Tech | July 17, 2008 | 35 comments

The end of the computer mouse?

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7508842.stm

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It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered. A Gartner analyst predicts the demise of the computer mouse in the next three to five years. Taking over will be so called gestural computer mechanisms like touch screens and facial recognition devices. "The mouse works fine in the desktop environment but for home entertainment or working on a notebook it's over," declared analyst Steve Prentice.

"You've got Panasonic showing forward facing video in the home entertainment environment. Instead of using a conventional remote control you hold up your hand and it recognises you have done that," he said. "It also recognises your face and that you are you and it will display on your TV screen your menu. You can move your hand to move around and select what you want," he added. "Sony and Canon and other video and photographic manufacturers are using face recognition that recognises your face in real time," he said. "And it recognises even when you smile. You even have emotive systems where you can wear a headset and control a computer by simply thinking and that's a device set to hit the market in September."

Naturally enough those in the business of making mice are not wholly in agreement that the end is nigh. "The death of the mouse is greatly exaggerated," said Rory Dooley senior vice president and general manager of Logitech's control devices unit. Logitech is the world's biggest manufacturer of mice and keyboards and has sold more than 500 million mice over the last 20 years. "This just proves how important a device the mouse is," said Mr Dooley. But he also agreed that the number of ways people can interact with a computers were rising and that his own company was manufacturing many of them. "The devices we use have been modified for our changing lifestyles but it doesn't negate the value of the mouse," Mr Dooley explained.

(Excerpts / BBC News)
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Are you read to bin your mouse and can you imagine using a computer without one?

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35 comments // The end of the computer mouse?

  • Argon18
  • RsonW
  • caffeine
    • 0
      caffeine  

    • The mouse has become part of our daily lives. It'll take a great deal of time & effort for our generation to learn and use something else. Using a mouse is far easier for larger screens than a touch screen interface. I think the mice are here to stay for much longer.

    • 3 years ago
  • Dmitri_Molotov
  • Purplepanda0o0o
    • 0
      Purplepanda0o0o  

    • Touchscreens have a long way to go if thats the plan.

      Anyone that uses one daily knows what it feels like to want to throw the monitor out of a 6th floor window.

      You can barely trust a child to not break a mouse you think I'm letting'em use my touchscreen monitor with cheetoh hands?

    • 3 years ago
  • Nuevarine
  • Egnatius212
    • 0
      Egnatius212  

    • I think the mouse may become more rare but never extinct. I know for computer gaming, without a mouse precision and speed are greatly compromised.

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
  • helloimcat
  • Dmitri_Molotov
  • Bigdog_mike
  • Dmitri_Molotov
  • VegaNerDiva
    • 0
      VegaNerDiva  

    • Good news most mice are made for right handed people anyways, leaving us leftys out in the cold.

      As long as I can still play World of Warcraft that is. =).

    • 3 years ago
  • infuriel
    • 0
      infuriel  

    • Honestly, some people mouses just prefer mouses over anything because its much easier to use for them. I hope they make mouses at least an option, not forcing us to change how we personally operate in computers.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • Saladin
  • eldamon
    • 0
      eldamon  

    • Wow, people really are adverse to change. Think of it this way, 40 years ago the computers most of are using as we speak wouldn't have fit in the rooms were using them in currently. Is it so inconceivable an innovation will replace the mouse in ten years or so?

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • eldamon:

      This article is like arguing that dune buggies will replace cars in three to four years.

      Touch screens and such are not efficient, they're just fun. A mouse will ALWAYS be better than a touch screen and there are MILLIONS of people who play games who aren't going to suddenly give up all forms of efficiency and fun for a gimmicky user interface.

      It's not realistic.

    • 3 years ago
  • eldamon
    • 0
      eldamon  
    • eldamon:

      I'm pretty sure the same thing was said about the computer itself, and TV before that and radio before that... all the way back to the guys whining about how the wheel would never catch on. It's the called the future and change is a big part of it. Your choices are to lead, follow or get out of the way.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • eldamon:

      What? That has no relevance at all to this discussion.

      You're mistaking the touch screen for progress. It's not the way of the future, it's a gimmick. It's not as good and it's not new or innovative.

      I'm not arguing against progress, I glomp onto new technology. I'm arguing against a useless product, which is what this is.

      Your argument is the same as saying that soon Cable and DSL will be knocked out by Satellite internet because it's "the way of the future." Uh, not if it sucks itself and will be replaced by something even more efficient.

      Plenty of new technology gets the boot after it's introduced. Just because it's cool doesn't mean people are going to replace everything with it, especially if it's not as effective.

      You know what the future of computer access is? Voice commands. Fuck touch screens, people want voice commands. That is what will kill the mouse.

    • 3 years ago
  • eldamon
    • 0
      eldamon  
    • eldamon:

      LOL, at first I thought you had completely missed my point and the point of the article but you brought it home in the end. My point is change is inevitable and the mouse is NOT here to stay. Something (touch screen, voice control, hyper cerebral kinesthetic processing) will replace the mouse and then something will eventually supplant the computer itself. The only constant in the universe is change.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • eldamon:

      Or it's possible that society will collapse and we won't even have computers anymore. D=

      I recognized your point completely and totally. But change happens with innovative technology, not just new technology.

      I'll give up my mouse when something better comes along that I can play my games with. You know, like a cybernetic implant in my brain or something. =p

    • 3 years ago
  • eldamon
    • 0
      eldamon  
    • eldamon:

      You do realize just because a new technology replaces an older one you don't necessarily have to give up the old tech completely. I still drive a stick shift because I think it's fun even though the automatic was introduced in the late 50's. You don't see a lot of families huddled around the "wireless" anymore because we all have TV's yet radio still exists. They aren't going to round up all the mouses/mice summarily, it will be OK.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • eldamon:

      lol, I understand that. There isn't going to be a mice gestapo.

      I was angered by the idea that some analyst said something so stupidly contrary to how the current market is going and still get people to believe him. Then again, what do you expect from analysts? He was probably speaking on behalf of touch screen companies.

      That's what annoyed me, how poor the analysis was. Not the idea that my precious mouse was going to be taken away.

    • 3 years ago
  • eldamon
  • Saladin
  • Freakna
  • thekingbeyond
    • 0
      thekingbeyond  

    • You just can't get rid of a classic like the mouse. All the time we have used computers we have all used mouses (apparently thats the correct plural) how can we get used to anything else?

    • 3 years ago
  • TopScruffy
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  

    • Bullllllshittttt.

      As a gamer and a frequent computer user, I can say comfortably that this guy is a moron.

      Maybe old tards that don't know how to use computers like touch screens, but the rest of us all prefer and are quite good with mice. Touch screens are much slower and less reliable.

      And if you play games, especially FPS's, this notion is -laughable-.

      Talk to me again ten years, I'll still be using a mouse. =)

    • 3 years ago
  • erodut
  • NoGodsNoMasters
    • 0
      NoGodsNoMasters  

    • How does face recognition take the place of the computer mouse? You wink once for iTunes, twice for Task manager, and cross your eyes for internet?

      Maybe touchscreen will replace the mouse but I hold out hope that people will continue to be too lazy to lift their arm up and touch their monitor.

    • 3 years ago
  • joshuaheller
  • EclecticBadger
    • 0
      EclecticBadger  

    • Evolution made the computer mouse ergonomic, wireless and ball free but it is still limited by the familiar function of point and click.

      The proliferation of the touchpad and more interactive motion sensitive devices have already ensured the eventual extiction for this once popular peripheral.

    • 3 years ago
  • mattbrawn
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