The 1968 demo by Douglas Engelbart and the team at SRI was groundbreaking as it unveiled the foundations of modern computing. In just 90 minutes, the world witnessed the first computer mouse, hyperlinks, real-time editing and other related innovations. Keeping in mind that this was unveiled during the time when computers were seen as number-crunching machines. Engelbart revealed a future where they could become interactive partners that expanded human capability and opened the door to the modern digital world we know today.
Their vision reshaped the trajectory of technology. Engelbart showed how computers could augment human thinking and collaboration, laying the foundation for principles that drive intuitive and human-centered design.
Without the discoveries unveiled in that demo, modern computing would be far more difficult and definitely more time consuming. Simple actions we take for granted such as moving the cursor with a mouse and clicking a link to open a new webpage would not exist. Engelbart’s vision turned compares into an interactive , making them a vital part of everyone’s life in today’s digital age.