The Mouse is Dead, Long Live the Mouse!
There’s been some buzz recently about the pointer device for computers known as the mouse, and how it compares/fails/reigns king over similar options like the touchpad, but with the reveal of the not-so-interesting iPad, an interesting concept has appeared: what if the touchpad and mouse were merged?
Over the course of computing history, there’s been numerous pointer devices, like the trackball, that inevitably fade to black due to their extreme incompetence; however, the touch-sensitive touchpad has had enormous success in laptops, touch-screen devices are immensely popular everywhere, and the mouse is a ubiquitous tool for all desktops. Given the state of modern technology, the time has come to one again revolutionize the way humans interact with computers.
Imagine, for a moment, a device that was the size of an iPhone, or any other touch-screen smartphone, that plugged into your computer to work as a pointer device. Even more importantly, imagine that this device has a laser tracking system on the underside, just like modern mice do – this would be revolutionary. The ability to use fingertip gestures, touchpad-like functionality, and the basic point-and-click foundations of the mouse, all in one device, would open up a realm of opportunities.
If this device existed, computer user input would change forever, as the “touchmouse” would enable its users to click, drag, touch, gesture, or slide themselves throughout their systems with considerable ease. Furthermore, the need for digital drawing devices, such as artistic tablets, potentially becomes less necessary for some uses, as it could be achieved within the touchmouse.
Granted, a device such as this would likely be more expensive than the modern mouse, since it needs considerably more complex internal components, but the benefits would far outweigh the cost. The technology exists to build the touchmouse, and advance the ever-exciting arena of pointer devices into its next era – it only needs to be produced.
Kyle can be found on his blog, on Facebook, via email, or on Twitter.
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[...] piece adheres to the Code of Ethics subscribe to Self posts: rss – email New column at Technotainment Revelations on True/Slant: There’s been some buzz recently about the pointer device for computers known as the mouse, and [...]
Crazy as it sounds, I suspect that widespread use of touchscreens will lead to far greater repetitive stress injuries than the mouse. With the mouse, the physical movements are reduced between pointing device and keyboard, and your wrist is better supported.
But Apple (or another developer) would be on to something if they can find a way to radically change the interface to the traditional point-and-type one of today..
Hey Steve,
That’s what I was getting at, although I still like the idea of a touchscreen interface!
–Kyle
In response to another comment. See in context »Interesting that the mouse was by far the least interesting thing developed by Doug Engelbart in the mid 1960’s. Over 40 years later, it’s time to develop something new.
In response to another comment. See in context »Currently, we have either button events, or (x,y) coordinate events. Might be time to look at users and come up with something new!