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Happy Birthday dear mouse … |
| December 1st, 2006 |
Next week on December 9th the mouse will celebrate its 38th birthday. No I’m not referring to that precocious rodent named Mickey; I’m talking about the little guy cradled in your right hand (at least most of us). Since I’m a bit of a history buff I thought it might be interesting to share a little bit of the past with you all.
On that day in 1968 Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart and a group of 17 researchers working with him in the Augmentation Research Center at Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, CA, presented a 90-minute live public demonstration of the online system, NLS, they had been working on since 1962. The public presentation was a session in the of the Fall Joint Computer Conference held at the Convention Center in San Francisco, and it was attended by about 1,000 computer professionals.
This was the public debut of the computer mouse. But the mouse was only one of many innovations demonstrated that day, including hypertext, object addressing and dynamic file linking, as well as shared-screen collaboration involving two persons at different sites communicating over a network with audio and video interface.
The original 90-minute video of this event is part of the Engelbart Collection in Special Collections of Stanford University. This original video has been edited into 35 segments and reformatted as RealVideo streaming video clips.
To access any or all of these clips visit http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/1968Demo.html.
What we saw in the late 60s has progressed to become a commonly used ball mouse. This was the defacto standard for navigating computer operating systems, at least until the late 90s with the emergence of optical sensors, when accuracy and tracking was taken to the next level. Laser sensor technology made their consumer debut in 2004.
Razer introduced the first high performing mouse in 1999. It clocked at 2000 dots-per-inch and established a new category of mice, Gaming Mice, and a new benchmark for mouse performance, DPI. Razer has always believed in hardware solutions and that performance features such as resolution and speed must be built into the firmware and not interpolated through software or through the magnifying of lenses.
Today we all owe a lot of our enjoyment and gaming pleasure to Dr. Engelbart, who incidentally is the proud owner of one of the original Boomslang and most recently Copperhead mice.
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December 1st, 2006 at 1:47 pm
Do you think we’ll still be using mice 38 years from now?
December 1st, 2006 at 4:23 pm
… and let the DeathAdder be a good birthday-present
December 2nd, 2006 at 1:09 pm
As for the Death-Adder I don’t understand it. It seems to be basically the same thing as the Habu, just 1800 dpi instead of 2000 dpi. Can someone explain to me the benefit of the new Death-Adder?
December 4th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
It has 3G-Optical Sensor instead of Laser. With my Copperhead i have to lift the mouse a half centimetre above the ground before the Laser looses contact with the ground. For Lowsensers this isn’t very good because you have to lift the mouse very often. My Copperhead also works very bad with the Razer Mantis Control because the structure of surface is too rough-textured. I hope Razer fixed these issues with the new Infraredsensor / or are developing a new mousepad for teh Deathadder. Hopefully they have also fixed their problems with broken mousecables, my Copperhead and Diamondback, both of them had broken cables after a half year or something…
December 5th, 2006 at 5:00 am
Maybe the Deathadder was just a deal with MS.
Microsoft gets the Habu with Razer Technology
Razer gets the Deathadder with Microsoft shape.
While the Habu uses a Lasersensor, the Deathadder will have an optical (infrared) sensor. This is for the poeple complaining about the Lasersensor (for example like me). Also the Deathadder will be cheaper.
Anyway will stay with my Habu because I cannot live without the proflie memory anymore. And the most important thing why I probably won’t get the Deathadder are the 2 missing buttons above the mousewheel. I really like to be able to switch dpi while ingame. If I am in a small room or passage I will set the mouse to 2000dpi to be able to take a fast look around in the room. If I need to aim at a near window or next room I like to set it to 1600dpi, as I need more precision but must be able to also turn around quite fast. When I need to aim at a higher range with my rifle, I set it to 800dpi. At very high range (or at sniping) when I know where the enemy will appear from and need to aim for example at a far away window/door or whatever I set it to 400dpi to be able to aim at every pixel of the window or whatever. If the deathadder would have this buttons I really would think about buying it. But still I can say that it will be a great mouse. If someone doesn’t need more buttons on the mouse it is highly recommended.
Anyway one thing that really makes me angry about the Habu: There is still no updated driver resolving the polling rate bug for more than a month now.
Robert please read the Habu/Copperhead comparison blog!
December 5th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
When will you be able to buy the Deathadder from the european razer store?
December 6th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
DPI is only one factor in mouse tracking, speed and control. The new 3G optical sensor is not a step backwards and in my opinion is a significant step forwards for players who use fast swipe movement and who lift or flick their mouse off their surface.
And speaking of surfaces the new 3G optical sensors works great on rough and all cloth mats.
I don’t have a definitive answer on ship dates for EU but if I were to guess it would be around the first of the new year.
December 11th, 2006 at 3:25 am
I wrote Oti Korte, who is referenced as Razers European person in charge of the DeathAdder. He wrote to me that the DeathAdder is estimated to be released/preoderable around mid/end december.
Regards
December 16th, 2006 at 7:46 am
I really like reading some history about my favorite stuff, hardware. The Deathadder looks great, i am actually going to buy it as soon as it hits EU. By the way, i got a Diamondback. I had it for 3 months now and im asking you if my Cable is really going to brake in about 3 - 9 months? That would not be to good, cause my brother is going to buy it when i get the Deathadder.
And is there plans for a new mousemat? Or is it a good choise to buy a Mantis controll for my use of the deathadder?
December 16th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
I don’t know if the 3G technology is such a good thing. I’ve encountered scenarios where I’ve had to lift the mouse off the pad and move it back to continue in the same direction. I’ve become so acustom to doing so that it’s faster then lifting up my hand and moving it farther down the pad at ultra high senstivitys. Something like this sounds like it would throw off my game more then help.
Although I’ve found from my Boomslang (which is still a amazing mouse in its own way) to my viper, diamondback and copperhead, laser sensors feel completely different from optical and I don’t think I like it. I’ll probably give my money to Razer anyways cause I like their mice anyway.
I just need to save up for a Baracuda/Tarantula to compare against my X-Fi Fidelity and my G15 (which I’m hoping to ditch cause it’s huge and I don’t use all the extra keys).
I still wish Razer would make a gamepad similar to the n52. Even though they’ve made a gaming keyboard, I can’t say anything can really beat having everything ergonomically at your finger tips. The n52 is just a joy to use compared to a keyboard when doing a FPS.
December 18th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
If I were to order a Death Adder do you think I will get it before Christmas? Or is the launch going to be after Christmas?
December 25th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Hello Im from Slovakia i low speak english, i like game Counter-strike mi celebrit is Razerguy i love Razer komunit.I am at chrismam got mouse (Razer Diamondback Salamander Red)
Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please … write me email anything Please Razerguy is mi idol.
January 2nd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
SILENT GAMING MOUSE! make one please…
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:20 am
I remember when Razerguy promised me that the Habu will not skip. I pre-ordered it and paid 55 € for something that is pretty much useless for me. I was pretty disappointed seeing how less Razer actually knows a about ambitious gamers, releasing such a low-performing mouse.
The more I’m surprised by the DeathAdder, which seems like a dream come true. A (on paper) almost perfect sensor with all the features you’ve dreamt of (lift-off distance etc) put in the perfect shape (Explorer 3.0).
Why might get even if you do this right
January 3rd, 2007 at 11:49 am
Maybe I will get one. But I am still disappointed, that they didn’t add profile memory and 2 more buttons. I could start to cry. Such a prefect mouse… and it is lagging these great features.
January 4th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I am willed awfully Razer Coopperhead Tempest Blue and got im only Razer Diamondblack because Razer Coopperhead Tempest Blue is dear
January 5th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
I am very happy that the one and only legendary mouse returns *whisper*
January 5th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
I want buy that awesome products, but I’m left hander ! I feel very discriminated. I tryed that both hand mouses, but it’s ergonomy is very small for little bigger hands. I want that new right handed models. What will razer do ? I think if razer would make also same models for left handers, the profits will increase hardly. Are they so stupid to cant understand this opportunity ?
Thanks
January 9th, 2007 at 7:54 am
It would be nice if in this New Year Razer wouldn’t rip-off and charge more from European customers than US customers for the same products.
59.99$ for DeathAdder mouse is much less than 59.99 Euro, because Euro > Dollar.
January 12th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Razer Diamondback with 4 superbuttonz is perfect when playing a Druid in World of Warcraft. I use 1 button for each animalform. Couldn’t have played druid without.
January 12th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
January 12th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Numbers say a bad news for me, but I still think if you make a good advertise like “Best mouses for lefthanders/ you reach the point, grab you mouse and play/ be best and surpass worlds right handed comunity/ be special, show you are better as righthanders WITH RIGHT MOUSE !”
I think opinion like this: “lefthanders are not necesary, we wanna make business, money… ”
is not right, because there is a lot of exellent progamers leftahnders. If you satisfy their demand, you could make good money in later years. Not now, because lefhandes must be know, that razer is best choise for their gaming, working. If you IGNORE lefhanders, they wouldnt do good success in gaming.. as you need for advertise. Lefthanders will w8 for some products (they GRAB first precise mouse) from genius, microsoft… so be first and make BEST mouses also for lefthanders pls. Mouse is very important part in these graphic, game times. Compromises as ambidextrous designs will not make that result as can be !! Pls think about that, make best mouses FOR US
Best wishes
Ranas
January 12th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Razerguy,
I ordered the Death Adder Dec 17 and I hear that the UK already got them this week. When will the US be getting their Death Adders?
January 13th, 2007 at 3:48 am
Hi Razerguy,
there will be a GREEN (led color) version of the DeathAdder? I want to change my DB Plasma…
January 17th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Hi
My copperhead i really loved just breaked me when i was playing Q4 !
Got very disapointed, the cord is laggy in some ways. Iv’e tested it and i’m 200% sure.
That’s my 3:rd copperhead. I really got unlucky huh ?
Btw, is it anyway to send it back and get a new copperhead?
So that’s why i’m buying the Deathadder in trust of the fine looking mouse and ergonomic (like Intelli 3.0) Lucky as i am i didn’t need the 2 buttons on the right side, gr8 isn’t it
Have one dear question about it. I have the razer eXactMat surface and is the deathadder working properly with it ?
sincerely /andreas
January 17th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I would say more than 90%. I’m left handed, and I have lots of friends who are also south paws. No one that I know actually mouses left handed though. The only place where these people exist seems to be on Internet forums
January 17th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Oh, and besides the 200 higher dpi, what’s exactly the difference between the new ‘3G’ sensor, and IR sensor in the plasma edition?
January 18th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Razerguy - you say you have supported left handers all these years. Well the left handers buying your performance mice have been supporting you. Your company may not exist if it wasn’t for all the left handers buying your mice. Nearly every left handed gamer I know owns one of them, or has owned one in the past. You are correct in your assumption that there aren’t many left handed gamers. You are incorrect in that it makes an impact on your business. Your mice are one of the very few perfomance models left handers can buy. Therefore the percentage of left handers buying your product is higher than normal. It is very dissapointing to myself and all the gamers I have talked to (even right handers) that you appear to have sold us out and are going the right handed path.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Please understand that while we make products for gamers and love what we do, we also must run a business. In order to cover the R&D costs for any product we must sell approximately 80,000 units just to break even. In sizing the marketplace for lefties who actually play with their left hand (I’m a lefty that switched years ago) it just isn’t a good business decision to offer a second version of the DeathAdder. We do understand how you feel and offer you our sincere condolences in this matter.
January 27th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Razerguy,
…love your products, - “by gamers, for gamers”
One thing that has concerned me in recent years, (particularly since we’re celebrating the mouse), is why there are no fine companies, (such as yours), who have stepped up to advance the trackball. (…yes, i know, I’m a relic, a dinosaur)
While I understand that businesses prefer to provide products to burgeoning markets, there still are quite a few of us old-fashioned, old-time gamers, that prefer to utilize the best of the best gaming peripherals, ( uh, that is, the trackball), when killing an onslaught of online mouse wielding hooligans.
Throw us “old predators” a bone. I would gladly give away 10 of my mice for one solid trackball. Take an old Microsoft Trackball Explorer 1.0 and apply some of that incredible Razer engineering to it, to reestablish a position for another fine invention, - one also worthy of a 38th year anniversary.
February 4th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Hehe never heard about a gamer using a trackball.
But before putting affort in this sort of things it would be better to fix current product problems (e.g. DeathAdder Acceleraton).
February 27th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:41 pm
When.
March 5th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
July 25th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Well keeping that 90% theory going Razerguy…
I think it is in you best interest to keep making Left handed mice (or versions of)
As you say, out of the 100% of people that buy gaming mice, 90% are Right handed, yet because there are a few other gaming mice out there your sales would be closer to that of 40% of right handers.
If make a left handed version however, you are pretty much guaranteed the full 10%
Which in turn would increase your profits by 20%
Looks to me like a good reason to bring back left handers.