If you ask people to name one of the most important technologies of the twentieth century, one of the answers would most certainly be the computer. A computer, however, is not a technology all to itself. Many other technologies went into the modern home computers of today, including the mouse. Douglas C. Engelbart, a worker at the SRI (Stanford Research Institute), invented the mouse in 1964. However, the process of the invention of the mouse was not instantaneous and without effect on the realm of computing and society. In this paper I will be examining the problems that had to be overcome and the technologies that had to be invented for the mouse to become a reality. It also analyzes the impacts it has had on society and the computer industry. Both economic and technological hindrances slowed the acceptance of the mouse as a main input device. From the economic viewpoint of the SRI lab, for which Engelbart was working, the funding necessary for such technological undertakings was not available. The price of computers was a major factor in the mouse's slow acceptance. One of the technological problems that mice had to overcome was the fact that most computers and programs did not support the use of the mouse. Another problem that confronted mice is that they were most useful under a GUI (Graphical User Interface) operating system. At the time few existed on the market. Lack of funding was the main reason the mouse's existence was in jeopardy. While working on the preliminary research and development of the mouse, Engelbart discovered that they could not afford to bring in outside experience and resources that were necessary for the project. The funds that he had received from the Air Force for his research in human and machine interaction began to grow scarce in 1963. That is when Bob Taylor, a representative of NASA, stepped in and collected enough money from NASA to keep the lab running. Bob Taylor once again helpe...
