Ancient mice

webwit · 20 Feb 2011, 01:53

Interesting Russian article about ancient pointing devices and such:
http://daomail.ru/letter/?lid=80821

Google translation here.

First trackball?

Ehm..

Doug Engelbart's first mouse, I'm sure many of you have seen the famous video called The Demo where he demonstrates it.

daedalus · 20 Feb 2011, 02:52

I have lying around what I believe is the first IBM branded mouse. It was for their first Unix workstation - the RT 6150

It weighs like a brick, yet the buttons feel disappointingly mushy, like buttons on a cheap TV remote, except with less travel. Also, with it's rectangular shape and its downward slope, it was clearly designed by someone who neither had hands, or had ever seen hands.

webwit · 20 Feb 2011, 02:55

I'm not sure if it looks more like an early iPod, or a bar of soap.

EverythingIBM · 20 Feb 2011, 20:54

daedalus wrote:I have lying around what I believe is the first IBM branded mouse. It was for their first Unix workstation - the RT 6150

It weighs like a brick, yet the buttons feel disappointingly mushy, like buttons on a cheap TV remote, except with less travel. Also, with it's rectangular shape and its downward slope, it was clearly designed by someone who neither had hands, or had ever seen hands.

This was one of the mice Steve Jobs conceived when he worked at IBM briefly.

bugfix · 20 Feb 2011, 20:59

Still available!

EverythingIBM · 20 Feb 2011, 22:15

bugfix wrote:
Still available!

Are you serious? Even has the IBM logo?

I've been wanting one of those for awhile. I really like the oval shape and high bulge on them. The L40 trackpoint is alright, but those are the best.

daedalus · 21 Feb 2011, 00:00

The original PS/2 mice, although rather retro-cool, are hideously unergonomic

Whoops, I was expecting that to resize, I guess it isn't causing too much harm.

microsoft windows · 21 Feb 2011, 19:54

webwit wrote:

I wonder if the button on that mouse inspired this.

ripster · 21 Feb 2011, 20:28

No, the engineer just thought it would look better with red but convincing the bureaucracy at IBM was a pain.

7bit · 21 Feb 2011, 23:58

webwit wrote:Interesting Russian article about ancient pointing devices and such:
http://daomail.ru/letter/?lid=80821
...

Doug Engelbart's first mouse, I'm sure many of you have seen the famous video called The Demo where he demonstrates it.
...

You've forgotten the Telefunken Rollkugel:

Please notice, it is a real product and not a primitive prototype!

webwit · 24 Feb 2011, 01:01

Some more old mice here.

microsoft windows · 24 Feb 2011, 01:13

Weren't these the first Logitech mice?

yellowFreak · 04 Mar 2011, 15:50

ah nostalgic

v193r · 04 Mar 2011, 17:15

i wanna see more mice made out of wood.

webwit · 04 Mar 2011, 17:54

Mrinterface · 04 Mar 2011, 18:06

Wow... A wooden mouse... I can see they use the natural flex inside the wood in order to make it possible to have 2 mouse buttons.

Koeitje · 05 Mar 2011, 02:36

EverythingIBM wrote:
daedalus wrote:I have lying around what I believe is the first IBM branded mouse. It was for their first Unix workstation - the RT 6150

It weighs like a brick, yet the buttons feel disappointingly mushy, like buttons on a cheap TV remote, except with less travel. Also, with it's rectangular shape and its downward slope, it was clearly designed by someone who neither had hands, or had ever seen hands.
This was one of the mice Steve Jobs conceived when he worked at IBM briefly.

Seriously? For a guy that is known for his easy to use products thats hard to believe, but who knows

Moneyless · 06 Mar 2011, 23:04

That wood mouse almost looks like a Razer DeathAdder.

r99t · 06 Mar 2011, 23:14

The wooden mouse looks cool but not suitable for my clammy hands.

Findecanor · 07 Mar 2011, 21:51

EverythingIBM wrote:
daedalus wrote:I have lying around what I believe is the first IBM branded mouse. It was for their first Unix workstation - the RT 6150

It weighs like a brick, yet the buttons feel disappointingly mushy, like buttons on a cheap TV remote, except with less travel. Also, with it's rectangular shape and its downward slope, it was clearly designed by someone who neither had hands, or had ever seen hands.
This was one of the mice Steve Jobs conceived when he worked at IBM briefly.

You must be joking. If Steve Jobs had designed it, it would have fewer buttons ...

That is my old mouse. More pics here.
I weighed and measured it. It weighs 244 g (9 ounces). It is 42 mm high at the highest point, sloping a little bit forward.
I wouldn't be surprised if there are lead weights inside.

Koeitje · 08 Mar 2011, 01:01

webwit wrote:

Wow, I missed this last time I checked. This one is awesome, can you tell something more about it?

webwit · 08 Mar 2011, 01:15

Yes, I went to images.google.com and typed "wooden mouse"

nathanscribe · 13 Mar 2011, 21:56

microsoft windows wrote:

Weren't these the first Logitech mice?

I have one like that with two buttons, a Genius Mouse... the body also says AMX to me, but we're going back a few years and all my memories of the 80s are coloured by fear of assembler.

rockccf · 14 Mar 2011, 04:19

Koeitje wrote:
webwit wrote:
Wow, I missed this last time I checked. This one is awesome, can you tell something more about it?

How much will this cost?
Will get one if it's not expensive LOL.

False_Dmitry_II · 14 Mar 2011, 07:42

rockccf wrote: Wow, I missed this last time I checked. This one is awesome, can you tell something more about it?

How much will this cost?
Will get one if it's not expensive LOL.[/quote]

The shape looks like a typical razer shape to me. I'm pretty sure razer never made such a thing. Which means that's a mod :O

NewGuy · 14 Mar 2011, 09:42

http://www.alestrukov.com/

Koeitje · 14 Mar 2011, 17:37

NewGuy wrote:http://www.alestrukov.com/

Holy shit , thats expensive. But really awesome nonetheless.

webwit · 08 May 2011, 00:21

Nice overview here.

michaelgasser17 · 06 Dec 2011, 21:50

Yeah I want that wooden mouse now.

michaelgasser17 · 06 Dec 2011, 21:51

My wife might kill me if I spent the money on it though.