On 1 March 1973, the Xerox Alto was introduced by Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center). Widely regarded as one of the most influential computers ever developed, the Alto was the first computer system to combine a graphical user interface (GUI), a mouse, Ethernet networking, a bitmap display, and the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously. It was also among the first computers to feature a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) word processor, allowing users to see on screen a close representation of the final printed document. Although the Xerox Alto was never a commercial success, its pioneering technologies had a profound influence on the design and development of later computer systems, including the personal computers that followed.
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| Xerox Alto |
The Alto was housed in a relatively compact cabinet and featured a custom-built central processing unit (CPU) constructed from numerous small-scale integration (SSI) and medium-scale integration (MSI) integrated circuits. Only a limited number of Altos were built initially. By the late 1970s, however, around 1,000 machines were in use across various Xerox laboratories, with a further 500 deployed at several universities. In total, approximately 2,000 Alto systems were manufactured.
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| Xerox Alto |
The following software was developed for the Xerox Alto:
- Bravo and Gypsy, the first WYSIWYG word-processing systems.
- Laurel, an early email application, later succeeded by Hardy.
- Sil, a vector graphics editor.
- Markup, a bitmap graphics editor and one of the earliest paint programs.
- Draw, a graphics editor capable of creating illustrations using lines and splines.
- ICARUS, the first WYSIWYG integrated circuit (IC) design editor.
- The first versions of the Smalltalk programming environment.
- Interlisp, a programming environment based on the Lisp programming language.
- Alto Trek, one of the first networked multiplayer video games, created by Gene Ball and inspired by the television series Star Trek.
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| Interlisp |
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| Alto Trek |
