January 19, 1983
Apple Lisa released
Apple began selling the Lisa on January 19, 1983 — a GUIGraphical user interface — windows, icons, and pointers instead of typed commands. workstationA powerful desktop machine for technical work — between personal computers and minicomputers in price and capability. with a mouse, overlapping windows, and protected multitasking.
What it was for
The Lisa ran a document-centric desktop with pull-down menus and a 5 MHz Motorola 68000 — technology Apple refined for the Macintosh a year later. Its high price limited sales, but the Lisa Office System proved graphical computing could replace command lines for knowledge workers. Developers saw the future of desktop UIUser interface — the parts of software people see and interact with. before the Mac made it affordable.
Companies
- Apple
Why it's here
The Lisa was Apple's first commercial computer with a full graphical user interface and mouse.
Why it mattered
It validated GUIGraphical user interface — windows, icons, and pointers instead of typed commands. concepts that the Macintosh would bring to the mass market.
What it solved
Business users needed intuitive visual interfaces instead of memorizing command-line syntax.
Media
ImageApple LisaTimothy Colegrove, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- Macintosh 128K releasedJanuary 24, 1984
- Xerox Alto operational1973
- Apple II introducedApril 16, 1977
- Steve Jobs returns to Apple as advisorJuly 9, 1997