A computer mouse that served as of Steve Jobs' major inspirations has been sold for a whopping 147,000 Pounds (Rs 1,48,89,174), Metro reported. The rare three-button mouse and coding keyset created by computing icon Douglas Engelbart was sold for around 12 times its estimate of £12,000 in a sale by Boston-based RR Auction.
Notably, Mr. Engelbart's invention was the inspiration for the late Apple CEO's first rollerball-controlled mouse.
''The rare, early three-button computer mouse designed by Engelbart, measuring approximately 4″ x 2.75″ x 2.5″, utilizes two metal discs (corresponding to the X-axis and Y-axis) on the bottom to locate the position of the cursor, rather than a ball or optical light that came to be used later,'' a description of the product on the auction page reads.
The coding keyset, features five keys, permitting 31 key-press combinations, for typing and entering commands. This hardware configuration allowed a user to point and click using the mouse in the right hand while entering commands using the keyset on the left.
In 1979, when Steve Jobs was touring a research facility, he got a chance to witness the concepts of the mouse and the graphical user interface (GUI) in action. He was highly impressed by its user-friendliness and decided to simplify and incorporate these intuitive features into Apple's computers.
However, the Xerox mice that cost 245 pounds did not roll smoothly, and Mr. Jobs was intent on creating a single-button version that costs only 12 pounds. Apple then licensed Mr. Engelbart's mouse patent for around 33,000 pounds and hired the design firm IDEO to bring the mouse to reality.
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction said, ''Engelbart's invention would, in part, change the course of modern life. This device played a crucial role in the evolution of computer history.''
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