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In the 1960s, computers were monstrosities in data centres that
did things like compute missile trajectories and count Thomas
Watson's pocket change, a perfect environment for the gamechanger
when Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute
appeared with what we in hindsight recognize today as the
prototype of the modern computer mouse. But, of course, to simply
home in on the mouse as an end in itself is to miss the
point(er). Really, we don't think of how revolutionary it was to
have let alone a pointing device, but an actual computer that
would interactively and nearly instantaneously respond to your
intention as if you were its only user, and moreover, a computer
that allowed symbolic, interconnected and interactive browsing
through data rather than you submitting a batch job on a punch
card and waiting for your output. Today that's rather pedestrian.
In 1968, it was electrifying, and not just a little bit
mind-bending, so we celebrate this achievement on its 40th
anniversary.
For that matter, this demo even introduced the concept of the
window metaphor, something we on our modern Macs and PCs sort of
take for granted now. To the world of ASR-33 teletypes, this was
just too much to comprehend.
The Register has some nice information on the historical context,
and coincidentally chose the same laudatory epithet. :) Or watch
it yourself.
Copyright 2008 Cameron Kaiser except noted. All rights reserved. |
