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Web Release
10-06-2025
- Web Release
Apple Visionary Bill Atkinson Dies at Age 74
Bill Atkinson, a pioneering figure in Apple's early history, has died at the age of 74 due to pancreatic cancer. His passing was announced by his family on Facebook, prompting tributes from across the tech world. As Apple employee number 51, Atkinson made lasting contributions that helped shape the personal computing revolution. During his time at Apple, Atkinson worked on several groundbreaking projects. He was instrumental in the development of the Macintosh, contributing not only code but also creative ideas that defined the user experience. Moreover, he played key roles in creating the Lisa computer and QuickDraw, a graphics engine that became fundamental to Apple's graphical interface. He also developed the Magic Slate, an early touch interface that foreshadowed the iPad, and HyperCard, a software tool often seen as a conceptual predecessor to the World Wide Web. A Legacy of Innovation and Creativity Atkinson's impact on Apple and the broader tech world cannot be overstated. His work not only influenced future products but also shaped how people interact with computers today. HyperCard, for instance, introduced concepts like linking between cards, which anticipated the hyperlinking used on the internet. This made Atkinson not just a skilled engineer, but also a visionary who saw the potential of technology before others did. Although he eventually left Apple, Atkinson remained deeply creative. After his time in Silicon Valley, he turned to nature photography. This new passion reflected his lifelong appreciation for beauty and precision. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, he acknowledged the richness of his life, writing that he had 'already led an amazing and wonderful life.' Tributes from the Tech Community Following the announcement of his death, tributes poured in from prominent voices in the tech industry. Apple CEO Tim Cook praised him as 'a true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us.' Additionally, technology writer John Gruber said that Atkinson 'may well have been the best computer programmer who ever lived.' While his physical presence is gone, Atkinson's influence endures in every touchscreen swipe, intuitive interface, and link we click.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill Atkinson won the respect of Steve Jobs by creating a high-level programming language in just 6 days
Bill Atkinson died on June 5 after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 74. Atkinson was one of the earliest Apple employees, responsible for key Mac software and its graphical user interfaces. But he ultimately won the respect of his boss, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, by creating a version of a high-level programming language for the Apple II computer in just six days. Bill Atkinson, who worked at Apple from 1978—two years after its founding—to 1990, died on June 5 after battling pancreatic cancer, his family wrote on Facebook. He was 74. Atkinson was the 51st employee at Apple, and he was personally recruited by Steve Jobs. According to Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, Atkinson, a doctoral student in neuroscience at the time, initially declined Apple's request to come work at the company. But Steve Jobs sent Atkinson a nonrefundable plane ticket, and then gave him a three-hour pitch on why he should join the company. 'Think about surfing on the front edge of a wave,' Jobs recalled telling Atkinson in that meeting. 'It's really exhilarating. Now think about dog-paddling at the tail end of that wave. It wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun. Come down here and make a dent in the universe.' Atkinson accepted the job offer—and as a result, he never finished his PhD. Atkinson would go on to develop some of Apple's key software, including Quickdraw, which allowed old Apple computers to draw images and windows on the screen, and HyperCard, an easy-to-use software development kit so creators could build their own applications. He also notably developed the graphical user interface of the Apple Lisa, a precursor to the Macintosh, and later several of the Mac's user interfaces. But his very first job was to develop a program that could track stock portfolios. The software would auto-dial the Dow Jones service to get quotes, and then hang up. His second project at Apple, though, was ultimately how Atkinson won Jobs' respect. Jobs had been resisting using a new programming language for the Apple II, one of Apple's earliest and most popular personal computers that spawned many successors—including the Lisa, the Apple III, the Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, Apple IIc, Apple IIc Plus—though most of those computers, save for the Apple IIe, were abject failures. Jobs at the time had resisted giving the Apple II a new programming language, thinking BASIC, the simple programming language that powered the original Apple I, was all the Apple II needed going forward. Atkinson, however, pressed Jobs to build something better. 'Since you're so passionate about it, I'll give you six days to prove me wrong,' Jobs told Atkinson, according to Isaacson's biography of the Apple co-founder. Sure enough, in just six days, Atkinson had created a specialized version of Pascal, a high-level programming language made especially for the Apple II. According to Isaacson, 'Jobs respected him ever after.' Atkinson would later leave Apple in 1990 to co-found his own company called General Magic, which built precursors to USB and small touchscreens. In 2007, he was an outside developer for a small startup called Numenta, which leverages what we know about human neuroscience to develop AI. But Atkinson also spent much of his later years working as a nature photographer, using a digital printing process he helped create, and a mobile app he developed, to let users make postcards out of their digital images to send via postal service or email. Atkinson is succeeded by his wife, two daughters, stepson, stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters, and his dog, Poppy, according to his family's Facebook message. This story was originally featured on
The Verge
08-06-2025
- The Verge
Posted Jun 8, 2025 at 4:31 PM EDT 0 Comments
Legendary Apple engineer Bill Atkinson has died at 74. Atkinson's family announced that he passed away last Thursday due to pancreatic cancer. Employee number 51 at Apple, Atkinson worked on the Macintosh, MacPaint, and HyperCard. Wired and Daring Fireball have even more details on his life and career, and Apple CEO Tim Cook writes, 'He was a true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us.' In this video about Apple's influential pre-Macintosh 'OK' computer, you can hear Bill Atkinson talk about the Lisa, and how, in his words, it 'contributed toward the idea that computers were for everyone.'
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who was Bill Atkinson? The Man who helped Steve Jobs build the Macintosh computers, dies at 74
Bill Atkinson dies at 74: Bill Atkinson has made a lasting impression on the computer industry as one of the creative forces behind Apple's early inventions. His groundbreaking work with Steve Jobs, which helped shape the Macintosh and Lisa computers, transformed how people use computers. Not only was Atkinson a software developer, but he was also a visionary who shaped Apple's history in its early years. From creating QuickDraw to conceiving HyperCard, his work impacted the World Wide Web and established the foundation for contemporary user interfaces. Tributes underline his enduring influence as the tech community laments his departure. Learn how Atkinson's contributions are still influencing the modern digital world. Who was Bill Atkinson? Atkinson was born on March 15, 1951, in Los Gatos, California. He was a pioneering computer scientist, software designer, and one of the key early employees at Apple Inc. He played a crucial role in shaping modern computing through his work on the Lisa and Macintosh projects alongside Steve Jobs. Atkinson was instrumental in developing Apple's graphical user interface (GUI) and was the creator of MacPaint, one of the first graphics applications for personal computers. He also developed the QuickDraw graphics system and contributed to HyperCard, an early software tool that influenced the development of the World Wide Web. Known for his innovation, creativity, and deep influence on user-friendly computing, Bill Atkinson left a lasting legacy in both Apple's history and the broader tech industry. Bill Atkinson's Apple journey Long before sleek interfaces were commonplace, he was Apple employee number 51, directly selected by Steve Jobs. He had a significant influence on the appearance and feel of the company's early computers. Atkinson contributed to the creation of the Lisa's and the first Macintosh's graphical user interfaces. He developed MacPaint, QuickDraw, the graphics engine that drove the Mac's visuals, and HyperCard, a program that allowed users to create interactive applications long before the term "apps" was coined. He was the creative force behind many of the elements we now consider standard, such as the menu bar, the lasso tool for selections, and the tiny "marching ants" animation. He even came up with the idea for the rounded, smooth rectangles known as RoundRects that are still used on many Apple products today. Following his departure from Apple in 1990, Atkinson focused his passion on nature photography, bringing the same level of detail and beauty to screens. Bill Atkinson family His legacy endures every time someone turns on a Mac. He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, a stepson, a stepdaughter, four sisters, two brothers, and more. Bill Atkinson's education qualification Jef Raskin, the pioneer of the Apple Macintosh, was one of his professors at the University of California, San Diego, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Atkinson went on to study neurochemistry at the University of Washington as a graduate student. Apple CEO Tim Cook's Tribute to Bill Atkinson Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed profound sadness at the news of Bill Atkinson's passing. He honoured Atkinson as a visionary whose creativity, generosity, and passion profoundly shaped Apple's legacy and touched countless lives. We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Atkinson. He was a true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us. Our thoughts are with his loved ones. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bill Atkinson, engeineer who helped Apple co-founder Steve Jobs create Lisa and Macintosh computers, dies at 74: Read CEO Tim Cook's post
Bill Atkinson , the Apple Computer designer instrumental in creating the graphical user interfaces that made the Lisa and Macintosh computers accessible to millions, has died. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was 74. His family confirmed the cause as pancreatic cancer in a Facebook post. He had a close relationship with co-founder during the early 1980s when they worked on the Macintosh. Apple CEO Tim Cook has extended his condolences with a post on X (formerly Twitter). "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Atkinson. He was a true visionary whose creativity, heart, and groundbreaking work on the Mac will forever inspire us. Our thoughts are with his loved ones," Cook said in a post. Bill Atkinson: The brain behind QuickDraw and HyperCard project Atkinson was the programmer behind QuickDraw, a foundational software layer for both the Lisa and Macintosh computers. This library of small programmes efficiently displayed shapes, text and images on screen. Embedded in the computers' hardware, QuickDraw provided the distinctive graphical interface that presented a simulated "desktop" with icons for folders, files, and applications. Atkinson is widely credited with inventing key elements of graphical computing, including "pull-down" menus and the "double-click" gesture, which allowed users to open files and applications simply by clicking a mouse button twice. Before the Macintosh debuted in January 1984, most personal computers were text-based, requiring users to type complex commands. Graphics were not an integrated function, and mouse pointing devices were not common. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now QuickDraw was initially developed for Apple's Lisa computer, launched in January 1983. Though the Lisa offered early easy-to-use features for business users, its high price of $10,000 (nearly $33,000 today) led to its commercial failure. QuickDraw soon became the basis for the Macintosh's successful graphical interface. This approach to computing originated from the "Dynabook" project led by computer scientist Alan Kay at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s. In 1979, Xerox provided Jobs and a small team, including Atkinson, a private demonstration of Kay's work. Since they could not examine the software code, the Apple engineers made assumptions about the technology, leading to fundamental technical advancements and new capabilities. After the Macintosh's release, Atkinson conceived HyperCard, a programme that wove together text, images and video in a simple database. This software became a significant precursor to the World Wide Web. Atkinson was convinced by Jobs to become 51st team member of Apple Atkinson was pursuing a Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of Washington when Jobs convinced him to become Apple's 51st employee. Their relationship was close during the early 1980s as they worked on the Macintosh. However, when Jobs was forced out of Apple in 1985 to found Next, Atkinson declined to leave, citing his commitment to the HyperCard project.
