In case you were wondering, the computer mouse turned 40 today.

… or, at least, that’s what everybody is saying, despite the fact that Douglas Engelbart cobbled together his first mouse in 1963 (which would make the mouse something more like 45). But ah, the vagaries of media semantics — somebody toots their horn and then everybody has to jump on board.

Despite the numbers game, this date is indeed a special anniversary, because 40 years ago today, Douglas Engelbart presented “the mother of all demos” at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco. This event was notable, among other reasons, for being the first time the public laid eyes on the computer mouse.

By now, you’re probably saying, “That’s great Benj, but I’m suspicious that you actually posted something on VC&G! Where do you and your professional career fit into this?” Well, I’m getting to that. In honor of this anniversary, Macworld asked me to write a short piece on the history of the mouse. After deliberating with myself for about 30 seconds, I accepted the assignment.

Over the next few days, I managed to assemble a comprehensive timeline that traces the mouse’s technical evolution through the years. Unsurprisingly, you can find it on Macworld.com. Feel free to check it out if you’re interested, and tell them Benj sent ya. Even if you don’t check it out, remember to stare extra hard at your mouse today and contemplate its origins in the vast foggy distance of time.

Just a quick administrative note — I’ve been so busy focusing on other anniversaries that I forgot my own. Three years ago last week, I started the very blog you’re reading now, Vintage Computing and Gaming. I determined very soon after that I would always write Vintage Computing and Gaming in italics because it looks more official, as if this were a distinguished and respectable publication worthy of title formatting treatment. (A few years of Ulaf appearances probably destroyed that illusion.) If nothing else, the fancy italics helped my morale as I toiled away in obscurity, churning out regular, unique content that (I hoped) couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Since then, the site has stayed mostly the same, although the post frequency has gone down quite a bit since I began doing professional freelance writing work a few years ago. Despite that, I’m very grateful that thousands of thoughtful, intelligent readers (i.e. you) regularly check out VC&G for the latest posts. At least I still find time to do Retro Scan of the Week, if nothing else, and I hope you don’t mind me keeping you updated on my latest VC&G-related freelance work. I do have new VC&G-only features on the way that I’ve been working on here and there, so there’s always new content around the corner.

Looking toward the future, I can’t see a reason why this site won’t be around for a long time. I love doing what I do, and I still have an enormous (and overwhelming) computer and video game collection to draw material from. So as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep this place running. Thanks for your support and your wonderful comments over the years. Please stick around; there’s more to come. –Benj

Well, our first forum contest was a spirited one. Its goal was to stimulate activity on our previously stagnant forum, and it succeeded. We saw many new members arrive and many interesting discussions held.

After a month of battling it out for post supremacy, I’m sure our contestants are anxious to hear the results. So without much further ado, I’m proud to announce the winners of our 2008 VC&G forum contest.

[ Continue reading 2008 VC&G Forum Contest Winners » ]

It should come as no surprise to my regular readers that I like to foster a sense of community around Vintage Computing and Gaming; I believe that the main strength of any publication lies in its readership, and VC&G is blessed with an exceptionally intelligent, resourceful, and creative one.

As a historian, I like to help people reconnect with and rediscover the past. But I can’t do it alone — we need to stick together. That’s why I’m announcing a new contest to promote activity on the VC&G Discussion Forum, an oft-neglected part of the site. Anyone can enter the contest by registering for an account on the forum and posting.

[ Continue reading Win a Free NES DVD Player and More » ]

Yes, the last two posts on VC&G were April Fools’ gags. The first was a legitimate TRS-80 scan that I manipulated to look freaky. I posted it on the 31st because that was the closest Monday to April 1st (I post a new Retro Scan of the Week every Monday). You’ll notice that the ad reads “Radio Snack,” so that should be the warning sign to future alien computer historians who might think it was authentic. Hopefully you didn’t stake your house / car / life savings on that being the real deal. If you did, then I applaud you on your unflinching loyalty and trust in the site.

I hope I got your hopes up with talk of the Apple IIpc. Sounds like an exciting idea, doesn’t it? With devices like the C-One popping up, you never know what will happen in the future. Steve Wozniak himself said (via email) that he loved the prank, so I guess, based on that criteria alone, it was a success. Sadly, no real Apple IIpc (that I know of) is in the works.

So now it’s time to move on into the greater world of April. After all, more Vintage Computing and Gaming always awaits us on the road ahead.

Next week, I’ll be flying 2,000 miles across the country to scenic San Francisco, CA in order to attend Game Developers Conference 2008. What does this have to do with Vintage Computing and Gaming, you ask? And why would any man spend eight hours cramped in a tiny plane seat if they didn’t have to? Well, I’ll tell you. My old pal Ralph Baer (you know, the inventor of video games) is going to be there, and he’ll be hosting a session in conjunction with Pong hardware guru Al Alcorn entitled “How to Create an Industry: The Making of the Brown Box and PONG.” Unlike Baer and that other Atari guy, it seems that these two men get along swimmingly.

I’ll be there, of course, and I’ll try to submit some reports from the field while I’m at the show (“Benj Edwards here, reporting to you live from the eye of the Hurricane!”), especially if I spot any other retrogaming-related happenings. Luckily for you, I won’t be leaving Ulaf Silchov in charge of VC&G this time while I’m away (I think he’s in Switzerland doing a film or something).

Anyway, if you’re at the GDC and spot a seven-foot tall guy wearing a neon green jumpsuit, mirrored sunglasses, and an enormous pink sombrero, feel free to say “Hi.” You’ll likely be talking to the mascot of some new game from Rare. It won’t be me, though, because I’m actually pretty short. Wish me luck.

[ Since Kotaku is being guest-edited by Simon Carless, and GameSetWatch is being guest-edited by Karsden Mörderhäschen this week, I figured I’d join in the trend by taking a break for Thanksgiving and leaving good ‘ole Ulaf Silchov in charge of VC&G for a while. I’ll still be around popping in to check on him, but for now he holds the reins. –Benj ]

ULAF DISCOVERED HIS MIND IN A STRANGER FUNNY POSITIONS THIS MORNING (NO, NOT LIKE THE YOGA). SINCE THE THINKSGIVING DID NOT CELEBRATED IN THE NATIVE COUNTRY OF MY MIND, THE BENJ TELLS ME TO ROLL IN THIS WEEKS WHILE HIS MIND CONSUMED THE TURNKEYS WITH PLEASURE. ULAF CALL IT CLASH OF BARBARIANS, BUT AMERICAS STILL CALLS IT THE THINKSGIVING KNOWLEDGE HOLIDAYS.

THE STORY BEGUN THIS: HIS MIND CALL MY MIND THIS MORNINGS TO TELL ULAF TO EMBODY SPOOKY GHOST EDITOR OF VINTAGE COMPUTERS WHILE HIS MIND RELAX IN FROSTY ELK BACKYARD. ULAF TELL HIM, “ULAF DID NOT USUALLY EDIT GHOST BECAUSE THE GHOST TASTE INEDIBLE.” BUT THE BENJ TELL ULAF, “NO BOTHER. HERE ULAF, WE GIVE YOUR MIND THE KEYS TO THE GARAGE OF MY MIND. DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH PICTURES”

NOW HERE ULAF SIT IN THE GARAGE OF HIS MIND, COLDER THAN GORST CHRISTMAS, BUT SURRENDERED BY THE BEAUTIFUL COMPUTER (AND THE OTHER JUNKS). SO FAR CATS DEFECATED ON ULAF’S LAP TWICE. MORE SAD FOR ULAF, MOST OF THE VIDEO GAMES STAY LOCKED INSIDE THE HOUSE OF THE BENJ. BUT ULAF STILL IN THE GOOD SPIRIT OF VINTAGE TECHNOLOGIES.

PLEASE PATIENCE MY MIND THIS WEEKS, AS ULAF EDUCATE TO WRITE MORE OF THE ENGLISH LUNG WITHOUT TRANSFORMERS AND ENVISION MORE OF THE COMPUTERS IN THE GARAGE OF THE BENJ FOR MY PERSONS TO ENJOY. ALSO ULAF MIGHT TELLS THE FEW SPOOKY GHOST ESSAYS IF YOUR MIND FEELS LUCKY.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY PERSONS. THIS IS ALL FOR NOW. UNTIL NEXT TIME THIS IS ULAF SAYING BE THE MASTER.

I wondered why you guys were so quiet lately. Turns out there was a problem with the comment system on this blog that made the comment submission process appear to hang (it actually worked if you waited long enough, but it was a long time). The issue seems to be fixed now, so comment away. I love to hear from VC&G’s readers; it’s the main reason I do this blog. So thanks for sticking with me. I hope to hear much more from you guys in the future.

P.S. If something like this happens again, please email me ASAP.

For those of you intrepid VC&G readers into the dreadfully sluggish and badly designed social networking scene, I’ve recently created an official Vintage Computing and Gaming MySpace page. Show your friendshiphood statusness by becoming lifelong virtual buddies with VC&G on MySpace. We’ll swap old war stories and trade recipes for capacitor bombs. Tell all your friends and bring them along too. It will be fun.

Back in January, I had the wonderful opportunity to conduct an extensive telephone interview with the inventor of home video games, Ralph Baer (I’ll be writing more on him soon, so stay tuned). That epic interview, in a much shorter form, appears in the March 2007 edition of Game Developer magazine, which is available on newsstands now. (Just to note, there is a slight factual error in the introduction of the interview about Spacewar in the print version, not written by me, but there will be a correction published next issue.)

The good news for you is that there is a much longer version of the interview up on Gamasutra right now that you can read through online. Check it out, and look for more of my interviews with computer and video game industry pioneers in the coming months.