The History of
User Interfaces

ENIAC was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer,completed in 1945. There were other computers that had these features, but theENIAC had all of them in one package. It was Turing-complete and able to solve "alarge class of numerical problems" through reprogramming.

Ivan Sutherland's Sketchpad was the first program to use a graphical userinterface, pioneering concepts like object-oriented programming and computer-aideddesign.

Revolutionary computer collaboration system developed in the 1960s. Designed byDouglas Engelbart and implemented by researchers at the Augmentation ResearchCenter (ARC) at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), the NLS system was the firstto employ the practical use of hypertext links, the mouse, raster-scan videomonitors, information organized by relevance, screen windowing, presentationprograms, and other modern computing concepts.

In exchange for allowing Xerox to buy $1 million of Apple stock before its IPO,Steve Jobs and Apple engineers were given tours of Xerox PARC. There they saw theAlto computer with its graphical user interface, mouse, and windows. Jobsrecognized the revolutionary potential of this technology. This visit directlyinspired the development of Apple's Lisa and Macintosh computers, bringing GUI tothe mass market.

The first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBMPC compatible de facto standard. IBM recruited Charlie Chaplin to advertise theirmore approachable side. The IBM PC revolutionized business computing by becomingthe first PC to gain widespread adoption by industry.

Apple's first commercial computer with a graphical user interface. Thoughcommercially unsuccessful due to its $9,995 price tag, the Lisa pioneered many GUIconcepts that would define the Macintosh and modern computing.

Window based system with icons. First version of Apple Macintosh operating systemand the beginning of the classic Mac OS series. Even though other personalcomputers came before it, Macintosh changed the way people thought about personalcomputers.

Revolutionary hypermedia system that allowed users to create interactive "stacks"of information with clickable links. HyperCard pioneered concepts that influencedthe World Wide Web, interactive multimedia, and modern app development.

Mobile operating system that supported apps.

Tim Berners-Lee published the first website and introduced the World Wide Web tothe public, creating the foundation for the modern internet as we know it.

The first popular graphical web browser that brought the World Wide Web to themainstream. Mosaic displayed images inline with text and featured a user-friendlyinterface.

The first smartphone. First to include phone and PDA features in one device. It had a touchscreen.

During his time at Apple, Don Norman created the first "User ExperienceArchitect" position. "It's the way you experience the world, it's the way youexperience your life, it's the way you experience service."

JavaScript, created by Brendan Eich in just 10 days, brought interactivity to theweb and became the most widely-used programming language, fundamentallytransforming web interfaces from static documents to dynamic applications.

The Palm Pilot revolutionized PDAs with its simple, elegant interface and Graffitihandwriting recognition, becoming one of the most successful handheld devices ofthe late 1990s.

Google launched with a radically simple interface (just a logo, search box, and twobuttons) that revolutionized web design by proving that less can be more.

Mac OS X introduced the Aqua interface with its distinctive translucent,candy-colored design elements, drop shadows, and smooth animations that influencedmodern UI design.

AJAX enabled web pages to update dynamically without full page reloads,transforming static websites into responsive, app-like experiences and paving theway for modern web applications.

Apple launched the App Store with the iPhone 3G, revolutionizing softwaredistribution for mobile devices. It launched with 500 apps and introduced themodern app economy where third-party developers could easily create, distribute,and monetize applications. This fundamentally changed how users interact with theirdevices and created a new software ecosystem.

Android, Google's open-source mobile operating system, launched with the HTCDream/G1, creating an alternative to iOS and democratizing smartphone technology.

WCAG 2.0 established comprehensive, testable standards for web accessibility,fundamentally shaping how interfaces are designed to be usable by people withdisabilities.

The iPad created the modern tablet category, proving that a device between asmartphone and laptop could be compelling with the right interface and ecosystem.

Windows Phone 7 introduced Metro design language with its bold typography, flatcolors, and live tiles, pioneering flat design principles years before iOS 7 andinfluencing modern interface design.

React revolutionized web development with its component-based architecture andvirtual DOM, establishing patterns that define modern web application interfaces.

Google's Material Design created a comprehensive design language based onprinciples of physical materials, motion, and bold graphics that unified Google'sproducts and influenced modern UI design.

IBM's Carbon Design System established patterns for enterprise design systems,demonstrating how large organizations can create cohesive, accessible, and scalabledesign languages for complex products.