Computer mouse turns 40

The 40th anniversary of the computer mouse, first demonstrated on 9 December, 1968 in California, is being celebrated this week. Douglas Engelbart is credited with inventing the first mouse, although he never received any royalties for it as his patent ran out before it became widely used. The simple point-and-click device was built by engineer Bill English at the Stanford Research Institute. It was constructed of wood, had two wheels, a single button and a thick cord protruding from the back. It was called the mouse because of this cord, it's so-called 'tail'. Although the mouse is a ubiquitous device, technology experts have been talking of its demise, predicting the rise of new technologies such as touchscreens and voice recognition. Do you think the days of the computer mouse are numbered? Have your say in the Web User forums. Save up to £16 a year this Christmas when you subscribe to Web User!