Vintage Mouse That Impressed Steve Jobs Goes For 40 Times Its Estimated Value

The Engelbart SRI mouse, also known as the ‘X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System’, was a groundbreaking computing invention that revolutionized how people interact with computers. Developed by computer pioneer Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in the 1960s, this device was the first to use a rolling ball instead of wheels or sliders. It featured two perpendicular wheels that allowed for cursor movement in two dimensions.
 
Alongside it is a coding keyset similar to the ones used in the “Mother of Demos” back in 1968, where Engelbart debuted the devices and hypertext, object addressing, dynamic file linking, shared-screen collaboration, and much more.

The keyset and three-button mouse were designed to work together, with the keyset’s 31 combinations allowing input of all letters and standard punctuation marks. In contrast, when used with the keyset, the mouse buttons functioned as shift and command keys, enabling access to uppercase letters, numbers, and various punctuation and symbols.
 
The demonstration pioneered a new generation of computers and their accessories. Steve Jobs even licensed the mouse patent from SRI for US$40,000. Jobs had wanted one with a single button, which would only cost US$15 for Apple’s new line of computers. He eventually hired the design firm IDEO to design one.

It resulted in Apple’s mouse having a rollerball mechanism and was introduced with the Lisa computer in 1983 and later the Macintosh in 1984.
 
This iconic piece of tech history has now been sold by RR Auction in Boston for US$178,936, which is 40 times higher than its estimate.

[via New Atlas and ArtDaily, images via RR Auction]