I thought my Amiga 500 was first but apparently not!?

First time I came across a mouse and GUI was with the Apple Lisa... over 20 years ago

Wasn't it Apple.

I think Amiga's claim to fame was that some of the OS software had come from people who had been OS programmers at microsoft, and got sick of writing for such a backward looking architecture as a PC

Try looking up the work done by Xerox PARC in the mid to late 1970s. Along with Stanford Research institute (SRI) they pioneered the development and use of the WIMP environment (Windows Icons Mouse Pointer).

First time I came across a mouse and GUI was with the Apple Lisa... over 20 years ago
I had an AMX mouse for my BBC model B 20 years ago. And remember its 3 red buttons on a squareish grey mouse.

I am with JoeP Xerox @ Palo Alto

I am with JoeP Xerox @ Palo Alto

Yup. As far as I'm aware this is correct.

Xerox invented it, but the management decided it wasn't worth developing.

Apple bought it from Xerox 'cos Xerox didn't care about it.

Microsoft stole the idea from Apple with some underhanded business shenanigans.


For a full run-down, I would avise getting hold of a copy of a film called "Pirates of Silicon Valley".

Try looking up the work done by Xerox PARC in the mid to late 1970s. Along with Stanford Research institute (SRI) they pioneered the development and use of the WIMP environment (Windows Icons Mouse Pointer).

yep, i reckon this is right for 'non-home computers'...'digital research' designed the 'Tos' o.s for the Atari ST, and so for home computers, here's what wikipedia says:

Although the Macintosh was the first widely available computer with a graphical user interface (GUI), it was however limited to a monochromatic display on a smaller built-in monitor. The Atari ST was the first computer with a fully bit-mapped color GUI.

The mighty ST scores again:)

For a bit of factual information, Douglas Engelbart was the man who invented the mouse, and was part of the team that first came up with ideas centering round a grapical interface, which began as basic hyperlink type interface (although still text based), and its precursors.

Most of the first development was done at the Augmentation Research Center. Xerox first developed this further, and came up with PUI (PARC User Interface), which was basically a collection of widgets (Buttons, checkboxes etc). It became synonimous with using Engelbarts pointing device as a method of navigation. Xerox developed this and then apple/atari made the first real commercial GUI's for the early Apple/Macintosh/ST computers, and then Mr Gates "borrowed" the idea. By the time it got through the courts, Windows was already too well established to do anything about.

I did a semi-thesis on this for my A Level product design course.

Joel

yep, i reckon this is right for 'non-home computers'...'digital research' designed the 'Tos' o.s for the Atari ST, and so for home computers, here's what wikipedia says:



The mighty ST scores again:)

TOS. It always made me laugh that name! Atari ST was THE choice for recording studios around the world though. Some top artists still use them today!

Yep... XEROX. It wasn't for the man in the street though, more of a Geeks Use It interface. ;)

TOS. It always made me laugh that name! Atari ST was THE choice for recording studios around the world though. Some top artists still use them today!

it was an unfortunate acronym, eh? lol

but it was what got me into making music, i had an 8 bit sampler cartridge, used to sample up beats with it when i was about 12, and try and cut records over it!

happy days:)