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How the Graphical User Interface (GUI) Changed Computing
How windows, icons and menus grew out of research from the 1960s to the 1980s, and what the graphical interface did and did not change for ordinary users.
Machines and Interfaces
Interfaces and Input
How people came to talk to computers through keyboards, mice and screens.
How the Introduction of the Mouse Changed Computing Forever
A balanced look at how much the mouse really changed computing, weighed against touchpads, touch screens, trackballs and keyboard shortcuts.
Stylus and Pen Input on Computers
A history of pen-based computing, from light pens and research-era tablets to handwriting recognition, handheld organizers and modern styluses.
The History of the Computer Keyboard Layout: A Computing Milestone
Where the QWERTY arrangement came from on 1870s typewriters, which popular myths about it are doubtful, and how Dvorak, Colemak and other layouts compare.
The History of the Computer Keyboard: A Computing Milestone
How the computer keyboard grew from typewriters and teleprinters into the terminal and PC keyboard, and where keys like Ctrl, Esc and the function keys came from.
The History of the Computer Mouse: A Computing Milestone
The story of the computer mouse from 1960s research prototypes through workstations to the commercial products of the 1980s, with credit shared among groups.
Touchscreens: How Fingers Became an Input Device
The several technologies behind touch input, from 1960s research and kiosks to resistive, capacitive and multi-touch screens and their path onto phones.
Trackballs and Touchpads: Pointing Without a Mouse
How trackballs, pointing sticks and touchpads developed as alternatives to the mouse, and where each one is still used, from arcades to laptops.
Related topics
More in machines and interfaces
Hardware and Systems From vacuum tubes to chips: the machines and the system software that ran them. Early Machines ENIAC, early electronic and commercial computers, and the mainframe era. Personal Computers How microprocessors and hobby kits led to computers at home. Mobile Computing Laptops, phones and handheld devices. Storage and Displays The media that held data and the screens that showed it, from cards to flash.