- Bill Atkinson He died on June 5 after fighting pancreatic cancer. He is 74 years old. Atkinson is the earliest apple Employees, responsible for the key Mac software and its graphical user interface. But he eventually created a high-level programming language for the Apple II computer in just six days, earning the respect of boss Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Bill AtkinsonFrom his work at Apple in 1978 (founded) to his death on June 5 after struggling with pancreatic cancer, he died His family wrote on Facebook. He is 74 years old.
Atkinson, the 51st employee of Apple, was personally recruited by Steve Jobs. According to Walter Isaacson’s working biographyAtkinson, then a neuroscience doctoral student, initially rejected Apple’s request to work at the company. But Steve Jobs gave Atkinson a non-refundable air ticket and gave him three hours to pitch, explaining why he was joining the company.
“Think about surfing on the front edge of the wave,” Jobs told Atkinson at that meeting. “It’s really exciting. Now think about the dog on the tail of that wave. It won’t be fun. Come here and create dents in the universe.”
Atkinson accepted a job offer, so he never received his Ph.D.
Atkinson will continue to develop some of Apple’s key software, including QuickDraw, which allows older Apple computers to draw images and windows on the screen, as well as HyperCard, HyperCard, hypercard, easy-to-use software development kits so that creators can build their own applications. He also significantly developed the graphical user interface of Apple Lisa, a pioneer of Macintosh and later developed several more user interfaces for Mac. But his first job was to develop a plan that could track a stock portfolio. The software will automatically use the Dow Jones service to get a quote and then hang up.
His second project at Apple, though, ended up being Atkinson’s way of winning Jobs’ respect.
Jobs has been resisting the use of a new programming language for Apple II, one of Apple’s earliest and most popular personal computers that gave birth to many successors, including Lisa, Apple III, Apple II Plus, Apple II Plus, Apple IIE, Apple IIC, Apple IIC, Apple IIC Plus (although most of these), and despite most of these computers, it saved Apple IIE failures. Work at the time had refused to give Apple II a new programming language, thinking about the basic language, and the simple programming language that powered the original Apple I was the future Apple II. Atkinson, however, forced Jobs to build something better.
“Since you’re passionate about it, I’ll give you six days to prove I’m wrong,” Jobs said to the biographer of Apple’s co-founder.
Sure enough, in just six days, Atkinson created the Professional Edition of Pascal, a high-level programming language specially made for Apple II. “Jobs has always respected him ever since,” Isaacson said.
Atkinson will then leave Apple in 1990 to co-found his own company General magicit establishes a precursor for USB and small touch screens. In 2007, he was an external developer at a small startup numberThis uses our knowledge of human neuroscience to develop AI. But Atkinson also spent most of his later time as Nature photographerusing the digital printing process he helped create and the mobile app he developed to enable users to make postcards from digital images for sending via postal services or email.
According to his wife, two daughters, stepson, stepdaughter, two brothers, four sisters and his dog Poppy Family Facebook Messages.
This story was originally fortune.com
