Modern Computing Began 40 Years Ago Today

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Modern computers all utilize the same user paradigms:  interactive computing, mouse, windows, hyperlinks, teleconferencing, etc.  Many people consider Xerox Parc to be the nest in which most of these concepts were born.  That is, afterall, where Steve Jobs got his inspiration for the Macintosh.  It is not where they were first conceived or even accomplished.  All of these were first demonstrated 40 years ago today by Douglas Engelbart of Stanford Research Institute (SRI). On december 9, 1968 he demonstrated to a crowd of 1,000 many of the things that make up modern computers.  Some pictures of the event can be seen here.  SRI is hosting an event today honoring the event.