The best laid plans of mice and men: the computer mouse in the history of computing

It could be argued that the history of the computer mouse has already been written. It is true that a number of computer magazine articles and sections of books on computer history, along with online archives and Web encyclopedia entries, have described in some detail how the mouse we know today came into existence. However, these writings by and large have described the design, development, and production of the mouse without really assessing the extent to which it has affected our relationship with computing technology. The history of the mouse raises a number of interesting questions: Why did it take so long to become a mass-produced item? How did people react to the introduction of the mouse? What did the mouse represent, and what does it represent today? How and why did it become the single most accepted interface technology?..