The doctor's team was entrusted with the creation of the ARPANET Network Information Center. And it was as a side effect of the NLS project that the first manipulator was born, which was called a computer mouse (or in the language of a scientific report, the "X and Y position indicator").
This is a genius device, without which any workflow on the computer is slowed down now, developed by chance. Simply the existing manipulators (joysticks, light pens, and keyboard) slowed down the window environment, and Douglas quickly came up with an add-on that could facilitate the already existing processes. The device proved to be a genius find!
Despite its apparent simplicity, and most likely thanks to it, the first mouse deprived Engelbart's colleagues, who rushed to improve the new device, of sleep. The first working prototype of the unique invention was presented by Engelbart's colleague Bill English. The device was a thick-walled wooden box with giant metal wheels, barely visible to the human eye red button and an uncomfortable "tail" under the wrist of the user. However, there is no limit to perfection, and only 40 years later, the mouse has become a favorite pet on millions of computer tables around the world.
New system NLS and hasn't received wide circulation because the ideas of Douglas seemed to military too innovative for that time. Engelbart never wanted to create simple schemes. He believed that a physically and mentally healthy man of perfection did not have to chew everything up and put it in his mouth. For example, to work normally with a chord keyboard, the user had to learn mnemonic and 5-bit binary codes. And this is the easiest thing to do to work with the system.
Also, Engelbart could not sell his ideas. But for one thing, he was still paid. Ten thousand dollars for the device, without which normal work on the computer to users around the world is not possible. The entire fee was paid for a modest fee for a modest house away from the luxury villas that had filled Silicon Valley.
The failure of the NLS was the beginning of the end of Engelbart's laboratory. The staff fled from the scientist, remembering to grab the ideas of their guru. In particular, Bill English continued to develop the mouse under the wing of Xerox PARC. Because the design of the new mice differed from that patented by Douglas, nothing could be done about it.
Besides, in 1987 the patent term expired, having missed the moment when mice have suddenly scattered on a planet by efforts of company Apple, Microsoft and IBM. In an interview, Engelbart said that the Stanford Institute did not understand the value of a mouse patent. It is well known that the Institute sold Apple's manipulator license at a ridiculous price of $40,000.
While plagiarists squeezed millions out of his idea, the genius worked as a regular employee, dedicating all his free time to his family. Besides, his house burned down, and all that he had gained over the years was lost in the fire, and Douglas himself fell ill. He doesn't like to talk about this period of his life and once even called it "exile in Siberia".
In the late 80's - early 90's Douglas was suddenly remembered and decided to recognize his merits and contribution to computer progress. Awards fell on the desperate inventor as a horn of plenty. This allowed him to rectify his miserable financial situation and to open a non-commercial project called the Bootstrap Institute, which still exists today on the money of the authorities and investors.
The organization unites representatives of the IT-sphere with the aim of "forming alliances and improving both its organizations and itself". Today, they are actively working on Open Hyper-Document Systems and developing the concept of collective IQ.
As already mentioned, Engelbart does not like simple schemes. That's why his life scheme was like a fascinating film. Devoting his life to science, he managed to save the earth under his feet and even raise a fruit on it - he is not only the father of a computer mouse but also four children. He also has nine grandchildren.
Now Douglas Engelbart is one of Logitech's highest-paid employees. Although he hasn't become a businessman, he's hardly ever been remembered and his fees aren't measured in six or seven-digit numbers, we know who was ahead of their time and was the first to create what the sneaky tycoons attributed to themselves.
Douglas Engelbart believes that his ideas will be useful to people and will find their embodiment. One can only guess what else to expect from this restless genius. After all, his main dream today is to modernize the human operating system.