Xerox Alto, the first GUI Computer which inspired Steve Jobs for Apple Lisa

Apple III is the world’s first consumer computer which sported graphical user interface (GUI), but did you know that Xerox Alto was the first computer to have GUI. But they never released it to public, Xerox Alto was in their office use only. If they launched this product to public, Xerox would be the game-changer instead of Apple.

Moreover, they invited Apple to have a look at Xerox Alto in December 1979. Steve Jobs was immediately convinced that GUI is the future of computing which we use today.

Xerox Alto features :

Mouse

Windows

File Manager

It could be connected to other computers through LAN.

It could copy, paste, delete and move files.

It had icons, menu and graphics.

Scalable type (font which can be resized)

bit mapping

The most important feature of this computer was that it was ahead of the other computers that time in regard to Graphical User Interface. The long writing of commands was overcome.

Xerox built up this computer at their Palo Alto, California research centre. They utilized this computer just as a part of their workplaces. The top authorities were too late to understand the capabilities of this computer. They never made it for consumers.

Despite the fact that they developed upgraded version of Xerox Alto, Xerox Star in 1981 for consumers yet it couldn’t be game changer. They could have been leading the success if there wasn’t a twist to this story.

Source: Wikipedia

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Category: Computer