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'''William "Bill" K. English''' is a [[Computer engineering|computer engineer]] who contributed to the development of the [[mouse (computing)|computer mouse]] while working for [[Douglas Engelbart]] at [[SRI International]]'s [[Augmentation Research Center]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|title=Bill English|publisher=[[Computer History Museum]]|accessdate=2013-02-03}}</ref> He would later work for [[PARC (company)|Xerox PARC]] and [[Sun Microsystems]].
'''William "Bill" K. English''' is a [[Computer engineering|computer engineer]] who contributed to the development of the [[mouse (computing)|computer mouse]] while working for [[Douglas Engelbart]] at [[SRI International]]'s [[Augmentation Research Center]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|title=Bill English|publisher=[[Computer History Museum]]|accessdate=2013-02-03|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104025645/http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|archivedate=2012-01-04|df=}}</ref> He would later work for [[PARC (company)|Xerox PARC]] and [[Sun Microsystems]].


==Career==
==Career==
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He left SRI in 1971 and went to [[PARC (company)|Xerox PARC]], where he managed the Office Systems Research Group. While working at PARC, English developed a [[ball mouse]], in which a ball replaced the original set of wheels.<ref name="hist"/> It worked similar to a moveable ball-based mouse device called [[Rollkugel (mouse device)|Rollkugel]], which had been developed by [[Telefunken]], Germany, and was offered since <!-- at least October -->1968 as input device for their computers.<ref name="Bülow_2009_Rollkugel">{{cite web|url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Auf-den-Spuren-der-deutschen-Computermaus--/meldung/136901 |title=Auf den Spuren der deutschen Computermaus |trans_title=In the footsteps of the German computer mouse |language=German |publisher=Heise Verlag|date=2009-04-28|accessdate=2013-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldmouse.com/mouse/misc/telefunken.shtml|title=Telefunken's 'Rollkugel'|publisher=oldmouse.com}}</ref>
He left SRI in 1971 and went to [[PARC (company)|Xerox PARC]], where he managed the Office Systems Research Group. While working at PARC, English developed a [[ball mouse]], in which a ball replaced the original set of wheels.<ref name="hist"/> It worked similar to a moveable ball-based mouse device called [[Rollkugel (mouse device)|Rollkugel]], which had been developed by [[Telefunken]], Germany, and was offered since <!-- at least October -->1968 as input device for their computers.<ref name="Bülow_2009_Rollkugel">{{cite web|url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Auf-den-Spuren-der-deutschen-Computermaus--/meldung/136901 |title=Auf den Spuren der deutschen Computermaus |trans_title=In the footsteps of the German computer mouse |language=German |publisher=Heise Verlag|date=2009-04-28|accessdate=2013-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldmouse.com/mouse/misc/telefunken.shtml|title=Telefunken's 'Rollkugel'|publisher=oldmouse.com}}</ref>


In 1989 he went to work for [[Sun Microsystems]] on internationalization efforts.<ref name="hist"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|title=Bill English: Early Computer Mouse Encounters Lecture|accessdate=2013-01-25}}</ref>
In 1989 he went to work for [[Sun Microsystems]] on internationalization efforts.<ref name="hist"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|title=Bill English: Early Computer Mouse Encounters Lecture|accessdate=2013-01-25|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104025645/http://www.computerhistory.org/events/lectures/mouse_10172001/english/index.shtml|archivedate=2012-01-04|df=}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 06:05, 20 July 2017

William English
William English in 2008
NationalityAmerican
Known forDevelopment of the computer mouse
Scientific career
InstitutionsSRI International's ARC
Xerox PARC
Sun Microsystems

William "Bill" K. English is a computer engineer who contributed to the development of the computer mouse while working for Douglas Engelbart at SRI International's Augmentation Research Center.[1] He would later work for Xerox PARC and Sun Microsystems.

Career

English joined SRI in the 1960s to work on magnetic drives, and built one of the first all-magnetic arithmetic units with Hewitt Crane.[2] In 1964, he was the first person to join Douglas Engelbart's lab, the Augmentation Research Center.

He and Douglas Engelbart share credit for creating the first computer mouse in 1963; English built the initial prototype, and was its first user, based on Engelbart's notes.[3] English led a 1965 project, sponsored by NASA, which evaluated the best way to select a point on a computer display; the mouse was the winner.[2][4] English was also instrumental at The Mother of All Demos in 1968, which showcased the mouse and other technologies developed as part of their NLS (oN-Line System).[2] In particular, English figured out how to connect a terminal in the San Francisco Civic Auditorium to the host computer at SRI, and also transmitted audio and video between the locations.[2]

He left SRI in 1971 and went to Xerox PARC, where he managed the Office Systems Research Group. While working at PARC, English developed a ball mouse, in which a ball replaced the original set of wheels.[1] It worked similar to a moveable ball-based mouse device called Rollkugel, which had been developed by Telefunken, Germany, and was offered since 1968 as input device for their computers.[3][5]

In 1989 he went to work for Sun Microsystems on internationalization efforts.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Bill English". Computer History Museum. Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2013-02-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d "Alumni Hall of Fame 2006: Bill English". SRI International. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  3. ^ a b "Auf den Spuren der deutschen Computermaus" (in German). Heise Verlag. 2009-04-28. Retrieved 2013-01-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Mouse". Doug Engelbart Institute. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  5. ^ "Telefunken's 'Rollkugel'". oldmouse.com.
  6. ^ "Bill English: Early Computer Mouse Encounters Lecture". Archived from the original on 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2013-01-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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