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WTF Fun Fact 13513 – Apple Mouse Prototype

Innovation often comes from the most unexpected places–like a roll-on deodorant. Believe it or nor, the first Apple mouse prototype involved a deodorant ball.

Setting the Scene

The early 1980s was a transformative era for personal computing. The market was teeming with potential, and Steve Jobs, Apple’s visionary co-founder, recognized the importance of a user-friendly interface.

While visiting Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Jobs was introduced to the concept of a graphical user interface and a device to navigate it: the mouse.

Enchanted by its potential, Jobs sought to integrate this technology into Apple’s computers. However, the existing design was clunky, costly, and far from the elegant solution Apple desired.

Birth of the Apple Mouse

Jobs handed the task of redesigning the mouse to Dean Hovey, a co-founder of the design firm IDEO. The challenge was clear: create a more efficient, durable, and above all, affordable mouse for the masses.

Hovey, in his endeavor to revolutionize the mouse’s design, found inspiration in an unlikely source: a deodorant stick. By taking apart a roll-on deodorant, Hovey observed that the ball could roll smoothly in any direction. This ball mechanism, he realized, could be the solution to creating a mouse that was both precise and cost-effective.

From Prototype to Product

Utilizing the deodorant ball, the team developed a prototype that was simpler and more efficient than its predecessors. It was an embodiment of Apple’s design philosophy — taking complex ideas and making them accessible and intuitive for the user.

But why was the deodorant ball so transformative? The key lay in its omnidirectional capability. Previous mouse designs often used wheels, limiting movement to two axes: horizontal and vertical.

The deodorant ball’s ability to roll freely in all directions allowed for more fluid and accurate on-screen movements, a feature that would become fundamental to the mouse’s operation.

Impact of the Apple Mouse

The Apple mouse, with its deodorant-inspired design, debuted in 1983 with the Apple Lisa computer, and a year later, with the iconic Apple Macintosh. Its release marked a paradigm shift in human-computer interaction, paving the way for the mouse to become an essential accessory for personal computers worldwide.

Though the internal mechanics of mice have evolved over the years, with laser and optical technologies replacing the ball mechanism, the foundational concept remains largely unchanged. The success of the Apple mouse laid the groundwork for future innovations in interface devices, from trackpads to touch screens.

Today, as we swipe, tap, and click our way through digital landscapes, it’s worth reflecting on the humble origins of the tools we often take for granted. The next time you roll on your deodorant, remember: it’s not just a daily ritual but a nod to a piece of technological history that helped shape the digital age.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “How the Guy Who Designed 1 of Apple’s Most Iconic Products Organizes His Office” — Inc.

WTF Fun Fact 13501 – Google, Apple, Intel, Adobe Lawsuit

The Google, Apple, Intel, Adobe lawsuit is a sinister and embarrassing moment in tech history – one that the corporate giants had to pay for.

In the early 2010s, it came to light that some of these tech giants were involved in secret anti-poaching agreements. Leading companies like Google, Apple, Intel, and Adobe had clandestine arrangements not to hire each other’s employees. This essentially froze salaries by eliminating the competition for top talent. What ensued was a scandal and a class action lawsuit that exposed the dark side of Silicon Valley.

The Roots of the Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe Lawsuit

The roots of the issue began with individual agreements. The earliest known pact was between Pixar and Lucasfilm in 1986, which agreed not to poach each other’s employees and to cap wages. Yet, by the 2000s, other Silicon Valley heavyweights had entered into similar agreements. Google and Apple had their secret deal, as did Google and Intel, Google and Intuit, and so on.

These agreements were not merely handshake deals. Emails and written correspondence showed the top executives of these companies actively reinforcing the non-poaching pacts. For instance, an email from Steve Jobs to Sergey Brin explicitly warned Google against recruiting Apple’s team.

The effect of these agreements was suppressed wage growth for employees. As a result, engineers, developers, and other tech professionals were unknowingly restricted in their career opportunities. Without the ability to get counter-offers or even entertain offers from a significant portion of the leading companies, many employees lost out on potential salary hikes, better positions, and more promising career trajectories.

The Class Action Lawsuit

In 2011, the issue reached a critical point. Over 64,000 employees filed a class-action lawsuit against Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. The suit claimed that these companies conspired to eliminate competition for skilled labor, thus suppressing wage growth.

The plaintiffs alleged that the lost wages due to this collusion amounted to billions of dollars. To back their claims, they pointed to emails and other communications between CEOs like Steve Jobs of Apple and Eric Schmidt of Google, which showed that these leaders were actively enforcing these agreements.

Regulatory Scrutiny and Settlement of The Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe Lawsuit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) took notice of these agreements. In 2010, they announced a settlement with six of these companies. As per the settlement, the companies agreed to a prohibition against engaging in any anti-poaching agreements for a duration of five years. However, the DOJ’s settlement didn’t provide any compensation to the affected employees. This is what led to the class action lawsuit in 2011.

After a series of legal processes, in 2014, the companies tried to settle the lawsuit for $324.5 million. However, this amount was rejected by the judge for being too low. As a result, in 2015, the companies increased their offer and agreed to a settlement of $415 million, which employees eventually accepted.

Reflection and Legacy

The unfolding of this scandal delivered a pivotal lesson about the necessity of ethical corporate practices.

The power that these tech titans wield, in terms of shaping industry dynamics and affecting the lives of thousands of professionals, was laid bare. As behemoths in the technological realm, their actions have vast repercussions, and the anti-poaching agreements betrayed the trust many had placed in them.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Tech Giants Will Pay $415 Million To Settle Employees’ Lawsuit” — All Tech Considered

WTF Fun Fact 12585 – Ronald Wayne Sells Apple

We’ve all heard of Apple co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. But do you remember the third co-founder, Ronald Wayne?

The trio founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple, Inc) in 1976. But while Wozniak and Jobs each owned 45% of the company, Wayne had 10%, which would make him the tie-breaker in any disagreements between the two Steves.

He was the administrative brains among the computer geeks. And like any good businessman, he wanted to mitigate his risks.

Funny enough, Wayne’s first business sold slot machines (and ran out of luck, going into debt that he had to pay off personally).

The three met when they all worked at Atari, and Wayne invited Wozniak and Jobs to his house to discuss the future of computers. Jobs suggested they start a business, with Wayne (who was the 41-year-old “elder”) at the time acting as “the adult in the room.”

Wayne drafted the partnership agreement and designed Apple’s first logo (which was replaced the following year). But he got cold feet as he considered the future of the business in light of his past failure and the resulting debt.

Legally, all partners in a company are responsible for its debt, so when Jobs made a purchase order with a $15,000 loan, Wayne started to get cold feet. The vendor Jobs purchased from wasn’t known for being speedy with their deliveries, and Wayne saw warning signs.

His job at Apple also wasn’t his passion – he enjoyed engineering and his slot machine designs. So he did what any intelligent businessman might do – he moved on to greener pastures. Well, at least they seemed greener at the time.

Renouncing his 10% of the ownership after just 12 days (though Wozniak’s account is that it took a few months), Wayne sold his shares back for $800.

Just for comparison, in 2011, the contract signed by all 3 men in 1976 was sold at auction for $1.6 million. (Oh, and Wayne sold that as well – in the 1990s he gave it up for $500 before he knew what it might be worth someday.)

Wayne says that he made the best decision he could with the information he had at the time, which is respectable. And while he retired to a trailer park to collect stamps and play penny slots, he insists he doesn’t regret the decision.

Had he stayed with the company, his life would have certainly been different. Those shares would be worth a mind-boggling $300 BILLION today. – WTF fun facts

Source: “Apple just hit a $1 trillion market cap—here’s why its little-known third co-founder sold his 10% stake for $800” — CNBC