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Xerox Alto Source Code Released To Public
zonker writes: In 1970, the Xerox Corporation established the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) with the goal to develop an "architecture of information" and lay the groundwork for future electronic office products. The pioneering Alto project that began in 1972 invented or refined many of the fundamental hardware and software ideas upon which our modern devices are based, including raster displays, mouse pointing devices, direct-manipulation user interfaces, windows and menus, the first WYSIWYG word processor, and Ethernet.
The first Altos were built as research prototypes. By the fall of 1976 PARC's research was far enough along that a Xerox product group started to design products based on their prototypes. Ultimately, ~1,500 were built and deployed throughout the Xerox Corporation, as well as at universities and other sites. The Alto was never sold as a product but its legacy served as inspiration for the future.
With the permission of the Palo Alto Research Center, the Computer History Museum is pleased to make available, for non-commercial use only, snapshots of Alto source code, executables, documentation, font files, and other files from 1975 to 1987. The files are organized by the original server on which they resided at PARC that correspond to files that were restored from archive tapes. An interesting look at retro-future.
The first Altos were built as research prototypes. By the fall of 1976 PARC's research was far enough along that a Xerox product group started to design products based on their prototypes. Ultimately, ~1,500 were built and deployed throughout the Xerox Corporation, as well as at universities and other sites. The Alto was never sold as a product but its legacy served as inspiration for the future.
With the permission of the Palo Alto Research Center, the Computer History Museum is pleased to make available, for non-commercial use only, snapshots of Alto source code, executables, documentation, font files, and other files from 1975 to 1987. The files are organized by the original server on which they resided at PARC that correspond to files that were restored from archive tapes. An interesting look at retro-future.
http://www.computerhistory.org... (from tfa)
they knew the best display aspect ratio for getting work done
The space age rocked.
The Apollo program and the military (Minuteman missile) pushed integrated circuit technology. Remember that 1969 was the culmination of Apollo, not the start. PARC was founded in 1970, the Alto started in 1972 and they had a working system by '76.
There were a lot of things pushing computing in the 60's and 70's. The space program was a big part but business was using computers as well. The national laboratories were pushing for faster and faster computers. The Cray I supercomputer was available in '76.
If possible, it would be interesting to cross compile the code to a modern processor and see how fast it would fly, given the limited capabilities of hardware at the time. Remember, we're talking about 1MHz 16-20 bit processors at the time the project started, if that.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
The difference between NASA and PARC is that NASA just followed the narrow goal of space exportation and PARC (being XEROX) tried to get the computer into the office. The use of computers for space exploration is does not bare many fruits for normal people. On the other hand almost everybody needs text processing and table calculations, including people that do not work in offices.
Oh wow... it's like you spend your whole life understanding your childhood.
When I saw that image of the Sol-20, it immediately took me back to being 6yrs old. I'd go with my father to work in a manufacturing plant. He ran "The lab" and up until the late 70s, they'd program their machines with an infrared laser onto a chip... and it was a nightmare because it took hours and if anyone turned on a light it would ruin the etch. Then these computers started showing up with floppy drives and the first one I remember seeing looked exactly like that Sol-20. I'm assuming that's what it was. I got to type on it for fun a couple of times. Later they swapped to Commador's, apple IIs, IBM clones, etc... whatever was cheap.
This was probably the first computer I ever touched. Wow!
Am I the only one here that is impressed that they were able to restore the archives from tape from 40 years ago just fine? :)
mouse pointing devices
You went with that because you didn't know whether to put mouses or mice, right?
It is, of course, mieces.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
In 1977 or thereabouts, I was a co-op student at Xerox' Webster, NY Research Center. At lunchtime, I had access to an Alto, and spent far too much time playing MazeWar, a networked multi-player real-time 3D-perspective game wherein the players navigated a maze (displayed as wireframe 3D with an overhead map at the side), finding other players (who appeared as giant floating eyeballs) and zapping them. Once zapped, you respawned elsewhere in the maze and attempted to sneak up on your opponent and return the favor.
The graphics were extremely simple; there was no detail in the walls, just lines showing the edges, and player positions were limited to the center of each grid square; player movement was in discrete jumps. All of this was done to reduce the computational load for the graphics, of course. As a result, the system was very responsive, and the experience was quite immersive.
"My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
What on earth is "An interesting look at retro-future"?
Some settling may occur during posting.
That is completely wrong. The IBM 360 was introduced in 1964. The POP even calls the instructions the commercial instruction set. Before that there was the IBM 702 (1952), the IBM 650 (1953), and the IBM 1401 (1959). All were general purpose machines used by businesses.
"On this spot, Steve Jobs bought all his good ideas."
FTFY.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A....
Yes -- see this: http://toastytech.com/guis/sal...
Apple invented the desktop. Xerox, Microsoft and Linux are just faggots who've stolen the idea.
Tthe first caveman who propped up a flat rock invented the desktop. Xerox just virtualized it first.
Upload everything you have to an open repository (github, sourceforge?) and create a torrent on TPB. Once you have a few seeders, it could become immortal...
... or not.
--
You can learn a lot from how people used to do things. And why they stopped.