Inventors of the Modern Computer Mouse & Windows Douglas C. Engelbart

"It would be wonderful if I can  inspire others, who are struggling to realize their dreams, to say 'if this country kid could do it, let me keep slogging away'." - Douglas C. Engelbart

Douglas C. Engelbart changed the way computers worked, from specialized machinery that only a trained scientist could use, to a user-friendly tool that almost anyone can use. He invented or contributed to several interactive, user-friendly devices: the computer mouse, windows, computer video teleconferencing, hypermedia, groupware, email, the Internet and more.

In 1964, the first prototype computer mouse was made to use with a graphical user interface (GUI), 'windows'. Engelbart received a patent for the wooden shell with two metal wheels (computer mouse) in 1970, describing it in the patent application as an "X-Y position indicator for a display system." "It was nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the end," Engelbart revealed about his invention. His version of windows was not considered patentable (no software patents were issued at that time), but Engelbart has over 45 other patents to his name.

Throughout the '60s and '70s, while working at his own lab (Augmentation Research Center, Stanford Research Institute), Engelbart dedicated himself to creating a hypermedia groupware system called NLS (for oNLine System). Most of his accomplishments, including the mouse and windows, were part of NLS.

In 1968, a 90-minute, staged public demonstration of a networked computer system was held at the Augmentation Research Center -- the first public appearance of the mouse, windows, hypermedia with object linking and addressing, and video teleconferencing.

Engelbart was awarded the 1997 Lemelson-MIT Prize of $500,000, the world's largest single prize for invention and innovation. This year (1998) he will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Currently, Douglas Engelbart is the director of his company, Bootstrap Institute in Fremont, California, which promotes the concept of Collective IQ. Ironically, Bootstrap is housed rent free courtesy of the Logitech Corp., a famous manufacturer of computer mice.

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Related Links

Mouse Site
Sponsored by Stanford University, the Mouse Site traces the history of the mouse starting with Engelbart. Among other exhibits, you can view pictures of the first mouse.
Historic Photos - Doug Engelbart
From Bootstrap.
Computer Trailblazer Douglas Engelbart
Engelbart receives a half million dollars for invention and innovation.
Douglas C. Engelbart
Biography
Improving Your Organization's IQ
Engelbart claims he wanted to "improve the collective IQ of organizations and build a collaborative community of knowledge workers."
The Man Who Sees The Future
U.S. News Online article by Eric Ransdell.
Douglas Engelbart Interview
His thoughts on ARC and the Stanford Research Institute.

Silly Links

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