14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently posted a graph showing what the company calls the “evolution of the click,” indicating that the classic mouse suffered a major transformation over the years, mostly following the introduction of new technologies and operating systems pushing for different types of input.
And while this perfectly makes sense, when seeing this graph for the first time, we couldn’t help but notice that most people are still living in the 90s, as the wired mouse is still hugely popular these days.
In just a few words, Microsoft says that the original mouse introduced in the 80s evolved to the classic wired mouse with two buttons and a scroll wheel as we know it, which then transformed into the wireless mouse that so many people used to have, especially to work on laptops.
Eventually, the mouse is supposed to be made obsolete by touch, thanks to the introduction of an avalanche of products featuring touch screens, including Windows 2-in-1s, tablets, and PCs with such displays. Or at least, that’s what Microsoft seems to be hoping to happen, especially because it’s one of the companies that are pushing so hard for the adoption of touch-based devices.
You’re living in the past, but that’s OK
And yet, if you look anywhere around you, most people are still using wired mice, myself included, and there’s a good reason for that. Batteries are a pain in the neck, not to mention that most wired mice do not provide the same accuracy as wired ones, so for gaming, the choice is more than obvious.
And then, there’s the other category that seems to be missing from this graph. There are people who use nothing but the touchpad, which for others is quite painful, but there’s no doubt that it also has an important share these days.
So yes, input methods are evolving, but if we’re judging from this Microsoft graph, we still live in the 90s. And what’s funny is that most people are OK with it.