Whatever Happened To The Computer Of Tomorrow, Anyway? The Xerox Alto Story
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A deep dive into the history of the Xerox Alto, the pioneering machine from Xerox PARC that introduced the desktop-mouse-keyboard interface, WYSIWYG word processing, email, and networked laser printing in the 1970s. Despite its revolutionary innovations, Xerox never commercially sold the Alto, fearing it would cannibalize their lucrative copier and consumables business. This decision allowed Steve Jobs and others to take those ideas and build the Apple Lisa and Macintosh. The video referenced explains the business logic behind Xerox's choices, contextualizing why the Alto never became the dominant computing platform despite its groundbreaking nature.
Questions this post answers
Why did Xerox never sell the Alto computer despite inventing the GUI and modern desktop computing?
Xerox refused to sell the Alto in the 1970s primarily because it threatened their core copier business. The Alto eliminated the need for paper, toner, drums, and consumables — the recurring revenue that made copiers so profitable. Xerox had also already lost millions on mainframe computing, making the board extremely cautious. A computer sold once couldn't match the steady income of a copier that 'printed money as surely as it printed paper.' Developers curious about how business decisions shaped the tools they use today find that thread on daily.dev.