It always annoys me how people say Apple invented the modern GUI when stuff like this has existed since the late seventies. Xerox were way too ahead of the time with projects like the Alto.
> It always annoys me how people say Apple invented the modern GUI when stuff like this has existed
I suggest watching a video of how the Star worked and one of how the Lisa worked and then comparing the two to the way Windows, Macs, and Linux work today.
The Star paradigm of mixing the use of function keys on the keyboard with mouse movements is definitely not the way things work in the modern GUI.
For example, moving an icon on the desktop:
Star: Click icon you want to move with mouse. Press move key on keyboard. Click destination location with mouse.
No one knew the right way to do stuff. Star had a noun/verb model of doing actions that all objects you could select responded to in the same way. It did not use control key combinations. It was actually much easier to learn and more consistent than the Lisa or Mac. But it did require a unique keyboard.
It also used a two button mouse (3rd if you coorded but Star did not use that, XDE did). Mac Lisa had one button but a second button was simulated with a control click. I found the Max model much harder for text selection over large area with click and drag a PITA. The two button metaphor of click and extend the click with a second button click much easier in practice for most editing. But both Xerox and Apple’s systems were well done and consistent.
By the way the Star keyboard was excellent. The tactile feel was awesome and much like a Selectric typewriter with a slight curve to the keyboard.
