Xerox PARC Visit

Steve Jobs and several Apple engineers visited Xerox PARC, witnessing the Alto computer's graphical user interface, including icons, windows, and a mouse. This visit profoundly influenced the direction of both the Lisa and Macintosh projects.

Significance

This visit was a catalyst, showing Apple the potential of a fully graphical, intuitive interface, directly inspiring the Macintosh's design philosophy.

Key facts

Date
1979-12-09
Type
milestone
Location
Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Palo Alto, California