Xerox PARC GUI History

This cluster centers on debates about Xerox PARC's pioneering graphical user interfaces like the Alto and Star, and how Steve Jobs and Apple borrowed or stole these ideas for the Macintosh and Lisa.

📉 Falling 0.4x Hardware
3,474
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#4984
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
8
2008
22
2009
41
2010
93
2011
192
2012
161
2013
142
2014
149
2015
111
2016
169
2017
162
2018
213
2019
197
2020
235
2021
267
2022
313
2023
409
2024
295
2025
281
2026
14

Keywords

CLI youtube.com IDE UNIX UI star.html UX WYSIWYG JC MPW xerox parc apple gui star interface alto steve jobs lisa steve

Sample Comments

ErneX Apr 20, 2023 View on HN

Remember Xerox PARC and the GUI.

daotoad Dec 10, 2020 View on HN

True. Just ask Xerox.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Alto

shawnz Aug 18, 2021 View on HN

I think you're thinking of the Xerox "Star", not the "Alto":http://toastytech.com/guis/star.html

shareme Apr 1, 2011 View on HN

its the old PARC UI/UX concept..ever see a Lisa Apple computer JC? I know you have seen at least one right? It borrowed some concepts from PARC and that was one of them..

_emacsomancer_ May 25, 2018 View on HN

I thought Jobs borrowed the GUI from Xerox.

verve_rat Apr 6, 2022 View on HN

Didn't he steal the GUI from Xerox?

bonaldi Feb 2, 2016 View on HN

I think MPW (the original Mac IDE from Apple) in 1985 can claim prior art on the notebook UI

leptons Jan 6, 2025 View on HN

And before Macwrite, or Macintosh computers existed, there was Xerox PARC and their GUI-based WYSIWYG editor called "Bravo", which Steve Jobs no doubt would have seen when he visited PARC.

kibibu Mar 7, 2024 View on HN

Note the part where the UI drastically changed after visiting Xerox PARC, and then ask yourself who really pioneered it.

V-2 Oct 11, 2013 View on HN

"Xerox-inspired GUIs altogether" - icons and symbols as means of communication have longer history than Xerox