Using a computer today is very simple, but there was a time when it was extremely difficult and its capabilities were quite limited. The first Operating systems They were black screens and text, operated via commands. They are now easier to use thanks to the Graphic interfacebut did you know that it was the Xerox PARC Alto In 1973, who implemented it for the first time?
The graphical user interface (GUI) is nothing more than a layer that simplifies the use of the operating system. The best known or those that can be glimpsed just by hearing their name are Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS or Google Android.
Well, the first operating system with this graphical layer was developed by Xerox for its computers. It was not something simple, but its legacy still lives on today.
Xerox PARC Alto, first operating system with graphics
As we mentioned, the first operating systems were nothing more than text. These were based on a background and text was written on it, especially commands that allowed you to do different things. The options were very limited and very unintuitive to use. It was necessary to design a system that was simpler to use and intuitive. The first approach dates back to the 1960s with SAGE Projectan operating system for US military radars that used touch screens and icons.
Some time later, in the early 1970s, Iván Sutherland introduced the concept of interactive computer drawing, called Sketchbook. This is the basis of what would later become computer user interfaces. It was the Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) company that developed the first operating system. More precisely, in 1973, the company launched the computer Xerox PARC Altothe first with a operating system with graphical interface.
This one has the particularity of including a visual system with windows, icons, menus and even a mouse. The interface based on text and commands, not very user-friendly for the average user, was banished. Thanks to this new graphical interface, we can say that the concept of personal computer (PC) was born.
Alto is the first to use the concept of a desktop environment based on folders, files and windows in a visual workspace. The analogy with the real world allowed the user to better understand the environment and how information was organized. The person who started using the term “desktop” to define the user interface was Alan Kay. He was one of the precursors of the Alto operating system for Xerox PARC equipment. It was not an easy task, because many things had to be developed or created for Alto. The first thing is Smalltalk, a new specific programming language that introduced the object-oriented programming paradigm. Something that is “natural” today, at that time it was a revolution.
Another key aspect of the Alto is that it was one of the first computers with the ability to connect to a network. Although today we assume that a computer (or smartphone) requires an Internet connection to function and present all its capabilities, at that time it was something minimal. Years later, in 1981, the Xerox Star 8010 arrived, the first workstation with a user interface. This system popularized the term “desktop” to refer to the interface. In addition, it included menus, windows and the use of a mouse, as well as the ability to connect to a network and share files.
To give you an idea, the first Apple Macintosh with a GUI operating system wouldn’t arrive until 1984. Also, Windows 1.0, the first version of Microsoft’s GUI operating system, wouldn’t arrive until November 1985.
