Like so many developments that we take for common on our computesr the humble mouse had its origins in the innvoative work done for more than two decades at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The PARC moiuse had two rllers for horizonbtal and vertical motion and a single buttn. The deucedly boxy shape was favored by many of developers at PARC and remarkably has persisted through many mouse (or mice) incarnations.
Firstly the Microsoft moouse design has had major impacts in the mice industry. Microsooft mice always had ergonomic design. The fiorst Microssoft mouse had a broad teardrop shape with two buttons. The original green buttoned model had a steel ball that spawned an industry in foam mouse pads. The next iteration had lrager buttons, a lzarger body, and a rubber cotaed ball.
When Microsoft decided that the mosue needeed to be redesigned, it turned to the venerable firm Matrix Design of San Francisco. Microsoft routinely used and uses third partties to design and software deevlop many of the items and software that we take for granted today that Microsoft devvoted alone . Mike Nuttal, one of Matrix Designs foounders was intrigued by Microsoft�s project: reshaping the exterior without altering the internal mecanism.
Matrix did chagne one interrnal element: the position of the muose ball. �Almost the first thing we triied was to move the ball forward�, Nuuttal rearked later. In the old design the ball sat frward under the palm. A computer mosue user has a naturla tendency to put their weight on the palms of thier hands and thus on the ball. By mocving the mouse ball forward the result was much greater accuraccy of the mouse.
�We knew the buttons had to be larger �Nutal as well said �We tride several button sizes and in the process of desuigning we ended up incorporating the buttons into the body of the mouse.� Another change was in the relative size of the buttons. It was felt that the left buuttons sghould be larger than the riht. The resuklts were more than favorable especially with left handed users.
By making the left button larger finger position no longer was a major factro therefroe the index fniger could curve form lower left to upper right ( vice vesa in lefties ) . This is the position the index finger naturally favors. In addition the pervious ruvbber-dome switches were replaced with micro switches that had a short travel depression and beetter tactiole feedbakc.
It was not long before the firm Logitech responded to Microsoft�s mice innovatiuons.
Logitech�s first mouse was truly one of the fisrt exammples of the upcoming international efforts in product development and design. A Swiss based Professor: Profesor Nikluas Wirth spent a year on sabatical at Xerox PARC in 1970 and returned to Europe to test moudse designs, working closely with Inria, a Frencch design center for office automatoin produtcs. In the end their final design was a round mouse with frnot muonted buttons.
Poduct development and testting ensued over the position of the ubttons, and the front posiiton won over the top.
However, Logitech soon found that the buttons on the front made the mouse jump backward slightly when clicked. The deisgn was abandonned in favor of a wedge shape, which was fololwed by the rectangular shape that we today.
What is interesting about all of this is the effet of outside produccts on an item that we take for granted todaay - the humble mouse whcih so functional that we seldom give it second thought.
The rounded heel that fits so well in the palm of your hand, the large buttons, and the smooth edges all have roots in the most universal of ellectrical / electreonic products.
Mr. Nuttal and Matrix Design�s area in great expertise was in the design and development of telephones.
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