Re: Linux stifles innovation...

["Michael H. Warfield" <mhw@wittsend.com>]

On Sun, Feb 18, 2001 at 12:00:03PM -0600, Gregory S. Youngblood wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Feb 2001, Michael H. Warfield wrote:

> > On Sat, Feb 17, 2001 at 09:15:08PM -0800, Ben Ford wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On the other hand, they make excellent mice.  The mouse wheel and
> > > > the new optical mice are truly innovative and Microsoft should be
> > > > commended for them.
> > > >
> > > The wheel was a nifty idea, but I've seen workstations 15 years old with
> > > optical mice.  It wasn't MS's idea.

> > 	I think their "innovation" was not requiring the optical cross
> > grid mouse pad common on Sun workstations over the years.  The Microsoft
> > optical mouse uses variations in the surface characteristics of whatever
> > it's on to perform it's function.  The old optical mice just used two
> > different colors of LED's (red and IR) and a special pad.  This would
> > actually have to scan and track the surface below it.  Don't know that
> > I've seen anyone do that before.

> I remember being at a computer show in Minneapolis where a small company
> was showing off this mouse that worked on a variety of surfaces without a
> ball. I'm trying to remember if the mouse was optical or used yet another
> method of functioning -- I think it was optical, though I could be
> mistaken. This was in 1992/1993.

	I think you are correct here.  I seem to recall mention of some
of those earlier devices at the time of the Microsoft announcement.  I
seem to also recall some of the reliability problem they had.  I believe
they were extremely fussy about the surface they were on.

> The point is, I really do not believe Microsoft made the "leap" to provide
> opitcal mice without the need of the mousepad grid. Their "innovation" was
> in marketing it on a wide scale though.

	I would agree there.  They did something to improve the reliability
on a wider variety of surface textures, though.  Is that innovation or
merely getting a good idea, that's been around, to finally work?  Don't
know.  I didn't find the idea itself particularly innovative.  The fact
that they did get it to work reliable is something to be said.

	The marketing is a given, of course.  Particularly in the face
of the preception in some camps that this style of optical mouse was
unreliable.

> I could be mistaken - if so then let's give them their credit - but I have
> a hard time believing it was their idea without some serious proof.

	Agreed.

	Mike
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