(DIR) Hitori Dake no Renga - The Literate Anti-Comic
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       Hitori Dake no Renga - The Mouse That Roared (27)
        
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 (IMG) panel-27.jpg
        
       In the 1960s, computers were monstrosities in data centres that
       did things like compute missile trajectories and count Thomas
       Watson's pocket change, a perfect environment for the gamechanger
       when Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute
       appeared with what we in hindsight recognize today as the
       prototype of the modern computer mouse. But, of course, to simply
       home in on the mouse as an end in itself is to miss the
       point(er). Really, we don't think of how revolutionary it was to
       have let alone a pointing device, but an actual computer that
       would interactively and nearly instantaneously respond to your
       intention as if you were its only user, and moreover, a computer
       that allowed symbolic, interconnected and interactive browsing
       through data rather than you submitting a batch job on a punch
       card and waiting for your output. Today that's rather pedestrian.
       In 1968, it was electrifying, and not just a little bit
       mind-bending, so we celebrate this achievement on its 40th
       anniversary.
        
       For that matter, this demo even introduced the concept of the
       window metaphor, something we on our modern Macs and PCs sort of
       take for granted now. To the world of ASR-33 teletypes, this was
       just too much to comprehend.
        
       The Register has some nice information on the historical context,
       and coincidentally chose the same laudatory epithet. :) Or watch
       it yourself.
        
       Copyright 2008 Cameron Kaiser except noted. All rights reserved.
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