talk included how to connect computers
across a network, how to make object-
oriented programming, and the graphical
user interface, which was enabled by a
bitmapped screen. Recalling the scene,
Jobs said: “I felt that my eyes were no lon-
ger blurry and I was able to see how the
future of computers will be.”
Following the meeting with Xerox team,
the first question that Jobs asked his team
was: “How much time do we need to im-
plement it?”
“I am not sure; six months, maybe!”, Bill
Atkinson replied with great optimism.
The biggest theft in history ..
In that period, Apple’s raid on Xerox PARC
was described as the biggest theft in the
history of the industry. Jobs used always
to respond proudly by saying: “Picasso
had a saying -- ‘good artists copy; great
artists steal’ -- and we have always been
shameless about stealing great ideas.”
Commenting on this, Jobs had another
viewpoint: “It is not a theft on the part of
Apple inasmuch as it is a folly on the part
of Xerox.” Criticizing Xerox, Jobs added:
“They were trying only to copy and did not
have the slightest idea about the capabili-
ties and future of computers. They were
standing on the loser’s side during the
largest victories in the computer industry.
Xerox could have owned the entire com-
puter industry.”
Xerox mouse ...
Despite the deluge of criticisms that he
faced, Jobs and his engineers succeeded
in developing and improving the ideas of
the graphical user interface they saw at
Xerox PARC and were able to carry these
ideas into effect in a way that Xerox could
have never done. They were able to pro-
duce a simpler form of Xerox complicated
mouse, which had three buttons and cost
$300. Jobs asked a local industrial design-
ing company to manufacture a mouse for
less than 15 bucks which would be used
on Formica and jeans. Apple also added
some improvements as far as details were
concerned. As a result, Apple’s mouse
could drag a window across the screen
and also pull windows and files into a fold-
er. This did not exist in Xerox’ mouse.
As far as the desktop was concerned, Jobs
urged his team to materialize the desktop
concept by adding pleasant icons and lists
dropping from the bottom of the bar at the
top of each window. He also urged them to
provide the possibility of opening files and
folders by double clicking.
In 1981, Xerox introduced Xerox Star
whose retail price was $17595 but was
not as successful as required and no
more than 30,000 devices were sold. Dur-
ing that period, Jobs had not yet launched
Lisa or Macintosh computer. When Jobs
saw Xerox’ new device, he felt happy
because he believed it was useless. He,
however, managed to contact Bob Bel-
ville, a hardware designer of the Xerox
Star. He told him: “Everything you’ve done
so far is crap. Come work for me.”
Belville was actually persuaded to work
with Jobs, and so was Larry Tesler.
Next issue:
• Apple ousts Jobs from his role
as Head of Research and Devel-
opment Department
25
June
2014
