The computer mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963 while he
was working at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in California. The
original mouse was a wooden block with two metal wheels, which could be rolled
on a flat surface to move the cursor on the screen.
In 1968, SRI licensed the mouse technology to the computer company
Xerox, which incorporated it into its Xerox Alto computer. However, it was not
until the 1980s, when Apple introduced the Macintosh computer, that the mouse
became widely used.
Over the years, the mouse has undergone many design changes and
improvements. The first commercially available mouse was a mechanical device,
but it was soon replaced by optical mice that used LED lights to detect
movement. Today, most mice use laser technology for more precise tracking.
In addition to its original purpose as a pointing device, the mouse is
now also used for clicking, dragging, and scrolling. It remains one of the most
commonly used input devices in the world, and it has greatly contributed to the
ease and efficiency of computer use.