Since Xerox’s release of the Star 8010 Information System in 1981, a new chapter in personal computing began. The Star was a revolution in how people interacted with computers. It simplified computing so that users could simply point, click and drag items across the monitor.
The Star introduced the system of windows, icons and mouse that we use today. For the first time, computing was visual and intuitive. You could drag a document to the printer icon to print out your document or drop a file into a folder icon to organize your files easily through the human centered essence of the design. Everything on the screen was made to mirror the physical office space where people could see, move and manage their work. This idea made computers familiar, which made people comfortable to use their computers.
The real groundbreaker was how seamlessly everything worked together. The system featured “What You See is What You Get” editing which made it easy for people to know which buttons to press intuitively. Every workstation was connected through Ethernet networking which allowed people to easily and quickly share files and printers increasing efficiency at a level unheard of in 1981.
Although, The Star was too expensive to be mainstream. It subtly set the direction for the entire future of computing, as its interface became the foundation of the most common technology companies we know such as Apple and Windows. Most importantly, the Xerox Star proved that computers didn’t have to be exclusive to programmers, but that it could be designed around and for the people.