Bob Duffy, Intel Atom Developer Community Manager and Social Media Strategist, made an interesting observation at this year's CES. There's weren't many, if any, mouses on display. His conclusion? The computer mouse doesn't have "much of a future, on ANY device." Time to write the obituary?
"At CES something caught me, I found it very difficult to find a computer mouse," Duffy wrote in a blog post. "Game controllers, remote controllers, touch devices, and track pads were there, but the mouse was a no show."
According to Duffy, the lack of mice on display was no accident, as CES is all about showing off the latest and greatest technology. He also questioned the need for a computer mouse.
"Why do we have a mouse? Do we need a mouse? Could you have any application today with some tweaking and alternative input and go mouse free? Are there advantages of a mouse we can't get away from (aka not needing to watch your hand, or crowd your viewing experience)?," Duffy questioned.
We see where Duffy's coming from, we just don't think the mouse is destined for the grave any time soon. PC gaming alone will keep the mouse alive for years to come, as will photo editing, CAD work, and other tasks that just don't translate well to a touchscreen interface.
What are your thoughts? Is the computer mouse living on borrowed time?
Most of Windows 7’s accessibility options are, at best, of dubious usefulness to the average PC user. And that’s fine, as they’re generally designed for people with special needs, and can be easily deactivated. There’s one accessibility option, however, that can be a big help to anyone: Mouse Keys.
