COMBO 3-Button Mouse (PS2)

Circa Mid 1980's

Use Case:

The primary use case is basic interaction with computers in both professional and home settings. The three buttons typically offer distinct functions:

• Left Button: Primary selection and interaction (click, double-click, drag).

• Right Button: Accessing contextual menus (right-click).

• Middle Button: While less standardized before the scroll wheel became popular as the third button, it was used in professional environments like Unix workstations for specialized functions (e.g., selecting multiple items or navigating menus). Today, the middle click (usually a scroll wheel press) is commonly used to open links in new browser tabs.

Historical Significance:

A significant artifact in computer history because it represents the standardization of a multi-button interface, moving beyond the one-button APPLE mouse or the two-button MICROSOFT designs. It provided users with the "menu" and "adjust" functions used in professional computing environments like RISC OS and Unix.

The ubiquitous adoption of a third button (or scroll wheel/middle button combination) across virtually all operating systems by the late 1990s made the 3-button design a universal standard for PC interaction.

(H-3.5cm x W-7cm x D-11cm)