Vermin

The first personal computer mouse sold as a part of the package was introduced on this day in 1981.  Based on its shape, with the cord as its tail, "mouse" was kind of a silly name, but it stuck.  And the device is still here today.  At least it is for me--I just used it to create that link above.  Thank goodness the cord is gone.  Hope cutting the tail didn't hurt too much.

The mouse was a breakthrough in interactivity, the basic concept going back to the early post-WW2 era of computing.  And it was used with PCs at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, in the 70s.

There have been innovations along the way.  Not just the wireless stuff.  There's right-clicking and left-clicking. There's double-clicking. There's scrolling.  Not to mention all sorts of fashions in mouse pads.

And yet I wonder how much longer the mouse will last?  Aren't there better ways?  Touch screens, voice commands.  And how long before we can just look at something to make it do what we want?

But I admit, I still use the mouse a lot.  I suppose I'll miss it if it ever goes away.