Here’s a fun fact: the very first computer mouse wasn’t some sleek gadget—it was literally a block of wood with wheels. And it showed up almost 20 years before anyone thought, “Hey, this could be how we actually use computers.”
Then came 1984. Apple launched the Macintosh, and suddenly, computers went from scary beige boxes with blinking text to something you could point, click, and actually understand. The Mac didn’t just use a mouse – it helped drag the idea into the mainstream. By 2020, there were an estimated 2 billion computers in the world, all relying on that little clicky sidekick.
One guy, a block of wood, and a big idea
So who do we thank for inventing the mouse? That would be Douglas Engelbart. Back in the 1960s, he wasn’t thinking about gaming or browsing memes – his mission was to create tools that could help people tackle big, hairy problems.
Working with William English, Engelbart predicted that one day we’d all be using graphical interfaces instead of lines of code. But first, they had to answer the question: how do you move a cursor around a screen?
At the time, joysticks and light pens were being tested. Joysticks went on to conquer the gaming world, but light pens fizzled. Engelbart’s solution? Build his own gadget: a chunky wooden block with two wheels at right angles, hooked up to a computer with a wire. Crude? Totally. But it worked like a charm—and crushed the competition.
Apple steps in (and Jobs gets picky)
Fast forward twenty years, and Apple gave the mouse its glow-up. Instead of clunky wheels, the Mac mouse used a trackball, making it way smoother to move the cursor around.
But here’s where things get juicy: Engelbart’s prototype had three buttons. In fact, he thought future mice might need ten! Steve Jobs, meanwhile, hated that idea. To him, simplicity was everything. One button was enough, he insisted—and that minimalist vibe became a signature Apple move.
From wooden block to wireless wizardry
Fast forward again to today, and our mice look like something out of sci-fi: laser-guided, wireless, and customisable to the nth degree. Some even have more buttons than a TV remote – so in a way, Engelbart wasn’t totally wrong.
It all started with that rough wooden prototype from 1968. Engelbart passed away in 2014 at the age of 88, but his invention completely changed how we interact with technology. And honestly, can you even imagine trying to use your computer without a mouse? (No thanks.)
