AMX Mouse
An affordable mouse for British home computers, with several different mechanisms.
AMX Mouse: one, two, three, four, five and six.
In the early 1980s, Britain's Acorn Computers and the BBC introduced the BBC Micro educational computer, a key part of the national computer-literacy programme. It quickly became a fixture in British schools and popular with home users. Interfaces remained a challenge, however: the familiar keyboard wasn't always well suited to graphics and a new generation of applications.
By 1984, devices offering more intuitive interaction were reaching the market. Among them was the AMX Mouse from Britain's Advanced Memory Systems, or AMS. Unlike expensive Logitech and Microsoft models, it was positioned as an affordable mass-market option. The £69.95 price was still substantial, but more manageable for a home user. It came with software including AMX Art, a graphics editor — an early Photoshop of sorts — and AMX Control, a mouse-programming utility rather like an SDK, plus tools for colour work and interface creation.
AMX Mouse had a simple, functional shape and three orange buttons, offering more control options than conventional two-button models. The bright box contained a manual, a software cassette and a port converter.
Some models were made by Switzerland's Depraz. Some boards even carry its copyright. They also use the recognisable lightweight rubber ball and the characteristic arrangement with the mechanism on the base and the board and encoders fitted above it.
There are exotic designs too. In one model, LED light travels down four light guides, almost like the Laser, and reaches a mysterious two-legged component resembling a photoresistor. I haven't worked out how it functions yet.
AMX mice are an example of good positioning and product packaging built around value for the user.
Translated from the original Russian post.
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