Douglas Carl Engelbart: "I created a computer mouse"
"This is a story about a man who invented the thing. In it all, the joy of victory and the bitterness of defeat. In it all. "
Almost all owners of the PC probably have not even heard the name Charles Douglas Engelbart. In this case, such a seemingly small thing, does not interfere with actually more than one billion people each day use of his invention, the most popular of which, of course, the computer mouse.
In Oregon, near the city of Portland, January 30, 1925, the son of the average laborer, born a boy. Normal boy, like so many, went to school, then went to the University, with dreams of getting a diploma electrical engineer. But all of a sudden outbreak of the Second World War all messed up of a young Douglas, designating a radio technician for the Philippine naval base. Then Douglas was still, in general, far from the technology, but fate was already decided everything for him, and threw him the magazine «Atlantic Monthly» with famous statues of the famous American scientist in the field of computers and information technology Vannevar Bush, which was called - " How quickly we are able to think. "
Vannevar Bush, the author of the cult statue, talked about the differences between the structure of human memory and external storage media. The article described Bush as existed in the form of ideas fotoelektromehanicheskoe device called «Memex», the place which was a fantastic film, rather than in the real world. But, however, Bush's theory that has infected the young Enelbarta, and he was seriously thinking about the application of sophisticated military equipment to ordinary civilian life.
Returning from the war, Engelbart decides to return home to a university for a diploma, and later, to work electrician, taking him to work in «NACA» (later «NASA»). Most of the time, Douglas was carried out in the laboratory, as was a permanent source of income, and eventually moved to California. Even then, Douglas began to realize that the plans for the creation of artificial intelligence will require a sound scientific footing, so in his spare time, he continues to devote himself to study at the famous Berkeley, in the same, which, by the way, and came up with «Free BSD».
On graduating in 1955 with an honorary degree of Doctor of Science in their field, Douglas Engelbart leaves the «NACA», and decides to get carried away by deeper computers. To get all the necessary skills in this area, now Dr. Engelbart, is assistant professor of electrical engineering at the university. At the same time, Douglas and attract long-term work on the project «CALDIC», which is engaged in the financing of the military. It is evident that, even then, the walls of the Berkeley scientists supported the U.S. military, have begun to develop a supercomputer.
A year later, Engelbart joined the Stanford Research Institute, and then the first attempt to commercialize their development. Over the next four years, Dr. Engelbart has received patents on twelve magnetic, and seven bistable gas-plasma digital devices.Especially those that were born during the preparation to receive an honorary doctorate degree. But fate was such that they receive any profit from Douglas could not.
Without losing the will to achieve our goals, Engelbart with engineer Hewitt Crane begins to develop components of electronic computers and carry out important studies of the phenomenon of digital devices and the possible reduction in their size. Enthusiasm for business and a desire to achieve results again contributed Engelbart. One day at Stanford University relented and assisted in the organization of the scientist's own laboratory and staff, numbering up to 47 people. But the team is just not met. Dr. Engelbart carefully walked to the selection of staff, who dreams to work on interesting projects, constantly repeating that the need to improve the process is a participant in the process.
An amazing dedication to his work of the scientist, sooner or later had to show a positive result. It just happened. Dr. Engelbart decides to expand his laboratory, then known as «Augmentation Research Center», and the work environment «On-Line-System», aka «NLS».
«NLS» is a computer system that includes a brand new operating system, split screen teleconferencing, contextual help system, a universal programming language, and even e-mail.
This project was striking that when the yard was even 60 years, it has already contained an e-mail, hypertext links, the system context help window interface, and editing online. In fact, Engelbart created the world's first working hypertext system.Engelbart was the second computer "Meinfreim", which was connected to the then fledgling military network «ARPANet», in fact, his father, or grandfather of the current Internet.
The very creation of a computer mouse (1964)
Thus, the creation of «ARPANet Network Information Center» was asked Dr. Engelbart's team. And as a side effect of the project «NLS», and was born on the first computer mouse (or more precisely the position of the indicator X and Y).
It turns out that this is an amazing invention, without which, in our time, stop all work with a computer, was developed by accident. The fact is that while the main manipulators, which included joysticks, keyboards and light pens, made the process of working with the native environment rather slow. Thinking to resolve this issue, Douglas and gave a simple manipulator, who promised to facilitate and speed up workflow. Who knew that the device would be so important, popular and useful.
Engelbart's colleagues took up the improvement of the new device, despite the possibility of easy, and most likely it is thanks to her, the first computer mouse sleep deprived employees Engelbart. Bill Engle presented to the colleagues first working prototype Engelbart amazing invention. Mouse Inglisha is a wooden box with the big wheels of metal, very little red button, and terribly uncomfortable wire is under the wrist of anyone who decides to use it.
But, nevertheless, perfection, as you know, there is no limit, and after 40 years of good computer mouse became a permanent pet in the homes of owners of personal computers in the world.
Unfortunately the idea of Douglas, showed the U.S. military is too new for that time, and a system called «NLS» has not received the deserved widespread. Engelbart has always believed that the mentally and physically healthy person does not need to explain everything, and after putting chewed in the mouth, on Douglas never wanted to build a simple circuit. So for example for that would start in the chord keyboard, the user had to learn a 5-bit binary and mnemonic codes. And this is perhaps the easiest thing to do that the past to work with his system.
Plus Douglas was not able to sell their inventions and ideas, but, nevertheless, for one it paid him. For the device, without which normal operation of the computer users all over the world is not possible, he was paid ten thousand dollars. The entire fee honored Douglas Engelbart decides to spend on an initial payment for a house away from the expensive houses, flooded the entire Silicon Valley.
The beginning of the end of the lab Engelbarda Douglas was the failure of the project «NLS». Do not forget to take with them the idea of the great scientist, colleagues began to escape from the laboratory. So, for example the development of the computer mouse Bill English agreed to continue under the auspices of the company «Xerox PARC», and by the fact that the device of computer mice is somewhat different from that patented Douglas, this was nothing to be done about it. And Plus, in 1987, the term of the patent has expired Engelbart, and this event quite a bit crossed with the moment when the computer mouse at one point became popular around the world for companies such as «IBM», «Microsoft» and «Apple» . In an interview, Douglas Engelbart said that Stanford University is not aware of the value that represented a patent for a computer mouse. It is known that when Stanford University sold a license to a computer mouse company «Apple», for ridiculous price of 40,000 U.S. dollars.
Genius was employed ordinary employees, and devoted all his spare time to his family, while the plagiarists have continued to extract from him the idea of millions of profit.Plus, at the Douglas house burned down in the fire of the fire which burned all acquired over the years, and the Douglas with all of this and more ill. Douglas does not like to remember this period of life, and once even compared him to exile in Siberia.
Suddenly, in the late 80's - early 90's about Douglas Engelbart recalled, and even decided to recognize his achievements and contribution to the development of computer technology. On the already desperate inventor fell various awards, which enabled him to correct some their financial situation and to open a non-profit organization called «Bootstrap Institute», which to this day there is the financial support of investors and authorities. This non-profit project brings together all representatives of the field of information technology for the "formation of alliances and improve the way their organizations and themselves." At the moment so diligently to develop the project «Open Hyper-Document Systems» and work on the concept of collective IQ.
As already described above, Douglas Eengelbart likes simple circuits. Perhaps that is why the scheme of life was similar to the complex and at the same time a fascinating film.Devoted all his life to science, Dr. Engelbart became a father not only the computer mouse, and four children. And, so, by the way, he also has nine grandchildren.
To date, Douglas Engelbart is one of the most expensive (paid) employees «Logitech» deals with computer peripherals. And despite the fact that Douglas did not become a businessman, and his fees are in the millions or billions of dollars, we still know and remember, the one who was ahead of his time, and the first to create what is now credited himself tricky moguls.
Douglas Engelbart is sure that his ideas will definitely find its incarnation and will be useful to people. And we can only guess when the world is useful for another great invention talented engineer, and what more can you expect from this genius idea, because now his main dream is to upgrade the operating system of the person.
