse bumblebee that came as standard on the Atari ST.)
Whether you’re an IT enthusiasts or not, the 15-minute clip is well worth the trip down memory lane. Enjoy.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/12/why-a-computer-mouse-is-called-a-mouse-douglas-engelbart/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/12/SRI_Douglas_Engelbart_1968a-410×231.jpg” title=”Why A Computer Mouse Is Called A Mouse: Douglas Engelbart” excerpt=”Why is a mouse called a mouse? For that matter, who came up with the idea of a computer mouse — the idea may seem like common sense these days, but it would have taken a creative mind to come up with the initial concept. Meet early computer engineer, Douglas Engelbart, for whom his famous mouse was only a tiny part of a grander plan to revolutionise the world through modern technology.”]
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