| Like so many developments that we take for | | | | the relative size of the buttons. It was felt that the left |
| common on our computers the humble mouse had its | | | | buttons should be larger than the right. The results |
| origins in the innovative work done for more than two | | | | were more than favorable especially with left handed |
| decades at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center | | | | users. By making the left button larger finger position |
| (PARC). The PARC mouse had two rollers for | | | | no longer was a major factor therefore the index |
| horizontal and vertical motion and a single button. The | | | | finger could curve form lower left to upper right ( vice |
| deucedly boxy shape was favored by many of | | | | versa in lefties ) . This is the position the index finger |
| developers at PARC and remarkably has persisted | | | | naturally favors. In addition the previous rubber-dome |
| through many mouse (or mice) incarnations. | | | | switches were replaced with micro switches that had |
| Firstly the Microsoft mouse design has had major | | | | a short travel depression and better tactile feedback. |
| impacts in the mice industry. Microsoft mice always | | | | It was not long before the firm Logitech responded to |
| had ergonomic design. The first Microsoft mouse had | | | | Microsoft's mice innovations. |
| a broad teardrop shape with two buttons. The original | | | | Logitech's first mouse was truly one of the first |
| green buttoned model had a steel ball that spawned | | | | examples of the upcoming international efforts in |
| an industry in foam mouse pads. The next iteration had | | | | product development and design. A Swiss based |
| larger buttons, a larger body, and a rubber coated ball. | | | | Professor: Professor Niklaus Wirth spent a year on |
| When Microsoft decided that the mouse needed to be | | | | sabbatical at Xerox PARC in 1970 and returned to |
| redesigned, it turned to the venerable firm Matrix | | | | Europe to test mouse designs, working closely with |
| Design of San Francisco. Microsoft routinely used and | | | | Inria, a French design center for office automation |
| uses third parties to design and software develop | | | | products. In the end their final design was a round |
| many of the items and software that we take for | | | | mouse with front mounted buttons. Product |
| granted today that Microsoft devoted alone . Mike | | | | development and testing ensued over the position of |
| Nuttal, one of Matrix Designs founders was intrigued | | | | the buttons, and the front position won over the top. |
| by Microsoft's project: reshaping the exterior without | | | | However, Logitech soon found that the buttons on the |
| altering the internal mechanism. | | | | front made the mouse jump backward slightly when |
| Matrix did change one internal element: the position of | | | | clicked. The design was abandoned in favor of a |
| the mouse ball. "Almost the first thing we tried was to | | | | wedge shape, which was followed by the rectangular |
| move the ball forward", Nuttal remarked later. In the old | | | | shape that we today. |
| design the ball sat forward under the palm. A | | | | What is interesting about all of this is the effect of |
| computer mouse user has a natural tendency to put | | | | outside products on an item that we take for granted |
| their weight on the palms of their hands and thus on | | | | today - the humble mouse which so functional that we |
| the ball. By moving the mouse ball forward the result | | | | seldom give it second thought. |
| was much greater accuracy of the mouse. | | | | The rounded heel that fits so well in the palm of your |
| "We knew the buttons had to be larger "Nuttal as well | | | | hand, the large buttons, and the smooth edges all have |
| said "We tried several button sizes and in the process | | | | roots in the most universal of electrical / electronic |
| of designing we ended up incorporating the buttons | | | | products. |
| into the body of the mouse." Another change was in | | | | |