*BSD News Article 70099


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From: brian@awfulhak.demon.co.uk (Brian Somers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: The invention of the pointing device
Date: 4 Jun 1996 00:09:19 +0100
Organization: Coverform Ltd.
Lines: 24
Message-ID: <4ovrb0$o3@anorak.coverform.lan>
NNTP-Posting-Host: anorak.coverform.lan
Summary: Pointer invention under X
X-NNTP-Posting-Host: awfulhak.demon.co.uk
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

My apologies for posting this to "the wrong group", but I'm sure that
lots of people here would be pleased to give me an answer.

I have a friend that thinks that OS/2 is wonderful, and thinks that
X looks good... pity about the non-intuitive interface.

The conversation degenerated to me saying "what's intuitive about
having to press one button twice rather than pressing the other
available button?".

This was answered with "Double clicking was invented by the MAC well
before X was ever invented.".

Does anyone know how long X has been around, and when the first pointing
device was introduced ?  Can anyone point me in the right direction ?

I've read an oldish FAQ (updated at the start of '93), but could only
find that MIT took over in January '88.

Thanks for any help.

--
Brian <brian@awfulhak.demon.co.uk>
Don't _EVER_ lose your sense of humour....