The command line interface

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Kenneth Lawson
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1 History 329/SI 311/RCSSCI 360 Computers and the Internet: A global history Apple and the Graphical User Interface (GUI) The command line interface

2 is still there in today s PCs The Graphical User Interface } GUI (pronounced gooey ) } Major change in computing paradigm } Introduced slowly between } Working with documents and images } Rather than numbers and text strings } Metaphorical representation of desktop } Analogies to existing practices

3 The Memex } As We May Think (V. Bush, 1945) } Vision of a personal library } Desktop microfilm station } Voice recognition/synthetic voice } Numerical records encoded with dots on cards } Associative links: user builds trail } Often cited as origin of hypertext } Automating repetitive processes of thought Memex (artist s conception)

Douglas Engelbart } 1945: read As We May Think } Stanford Research Institute, 1960s } The Augmentation Research Center } Research on ideas similar to Bush s Memex } Making computers work with

4 Douglas Engelbart } 1945: read As We May Think } Stanford Research Institute, 1960s } The Augmentation Research Center } Research on ideas similar to Bush s Memex } Making computers work with documents Engelbart s letter to Vannevar Bush (1962) } we are pursuing an integrated man-machine working relationship, where close, continuous interaction with a computer avails the human of radically changed information-handling and -portrayal skills Our aim is to bring significant improvement to the real-life problemsolving effectiveness of individuals. } It is felt that such a program competes in social significance with research toward harnessing thermonuclear power, exploring outer space, or conquering cancer, and that the potential payoffs warrant a concerted attack on the principal problem areas.

5 Augmenting Human Intelligence } Engelbart s vision } Similar to those of J.C.R. Licklider and V. Bush } Computers as personal intellectual aids } Received ARPA support, 1963 } The NLS system (online System) } Mouse } Chord keyboard } Bit-mapped display } Windows (split screen only) The Augmentation Research Center, ca. 1970

6 Doug Engelbart using his original mouse and chord keyboard (ca. 1997) Engelbart s mouse Engelbart s chord keyboard Stanford Research Institute NLS (ONLine System), ca A time-shared, mainframe-based system

7 The National Joint Computer Conference, San Francisco, 1968 } } Engelbart demonstrated mouse, windows, hypermedia Why not widely adopted? Conference Hall for 1968 JCC

8 The 1968 JCC presentation Backstage at the JCC

10 Xerox PARC } Palo Alto Research Center } Established 1969 } First director: Robert Taylor, former ARPA IPTO director } ARPA model: advanced, blue-sky research } Developed Ethernet, laser scanning, personal computers

thesis idea (1969) for a notebook computer with capabilities similar to the Memex Dynabook prototype Alan Kay, 1968: Though the Dynabook will have considerable local

11 The Alto } Initiated 1973 by Alan Kay } University of Utah grad (ARPA computer graphics center) } Dynabook: Kay s Ph.D. thesis idea (1969) for a notebook computer with capabilities similar to the Memex Dynabook prototype Alan Kay, 1968: Though the Dynabook will have considerable local storage and will do most computing locally, it will spend a large percentage of its time hooked to various large, global information utilities which will permit communication with others of ideas, data, working models, as well as the daily chit-chat that organizations need in order to function. The communications link will be by private and public wires and by packet radio.

12 The Xerox Alto, ca The Xerox Star, ca The Xerox Star } Market model of the Alto } Introduced 1981 as a workstation } Cost: roughly $20,000

13 Apple and Xerox } Xerox invested $1 million in Apple } Jobs invited to visit PARC, 1979

when he was removed from the Lisa by Apple management } Macintosh released 1984 } Lisa

14 The Apple Lisa (1983) and its graphical interface The Macintosh } Project initiated 1979 } Information appliance concept } Simple, inexpensive, small } Jobs took over project when he was removed from the Lisa by Apple management } Macintosh released 1984 } Lisa software rewritten for much smaller memory } Almost failed: Apple s home market did not support it

15 Apple Macintosh, 1984 } 128K RAM } $2495 retail Microsoft Windows } Project initiated 1981 } GUI much more difficult to write for IBM PC } Not designed to handle bit-mapped graphics } Version 1.0, 1985 } Licensing agreement with Apple } Unbearably slow

Microsoft Windows } By late 1980s, PC architecture

1988: Apple v. Microsoft lawsuit over Windows 2.

Look and feel copyright } Xerox sued Apple for same

16 Microsoft Windows } By late 1980s, PC architecture supported GUI } Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors } 1988: Apple v. Microsoft lawsuit over Windows 2.0 (added Mac features such as overlapping windows) } Look and feel copyright } Xerox sued Apple for same reason } Both suits eventually dismissed Windows 3.0 first successful version

images } Comparable in importance to high-level programming languages } Appealed to a

17 Windows 1995 vs. Mac OS 7.5 Why the GUI won } Analog: Bridge from paper world to screen } Handling documents, images } Comparable in importance to high-level programming languages } Appealed to a new category of users } Required less sophistication } Applications orientation } More fun! } Visual interest and beauty } Made PCs a consumer product

History of Human Computer Interaction. History of HCI: Input/output devices

History of Human Computer Interaction Where did HCI innovations and philosophy come from? Who were the major personalities? What were the important systems? How did ideas move from the laboratory to the