In Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home, when our time travelling heroes came back to Earth to steal a whale and save the future. Those that watched can all remember the comic scenes from that movie. One in particular was when Scotty tried to input data into the computer. First of all he said ‘Computer.’ No response. Being 1986 we didn’t have voice operated computers. An engineer indicates the mouse to Scotty who picks it up and says into it ‘Computer’. So funny…… OK, maybe you had to be there.
Now here we are over 20 years later and we still use the mouse as one of the main input devices for our computers. People looking for upgrading it are still using the same basic format but with minor changes. Read here for what are described as Mouse 2.0. Look at these and see that basically there are few changes to be made and unless you like playing with new toys the old mouse will still be with us for a bit longer.
In reality the mouse and its close associate the keyboard are a long way from being replaced. One of the biggest issues with computers is the IO, the Input and Output devices. It’s so we can see them and also have an easy way of getting input into them. It amazes me how many people keep Facebook or EMail on their Internet enabled mobiles and when it comes down to it they are using small keys as a mouse and their phone keys as a keyboard. Too fiddly for normal use, IMO, but it does the job when required.
The mouse has been looked at for replacement for a long time. I would say we are well beyond Mouse 2.0 myself having so many different types of mouse available out there. Although at most it has been upgraded several times usually with more buttons and more movement. A good example is the MS Sidewinder which was designed for game use but I actually found easy to use for general use. It never took off mainly because the mouse is so entrenched and so much cheaper. Only die hard gamers ever really needed its extra functionality. So basically the humble Mouse 1.0 is still king with many variants of Mouse 1.1 and up being used for specialist graphics and gaming tasks. Oh well.
The real breakthrough in computer IO will not be something as simple as an upgraded mouse, keyboard or video but will be some sort of neural interface. A port as you will into the mind. Preferably non invasive. It’s still a while away. In the meantime though we will have a stop gap of glasses, headphones, microphone and gloves fitted with the same technology we have in the Wii controllers. With computers being small enough to fit in a couple of cubic inches with SS memory and WiFi we can fit it all in a helmet and interact in a more natural way for games and educational uses. I can’t wait to see what this will do for education once you can interact with everything. It will bring Science, History, etc. alive. A true breakthrough in education although I have no doubt Games will be the driver.
For people like myself of course I’ll still have my mouse and keyboard as well as my neural interface and I have no doubt that the keyboard and mouse will be available for a long time to come.
Replacing the Mouse
In Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home, when our time travelling heroes came back to Earth to steal a whale and save the future. Those that watched can all remember the comic scenes from that movie. One in particular was when Scotty tried to input data into the computer. First of all he said ‘Computer.’ No response. Being 1986 we didn’t have voice operated computers. An engineer indicates the mouse to Scotty who picks it up and says into it ‘Computer’. So funny…… OK, maybe you had to be there.
Now here we are over 20 years later and we still use the mouse as one of the main input devices for our computers. People looking for upgrading it are still using the same basic format but with minor changes. Read here for what are described as Mouse 2.0. Look at these and see that basically there are few changes to be made and unless you like playing with new toys the old mouse will still be with us for a bit longer.
In reality the mouse and its close associate the keyboard are a long way from being replaced. One of the biggest issues with computers is the IO, the Input and Output devices. It’s so we can see them and also have an easy way of getting input into them. It amazes me how many people keep Facebook or EMail on their Internet enabled mobiles and when it comes down to it they are using small keys as a mouse and their phone keys as a keyboard. Too fiddly for normal use, IMO, but it does the job when required.
The mouse has been looked at for replacement for a long time. I would say we are well beyond Mouse 2.0 myself having so many different types of mouse available out there. Although at most it has been upgraded several times usually with more buttons and more movement. A good example is the MS Sidewinder which was designed for game use but I actually found easy to use for general use. It never took off mainly because the mouse is so entrenched and so much cheaper. Only die hard gamers ever really needed its extra functionality. So basically the humble Mouse 1.0 is still king with many variants of Mouse 1.1 and up being used for specialist graphics and gaming tasks. Oh well.
The real breakthrough in computer IO will not be something as simple as an upgraded mouse, keyboard or video but will be some sort of neural interface. A port as you will into the mind. Preferably non invasive. It’s still a while away. In the meantime though we will have a stop gap of glasses, headphones, microphone and gloves fitted with the same technology we have in the Wii controllers. With computers being small enough to fit in a couple of cubic inches with SS memory and WiFi we can fit it all in a helmet and interact in a more natural way for games and educational uses. I can’t wait to see what this will do for education once you can interact with everything. It will bring Science, History, etc. alive. A true breakthrough in education although I have no doubt Games will be the driver.
For people like myself of course I’ll still have my mouse and keyboard as well as my neural interface and I have no doubt that the keyboard and mouse will be available for a long time to come.