mechanical encoder

1981 – Xerox Star Mechanical Mouse

In April 1981, Xerox Corporation announced the Xerox Star 8010 Information System, considered the first office computer, as well as the first window-based graphical shell with icons, folders, and two-button mouse. The mouse was available in two variants: optical mouse, invented by Xerox specially for those computers, and mechanical mouse. Mechanical mouse featuring an older ball-based Xerox Alto mouse design…

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1986 – TPX Mouse

TPX Mouse is a cursor control device released by the Brazilian company Tropic Informática in 1986 for the TK90X computer (a Brazilian clone of the ZX Spectrum) and modified a year later for computers with the MSX architecture (a version with the MSX interface was sold by Input Digital under the name “Input Mouse”). The TK90X computer, for which the…

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1985 – Torrington Manager Mouse

The Manager Mouse was released in 1985 by the Torrington Company, which began its business as Excelsior Needle Company in the mid-19th century — an innovative manufacturer of sewing needles. In the more than a century preceding the release of the Manager Mouse, the company had undergone several phases of product expansion into neighboring markets, such as bicycle spokes and…

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1989 – Vatek Color-Mouse

The Vatek Color-Mouse was released in 1989 by Vatek USA Inc., a computer hardware distributor incorporated in California the previous year. According to the mouse’s creators, this made Vatek the first company to officially introduce a multi-color mouse to the market. This priority is not indisputable: Hawley Mouse House’s 1982 advertising materials feature a drawing of the Mark II X063X…

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1987 — Microsoft Dove Bar Mouse

The mouse, nicknamed the “Dove Bar Mouse” by users because of the similarly shaped soap bar, went on sale in 1987, becoming the third generation of Microsoft mice. The design was developed by Microsoft in collaboration with Matrix Design (which later merged with Hovey-Kelley, the designers of the Apple Lisa mouse, to become the design company IDEO). The mouse’s production,…

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1985 — Microsoft Gray-eyed Mouse

This mouse, which went on sale in 1985, became a second generation of Microsoft mice. The company simply called its early models “Microsoft mouse”, sometimes also specifying the method of connection to the computer. Therefore, the official name of this one, “Microsoft Serial Mouse”, was rather confusing, and the mouse became known among users as the “Microsoft Gray-Eyed Mouse” (to…

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1984 – Mindset Mouse

Mindset Mouse came bundled with the Mindset personal computer. The Mindset computer was released in 1984 by Mindset Corporation, and was on sale for only a year. In technical terms, the computer was partially compatible with the IBM PC. It featured an Intel 80186 processor, 32 to 256 KB of RAM, and a non-standard graphics subsystem with enhanced capabilities, including…

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1987 – Sharp KI-OM0002CE01 trackball/mouse combo

In 1986, Sharp announced the release of the 16-bit personal computer X68000 for the Japanese market based on the Motorola 68000 processor. The computer went on sale in March 1987. It was positioned as a personal workstation, and immediately attracted attention due to its rich graphics capabilities and audio synthesis (not inferior to the best game consoles of the late…

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1983 – Sharp MZ-1X10 Mouse

Sharp MZ-1X10 mouse, known to be the the first mouse in Japan, practically at the same time when the Microsoft’s first mouse, known as the “green-eyed mouse” because of its two green buttons. The real manufacturer of both mice was the Japanese company Alps. The MZ-1X10 mouse was intended for use with Sharp MZ-5500 computers, which were based on the…

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1983 — DEC VS10X-EA Mouse

The DEC VS10X-EA mouse was released in 1983, and it is heavily based on the Hawley Mouse House by Jack Hawley, co-designer of the Xerox Alto computer mouse and one of the authors 1973 Xerox patent for a two-wheel tilt mouse. In fact, the DEC VS10X-EA is a modification of the Hawley Mark II X063X Mouse of the same year….

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1987 — IBM PS/2 mouse

This mouse, released in 1987, was the first to implement the PS/2 interface, which is still used in a number of desktop computers to connect keyboards and mice using a 6-pin mini-DIN connector. The first mouse with this interface was this device from IBM, available at relatively consumer prices in the late 80s. As you can see, there are two…

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1982 — Hawley Mark II X063X Mouse

The Mark II X063X Mouse was the first in-house development of the Hawley Mouse House by Jack Hawley, co-designer of the Xerox Alto computer mouse and co-author of the 1973 Xerox patent for mouse with two inclined wheels. The mouse had the price of $415, which inspired reviewers to call it the “Rolls-Royce among mice”. The Mark II X063X mouse…

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1983 – Microsoft Green-eyed Mouse

Microsoft’s first mouse was released in 1983 and was also the first product from its hardware division, which the company opened a year earlier. Because of the two green buttons, this model is known as the “green-eyed mouse”. Since Microsoft at that time did not have enough experience in the hardware development and manufacture, the real manufacturer of the mouse…

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Mouses

Tag: mechanical encoder

1981 – Xerox Star Mechanical Mouse

1986 – TPX Mouse

1985 – Torrington Manager Mouse

1989 – Vatek Color-Mouse

1987 — Microsoft Dove Bar Mouse

1985 — Microsoft Gray-eyed Mouse

1984 – Mindset Mouse

1987 – Sharp KI-OM0002CE01 trackball/mouse combo

1983 – Sharp MZ-1X10 Mouse

1983 — DEC VS10X-EA Mouse

1987 — IBM PS/2 mouse

1982 — Hawley Mark II X063X Mouse

1983 – Microsoft Green-eyed Mouse

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