When the Macintosh was first released in 1984, it came with a revolutionary new pointing device: the Macintosh Mouse. Designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple as part of the Apple Mouse series, this mouse was a significant departure from the traditional trackball or joystick devices that had been the norm up until that point.
The Macintosh Mouse was introduced on April 24, 1984, and featured a number of design elements that set it apart from other pointing devices of the time. The case was a slightly darker brown than the beige coloring of the Lisa mouse, which it was based on, and it had less formal lines, with a thick chamfer around its edges to match the Macintosh case.
Mechanically, the Macintosh Mouse was largely similar to the Lisa mouse, with the main difference being that it used a rubber-covered steel ball instead of a steel ball. This change made the mouse more comfortable to use and less prone to slipping. The Macintosh Mouse also featured updated DE-9 connectors, which were square in shape and featured standard thumbscrews.
Despite its revolutionary design and features, the Macintosh Mouse was only sold for a little over three years, being discontinued on October 1, 1987. Today, the Macintosh Mouse is 39 years old and is considered a classic piece of technology history. Although it may seem primitive by today’s standards, it was a major step forward in the development of personal computing and has had a lasting impact on the way we interact with computers today.
Macintosh Mouse Release Date
| Introduced | January 24, 1984 |
| Discontinued | October 1, 1987 |
| Model Number | M0100 |
| Original Price | Unknown |
| Colors | Beige |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Dimensions | Unknown |
System Requirements
- Macintosh with DE-9 port
Mouse
| Tracking | Mechanical |
| Buttons | 1 |
Connections
| Connection | DE-9 |
Power
| Power | Unknown |
