From Man-machines to Laptops

Nowadays the idea of devices for example computers, cell phones, or laptops are all aiming for bringing efficiency in our life. Those devices are developed in the way that it’s easy to access and able to bring along during travels. In the very beginning stage of such machines, (often called man-machine) they are very large and heavy that maybe took more than a room to store. Those machines mainly focused on transforming handwriting to texts. Meanwhile it addresses the efficiency of being able to copy and paste; the possibility of moving texts or drawings around instead of having to erase them when it is on paper. A symbiosis environment was developed that followed up that people of time, as a goal of managing the “cooperative interaction between men and electronic computers”. (Man-Computer Symbiosis (1960) by J.C.R. Licklider). Douglass Englebart , in the video The Mother of All Demos, demos a computer and mouse concept prototype. In the prototype, the mouse’s icon doesn’t look like the pointy triangular icon we see right now on our laptops, it’s more like a small black rectangular block and it is quite amazing to think how it developed over time. The interface of his prototype is very basic, with only lists of words that Douglass wrote on the blank screen, but it perfectly serves its service as a to-do/shopping list which he is trying to demonstrate. The prototype shows a simple, clear, and easy way of organizing and collecting ideas. But i notice the lack of physical feedback and indications when he’s operating the machine, so I’d say this machine may be targeted to professionals who are experienced and trained which makes total sense in the beginning stage of such devices.