Dr. Engelbart made computers easier to use, especially for artists, graphic designers and casual users with his invention…the mouse. At Apple, the mouse is now just an option as some are going with a wireless trackpad. I personally prefer a trackball despite their mechanical shortcomings, namely ‘gunk’ building up under the ball.
Although he started designing/developing the mouse in the mid Sixties, it didn’t hit the mainstream until the Eighties. I’m sure some high-end, specialized systems had them in the Seventies like a Gerber. Before Engelbart’s contribution was widely adopted, I remember computers sucking to use. The input was all keyboard driven at a prompt in the upper right of a monochrome screen. Sci-Fi movies and TV jumped ahead with voice recognition, something that needs continuous work if you’ve tried Siri, Android’s equivalent or a phone menu with some call centers.
Thanks Dr. Engelbart. Twenty-five years ago this Fall, your contribution to the Macintosh changed the direction of my life and career. Your mouse finally convinced me how computers could finally be used in a practical manner beyond spell-checking.