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What was the computer "mouse"?
(lemmy.sdf.org)
The computer mouse was a pointing device invented in the 1960s by Douglas Engelbart as a means of avoiding the use of the finger to smear dirt and oil on glass particularly at ATMs and PoS stations.
The photo reminds me that the PCjr used an optical mouse with a metal mouse pad.
I still remember that small amount of time that I used a mouse with a metal mousepad (on a Macintosh). It seemed like those style of optical mice only lasted for a very brief amount of time and was a tad finicky. Still, I wonder how many folks never knew that mice using metal mousepads even existed.
The Sun workstations also had the optical mouse with a metal pad.