Software utilities

I can’t imagine life without a mouse. Yes, I can use a laptop without one (and I’ve once had to do that on my desktop when my mouse suddenly gave up the ghost), but not to be able to ever use one would be like going out without a handbag. It’s something a lot of people are so used to.

Well, if we are to believe the latest tech news whizzing its way round the ether, we may have no choice in 3 to 5 years’ time. An analyst has predicted that within that time, the computer mouse will be obsolete. Poof! Kaput! No more!

In its place will be face recognition and touch screen technology.

Now, looking at products like the Wii, Guitar Hero and my best friend, the iPhone, you can see this prediction taking root in some ways. However, I don’t think there’ll be as complete and as rapid an overhaul as the analyst may think. Yes, young people of today have ‘iPod’, ‘Wii’ and ‘iPhone’ tattooed on their fingernails, but I think the complete shift he mentions is more likely to happen with the next generation because then they can grow into it, never having known what a mouse is in the first place.

I wonder where it leaves big companies like Logitech, though, who probably make a significant chunk of their bread-and-butter from manufacturing mice. The senior vice president of Logitech has said that the predicted demise of the mouse ‘is greatly exaggerated’.

All I can say, Mr Vice President, is:

…look what happened to vinyl.

…and video recorders.

Is Logitech being too self-assured or are they secretly getting worried and working overtime in their R & D department?

Only time will tell.

All I know is I’m going to start collecting mice – one in every colour – ‘cos in 10-15 years’ time, if they indeed do become obsolete, you just never know how much you might be able to flog it on eBay for!