These historical photos depict elements of the work in interactive computing directed by Doug Engelbart at Stanford Research International beginning in the early '60s. The biography, "A lifetime pursuit," helps put most of these pictures into context.  2A

Mouse and workstation  2B

  2B1
The Graficon, an experimental pointing device. - In search of a best way to select screen objects for interactive display workstations in late 1963 or early 1964; Engelbart launched experiments managed by Bill English. They selected a variety of available pointing devices -- light pen, track ball, joysticks, the "Graficon" pictured here, and the mouse. The devices were compared for speed and accuracy with the mouse coming out on top. Still other experimental variations were later built and tested, including foot-pedal operated, knee-operated, even head-operated ("nose pointing") devices.  2B1A

  2B2
Knee brace instead of a mouse. - A contender cooked up by Engelbart's lab for moving the cursor on the display screen.  2B2A

  2B3
First mouse. - Doug Engelbart invented the computer mouse in 1963-64 as part of an experiment to find better ways to point-and-click on a display screen. Made in a shop at SRI, the casing was carved out of wood. It had only one button, which was all there was room for. Subsequent models seen featured three buttons. Engelbart would have gone for even more buttons, but there was only room for three of the needed micro-switches available in those days.  2B3A

  2B4
First mouse again. - Two wheels, perpendicularly mounted to one another in the mouse's innards track the X-Y position that is communicated to the screen. The mouse was patented in 1970 as an "X-Y Position Indicator." Xerox Park is often credited, erroneously so, with the invention of the mouse, but they do have to their credit the trackball that has replaced the perpendicular wheels.  2B4A

  2B5
Workstation with mouse.- The mouse was invented for use with display workstations that were pioneered in Engelbart's laboratory, the Augmentation Research Center. This model, of circa 1964-1966, was custom-built for roughly $80,000. A second device with buttons, on the left, is the forerunner of the keyset designed for the rapid input of command codes for manipulation of blocks of text. The keyset is, for that purpose, more efficient than the common keyboard.  2B5A

  2B6
First production keyset. - Engelbart invented a document generation and editing system with which a number of people can work together. It was known as the NLS (oN-Line System). It called for streamlining the commands for operating the computer and manipulating documents. Engelbart looked for single-character inputs, such as a d for delete. He then came up with the keyset for chording the command keys with the left hand while the mouse was worked with the right hand.  2B6A

  2B7
A cue card for the keyset, or "chord". - The keyset's five keys permit 31 combination of pressed keys. That covers more than the alphabet. Letters, beginning with a, are shown on this cue-card chart. Uppercase characters are obtained by simultaneously pressing the middle mouse button. With the left mouse button pressed, the keyset is used for entering digits and punctuation marks. Tests done in the early '60s showed that temporarily secretarial helpers (known as the "Kelly Girls") mastered the keyset in less than two hours no-matter what method of training was used. They also demonstrated that the regular keyboard is more efficient for straightforward typing, but that for editing and maneuvering text, the mouse-keyset combination is the more efficient.  2B7A

  2B8
Production workstation and mouse. - The first production model of the mouse was made in 1967. It had a plastic casing on a metal base plate. Although the casing was originally designed for the cord to be attached to the wrist side of the device, it is seen here with the cord coming out from the other end.  2B8A

  2B9
Production mouse. - This model was used by the Augmentation Research Center group and the customers served over the ARPAnet. It is also the mouse used in the 1968 FJCC demo.  2B9A

  2B10
Ergonomic keyboard console. - This console was custom-made by Herman Miller furniture company of Zeeland, Michigan, and used during the 1968 Fall Joint Computer Conference at which Doug Engelbart gave his historical demonstration of on-line computing. The setup included a tilt-swivel office chair.  2B10A

  2B11
Doug Engelbart and mice. - Engelbart, in his office at Tymshare, shows the original mouse next to the then latest, 1984 model. Upon acquiring the NLS co-operative text-editing system from SRI, Tymshare renamed the system Augment.  2B11A

Augmentation Research Center environment  2C

  2C1 .  2C1A
Experimental workplace and closeup of a knowledge worker. - Engelbart's Augmentation Research Center at SRI experimented with various office and seating arrangements, and with several keyboard-display configurations, even beyond the bounds of existing conventions.  2C1B

  2C2
Engelbart in his ARC office. - Doug Engelbart at his first personal display workstation, - This station was installed in his own office in 1974. Until then, all the ARC's display workstations were situated in an open arena shared by all his engineers.  2C2A

  2C3    2C3A
Pictures, (left and right) of what probably was the first computer-supported conference. - The facility was rigged for a meeting with representatives of the ARC's research sponsors NASA, Air Force, and ARPA. A U-shaped table accommodated setup CRT displays positioned at the right height and angle. Each participant had a mouse for pointing. Engelbart could display his hypermedia agenda and briefing materials, as well as the documents in his laboratory's knowledge base.  2C3B

  2C4
NIC archives (1971). - The host mainframe at ARC was the second such unit linked into the ARPANet, which was the precursor of the Internet. Engelbart's lab had been assigned by ARPA to run the Network Information Center (NIC), which has since grown into the InterNIC. This photo shows the NIC archives vault with its library of NIC publications and backup tapes (magnetic 7- or 9-track tapes).  2C4A

2C5 . 2C5A
Engelbart conducting a workshop (standing and seated). - Circa 1967-68.  2C5B

  2C6
Tree of evolution. - Chart shows progression of ideas from Engelbart's Augmentation Research Lab at SRI (SRI-ARC) migrating to Xerox, the Apple Computer Co., and beyond. (Slide by Charles Irby who migrated from Engelbart's lab to Xerox PARC, Metaphor, and is now at SGI.) 2C6A
 

First Joint Computer Conference presentation, 1968   2D

  2D1
San Francisco's Brooks Hall all set for the 1968 First Joint Computer Conference. - It is here that Doug Engelbart received a standing ovation for his demonstration of interactive computing. His console in this hall, which held about 1000 people, was connected by telephone line to his partners in the demo located in the ARC lab in Menlo Park.  2D1A

  2D2
At the 1968 FJCC demo. - Screen shot of Engelbart's now-famous presentation in San Francisco.  2D2A

  2D3
Forty miles from the FJCC at San Francisco.- Display-driver equipment room at Engelbart's SRI laboratory in Menlo Park during a rehearsal for 1968 FJCC demonstration. From left to right, unknown woman, Martin Hardy, Dave Casseres, Ed van de Reit, unknown man, Stewart Brand, Roger Bates, Bill English.  2D3A

  2D4
Early display technology. - A commercial camera was used to record and transmit occurrences on a cathode ray tube at ARC in Menlo Park to San Francisco's Brooks Hall used by the Association of Computing Machinery 40 miles away. The camera images permitted the audience to compare them with images shown on a networked computer terminal in the hall that was directly linked to the originating computer. An engineer is adjusting the camera's focus.  2D4A

  2D5
First videoteleconferencing at FJCC 1968. - A screen shot of hypermedia with simultaneous on-screen video teleconferencing shows ARC's Bill Paxton piped in from the SRI lab in Menlo Park.  2D5A

  2D6 .   2D6A .   2D6B
Miscellaneous screen shots (A, B, C). - An image of a mouse being manipulated is superimposed over a screen image, as projected on the large screen for the audience.  2D6C
 

NLS/Augment architecture   2E

  2E1
Distributed network model.  2E1A

  2E2
Client server architecture.  2E2A

Images to illustrate concepts   2F

  2F1 .   2F1A
Tricycle vs bicycle. - Engelbart used these images to illustrate the difference between ease of use and high-performance. The tricycle may be easier to learn and use, but it is hard work to travel even a short distance. Riding a bicycle calls for considerably more skill, with bumps and bruises expected as one learns, but the effort-to-performance ratio is dramatically higher. The high-performance knowledge workers of the future, as perceived by Engelbart, are expected to be very skillful.  2F1B

  2F2 .   2F2A
Downhill skiing vs skiing on birch slats provides a similar analogy for comparing a high-performance worker flying through information space as compared to plodding with a one-button mouse and menus without the prospect of ever graduating to anything faster.  2F2B

  2F3
Potter's wheel. - An example of how any trade or profession has evolved tools and methods in which the tradespeople become extremely proficient in their use. The knowledge work profession is relatively young and less evolved, and professionals are not expected to become proficient soon except in the most rudimentary skills.  2F3A

  2F4
Helicopter pilot. - For those who are not highly trained or certified, the services of a pilot are the answer. Passengers are not expected to fly a helicopter; the pilot does that. Similarly, we should expect executives and budding knowledge workers wishing to fly through their information space to employ cyber pilots. Those can take them were they need to go, help find what is needed, give guided tours, etc. This assistance could quite easily be done remotely, for example, by video teleconferencing as shown above.  2F4A

  2F5
Hangglider. - Engelbart loves this parable of soaring up above the horizon.  2F5A

   2F6
"De-augmenting" writing skill. - Pencil encumbered with a brick slows down writing and/or enduces the writer to produce larger script. Illustrations from D.C. Engelbart, Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework, 1962  2F6A

Behind the scenes at ARC   2G

  2G1 .   2G1A
Photos "5" and "6."  2G1B
 

Presidential Award   2H

395 Kb  2H1
President Clinton and Douglas Engelbart
Courtesy The White House.  2H1A

471 Kb  2H2
President Clinton, Secretary Mineta, and NMT Laureates
Courtesy The White House.  2H2A

29 Kb or 1633 Kb  2H3
Secretary of Commerce Norman Mineta an Douglas Engelbart
Courtesy National Science Technology Medal Foundation.  2H3A