optomechanical encoder

1994 – Trinity Mariqua Mouse

The Trinity Mariqua Mouse was released in 1994 for the Japanese market by the Miyuki Electronic Design company. Following in the footsteps of the Prohance family of mice and trackballs from 1989, the Mariqua Mouse embodies the idea of placing additional buttons on the mouse body, which, according to the developers, eliminates the need for the user to frequently move…

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1993 — Colani Mouse

Apparently, the Colani Mouse was, along with the trackball of the same name, among the first so-called “designer” mice – devices officially developed in collaboration with celebrities in the field of technical design. This mouse was named and shaped by Luigi Colani. Colani is best known in the automotive industry, with about 40 concept cars; no less actively he designed…

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1994 – Elecom Lunaris Mouse

The Lunaris mouse was introduced to the market in 1994 by Elecom, a Japanese electronics manufacturer which was founded eight years earlier and which by that time had already introduced two computer mice to the market. The Lunaris mouse was released in several variants, differing in connection interface and the presence or absence of the mouse resolution adjustment. This one…

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1997 – Kensington Mouse, ADB 2nd generation

The single-button Kensington Mouse, marketed and advertised as “Mouse in a Box” due to its cube-shaped packaging, was released by the American company Kensington Computer Products Group as part of a line of several similarly shaped mice. This particular model is a 2nd generationKensington Mouse designed for Apple computers with an ADB interface, presented in 1997 along with its two-button…

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1995 – Kensington Mouse

Kensington Mouse, marketed and advertised as “Mouse in a Box” due to its cube-shaped packaging, was released by the American company Kensington Computer Products Group as part of a line of several similarly shaped mice. In 1995, the manufacturer, which had been using the word “mouse” in the names of its trackballs (Turbo Mouse and Expert Mouse) for ten years…

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1995 – Kensington Thinking Mouse

Thinking Mouse was released by the American company Kensington Computer Products Group as part of a line of several similarly shaped mice. The Kensington Thinking Mouse, the top model in the line, was available for PCs and for Apple computers with an ADB interface, like the company’s other mice and trackballs. This is a PC model, but ADB ones looked…

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1986 – Apple Desktop Bus Mouse

The Apple Desktop Bus Mouse was introduced by Apple in 1986, along with its new interface bus for peripherals, the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). It was the first mouse officially designed in the “Snow White” design language, developed for Apple by Frog Design, the company of industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger. Along with the “Snow White” concept, the mouse body, including…

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1987 – Genius GM-5 mouse

The GM-5 mouse was released by a Taiwanese company KYE Systems (owner of the Genius brand) for use with Commodore 64 computers (the first mass-produced home computers, which were on the market from 1982 to 1992). The mouse can be dated based on KYE Systems advertising that mentions the GM-2 (a mouse produced by Z-Nix in 1986 and sold under…

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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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1986 – Sunnyline DIGIMOUSE

The Sunnyline Digimouse for IBM-compatible computers with a serial interface is apparently the first mouse released under the Sunnyline brand. Mice under this brand were sold by Sunnyline MultiMedia Products AG in Germany in the late 80s and 90s. Sunnyline did not have its own production and placed orders with other companies on a contract basis. In particular, the creator…

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1985 – Logitech C7 mouse

Logitech C7 mouse was released in 1985. It was the first mouse sold under the Logitech brand, and also its first mouse produced for retail (before that, company was focused on producing mice for OEM supplies). The selling price of the C7 was only $100, which was noticeably cheaper than other optomechanical mice of the time. Apparently this, along with…

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1985 – Siemens PC-D mouse

In 1984, Siemens announced the PC-D personal computer working under MS DOS but not hardware compatible with IBM PC. This computer was based on Intel 80186 processor, had proprietary monochrome graphics adapter with 12-inch display, custom keyboard, and RAM varying from 128 Kb to 1 Mb. Software included MS DOS 2.11 and Windows 1.0 as well as a number of…

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1989 — Kraft trackball

The Kraft trackball, also known as the Kraft TripleTrack, is a device developed in the late 80s by Kraft Systems and released simultaneously for several computer families: IBM PC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and Amiga. Trackball features include a key lock switch for selection and a detachable pedal. The Kraft trackball has a symmetrical body and is therefore suitable for…

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1992 — IBM PS/2 Track Ball, a trackball/mouse combo

In 1992, IBM released a non-standard flip trackball that could work in two modes: a trackball and a regular mouse. Converting the device from one mode to another is performed by pressing a pair of plastic latches that change the position of the upper – or, depending on the mode of operation, the lower – side of the case. As…

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1998 — Apple Puck Mouse

The Apple USB mouse, often called the “puck” because of its unusual shape, was developed by Apple in 1998. It was the first commercially released Apple mouse with a USB connection rather than the Apple ADB bus. Many reviewers criticized this mouse for its lack of ergonomic design. Unlike most manipulators, this mouse has a round shape, and it also…

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1999 — Trackerball ProTrack 60i trackball

The ProTrack 60i was developed by the Trackerball Company, a former division of Marconi (the creator of the very first trackball, the “trackerball”, which was developed in the 1940s to control the on-screen cursor of military radars). The trackball was produced in two versions: the R60 (ProTrack 60) with a characteristic white body with a black ball and buttons, and…

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1996 — Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball 5.0

In 1996, Kensington released its fifth Expert Mouse Trackball. The trackball has undergone a significant redesign. While previous models were fairly classic two-button devices, the Expert Mouse Trackball 5.0 is equipped with a larger diameter ball and four large buttons arranged symmetrically around the ball, similar to flower petals. A similar model was released for the Macintosh, which was predictably…

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1995 — MacALLY MTB-01/Fellowes Sphere Trackball

The MTB-01 trackball is a typical example of this type of pointing device most common in the first half of the 1990s. In addition to selling it under the MacALLY brand, theTaiwanese manufacturer has actively provided it for rebranding. That’s why the MTB-01 model isoften found under other names (although it was released by Fellowes Computerware in 1997). This trackball…

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1995 — Mouse Systems ProAgio / Genius EasyScroll Mouse

The Genius EasyScroll Mouse, also known as the Mouse Systems ProAgio Scroll Mouse, is the first mass-produced mouse with a scroll wheel. The mouse was released in 1995, five years after Mouse Systems was acquired by KYE, owner of the Genius brand. The mouse is ergonomically shaped. It has five fairly large buttons with ribbed edges, and the left button…

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1992 — Lotus Mouse

The Lotus Mouse is a typical example of an optomechanical mouse from the 90s. The mouse has an ergonomically shaped asymmetrical body and is designed for right-handed use. On the upper side of the case there are two large buttons and the word “Lotus” is written. The surface of the main mouse button is embossed to make it easier to…

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Mouses

Tag: optomechanical encoder

1994 – Trinity Mariqua Mouse

1993 — Colani Mouse

1994 – Elecom Lunaris Mouse

1997 – Kensington Mouse, ADB 2nd generation

1995 – Kensington Mouse

1995 – Kensington Thinking Mouse

1986 – Apple Desktop Bus Mouse

1987 – Genius GM-5 mouse

1987 — Microsoft Dove Bar Mouse

1986 – Sunnyline DIGIMOUSE

1985 – Logitech C7 mouse

1985 – Siemens PC-D mouse

1989 — Kraft trackball

1992 — IBM PS/2 Track Ball, a trackball/mouse combo

1998 — Apple Puck Mouse

1999 — Trackerball ProTrack 60i trackball

1996 — Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball 5.0

1995 — MacALLY MTB-01/Fellowes Sphere Trackball

1995 — Mouse Systems ProAgio / Genius EasyScroll Mouse

1992 — Lotus Mouse

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