The History of the Graphical User Interface
1980 Apple was the innovator and originator of the Graphical User Interface
1981 Microsoft cloned the Apple interface for its Windows Application.
Windows was originally an application that was resident on top of the DOS Operating system.
1984 Microsoft signed an agreement with IBM that Windows would become a part of
every DOS operating sytem installed on all IBM pc’s (a very dark day within IBM- - -)
1985 Court case between Apple and Microsoft over whether or not the Apple GUI was proprietary.
Court’s ruled in favor of Microsoft. The land mark decision was that all that was proprietary
in the graphical interface was the Apple Trash can . . . (a very dark day for Apple - - -)
1986 IBM begins work on the development of OS/2 and OS/2 Warp. Intent was to remove
MS Windows from all future operating systems. Bill Lowe leaves IBM and starts work
on pc development at Xerox.
1987 IBM implements Systems Application Architecture. This was the strategic direction for
all operating systems and application interfaces for all IBM systems.
1987 IBM publishes Common User Access (CUA) across all of its platforms; mainframe,
mid-size and PC based applications. The SAA CUA Advanced Interface Design Guide
is the precursor to ISO 9241. And this is when I became an International Technical
Instructor for IBM, travelling the world, teaching SAA CUA and Software Usability.
1988 The X-Open Group in Boston documents MOTIF, which is the same GUI as IBM’s CUA,
for all UNIX based applications and operating systems.
OSF/Motif is a result of OSF's Request for Technology (RFT) process. The original
RFT, issued in July 1988, solicited input from the worldwide computer industry for
graphical user interface technology. As a mandatory requirement, all technologies had
to be based on the MIT 'X' Window System.(TM)
1989 Xerox STAR emerges. Largest problem is a marketig force that did not understand and
Could not sell STAR - - - They understood copiers ~ not p.c.
In the meantime, MS keeps gaining strength and growing
1993 Microsoft finally publishes the GUI for WINDOWS, which it now considers an operating
System (even thou, when all else fails, one can go back to the C: and type in DOS commands)
This is 6 years after myself and others at IBM, published the first GUI documentation in 1987.
The MS Book looked quite allot like the IBM book... imagine that .. .. .. ..
1993 The ISO organization in Switzerland implements ISO 9241, in all of its 18 sections to document
One constant and consistent GUI interface regardless of operating system!!!!
A loud cheer was heard around the world from the Human Factors organization who had been working diligently
since 1986 to get this to happen.
1993 X-Open group in Boston makes the MOTIF GUI an IEEE Standard.
[Motif® is the industry standard graphical user interface,
~ as defined by the IEEE 1295 specification],
Motif is also the base graphical user interface toolkit for the Common Desktop Environment (CDE).
1993 Where is STAR and OS/2 and OS/2 WARP - - - ?
1999 Are we ready yet to implement industry standards that have been documented and approved since 1987 ???
2013 Are we ready yet to implement industry standards that have been documented and approved since 1987 ???
1980 Apple was the innovator and originator of the Graphical User Interface
1981 Microsoft cloned the Apple interface for its Windows Application.
Windows was originally an application that was resident on top of the DOS Operating system.
1984 Microsoft signed an agreement with IBM that Windows would become a part of
every DOS operating sytem installed on all IBM pc’s (a very dark day within IBM- - -)
1985 Court case between Apple and Microsoft over whether or not the Apple GUI was proprietary.
Court’s ruled in favor of Microsoft. The land mark decision was that all that was proprietary
in the graphical interface was the Apple Trash can . . . (a very dark day for Apple - - -)
1986 IBM begins work on the development of OS/2 and OS/2 Warp. Intent was to remove
MS Windows from all future operating systems. Bill Lowe leaves IBM and starts work
on pc development at Xerox.
1987 IBM implements Systems Application Architecture. This was the strategic direction for
all operating systems and application interfaces for all IBM systems.
1987 IBM publishes Common User Access (CUA) across all of its platforms; mainframe,
mid-size and PC based applications. The SAA CUA Advanced Interface Design Guide
is the precursor to ISO 9241. And this is when I became an International Technical
Instructor for IBM, travelling the world, teaching SAA CUA and Software Usability.
1988 The X-Open Group in Boston documents MOTIF, which is the same GUI as IBM’s CUA,
for all UNIX based applications and operating systems.
OSF/Motif is a result of OSF's Request for Technology (RFT) process. The original
RFT, issued in July 1988, solicited input from the worldwide computer industry for
graphical user interface technology. As a mandatory requirement, all technologies had
to be based on the MIT 'X' Window System.(TM)
1989 Xerox STAR emerges. Largest problem is a marketig force that did not understand and
Could not sell STAR - - - They understood copiers ~ not p.c.
In the meantime, MS keeps gaining strength and growing
1993 Microsoft finally publishes the GUI for WINDOWS, which it now considers an operating
System (even thou, when all else fails, one can go back to the C: and type in DOS commands)
This is 6 years after myself and others at IBM, published the first GUI documentation in 1987.
The MS Book looked quite allot like the IBM book... imagine that .. .. .. ..
1993 The ISO organization in Switzerland implements ISO 9241, in all of its 18 sections to document
One constant and consistent GUI interface regardless of operating system!!!!
A loud cheer was heard around the world from the Human Factors organization who had been working diligently
since 1986 to get this to happen.
1993 X-Open group in Boston makes the MOTIF GUI an IEEE Standard.
[Motif® is the industry standard graphical user interface,
~ as defined by the IEEE 1295 specification],
Motif is also the base graphical user interface toolkit for the Common Desktop Environment (CDE).
1993 Where is STAR and OS/2 and OS/2 WARP - - - ?
1999 Are we ready yet to implement industry standards that have been documented and approved since 1987 ???
2013 Are we ready yet to implement industry standards that have been documented and approved since 1987 ???
