Graphical user interface
A visual interface for interacting with electronic devices.
Last updated
The GUI is an interface between people and machines that aims to reproduce backend code in a user-friendly manner.[1] GUIs use graphical elements like symbols, menus, and images to simplify use for human users.[1] Instead of requiring typed commands, a GUI lets people operate electronic devices by using graphical icons and visual indicators.[2]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Human–computer interaction
- Known for
- Windows
- icons
- menus
- pointer (WIMP) paradigm
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The first concepts of graphical user interfaces emerged in the 1970s at the company Xerox.[1] Windows, menus, radio buttons, and check boxes were among the graphical elements that made up the Xerox PARC GUI.[3] David Canfield Smith, who authored a thesis on the topic, later brought the concept of icons to the GUI.[3] Xerox turned the Alto's concepts into a commercial product in 1981, releasing the Xerox 8010 Information System, which is commonly called the Xerox Star.[4]
Apple launched the Macintosh in 1984, using a "1984" TV advertisement that aired during Super Bowl XVIII.[5] Backed by a large marketing effort, Windows 95 achieved great market success and quickly became the leading desktop operating system.[6] Apple's iPhone in 2007 and iPad in 2010 made the post-WIMP interaction style for multi-touch screens widely popular.[7]
What the cited sources add
The IONOS Digitalguide states that GUI developers prioritize user-friendliness and utilize event-based programming since they cannot predict which actions the user will perform.[1] The same source notes that an effective GUI should simplify controls and facilitate intuitive use, requiring a good understanding of user needs.[1] The "Magic Desk I" account reports that Commodore released Magic Desk I in 1983 as a ROM cartridge presenting the computer's functions as a virtual desktop.[8] The "First GUIs" source explains that the main GUI element missing from early systems was the pull-down menu, introduced by the Apple Lisa in 1979.[9]
That source also states that in 1979 Steve Jobs was inspired to start the line of development leading to the Apple Macintosh after visiting PARC.[9] The "First GUIs" account notes that the Star interface pioneered the desktop metaphor that would be ubiquitous in later GUIs.[9]
References
- "What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?", IONOS Digitalguide, 14 September 2020. facts only, no text reused. ionos.com
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Command line vs. GUI", Computer Hope; "The GUI versus the Command Line: Which is better? (Part 1)", Microsoft Learn, 2007-03-12; "The GUI versus the Command Line: Which is better? (Part 2)", Microsoft Learn, 2007-03-26 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lieberman, Henry. "A Creative Programming Environment, Remixed", MIT Media Lab, Cambridge.; Salha, Nader. "Aesthetics and Art in the Early Development of Human-Computer Interfaces" , October 2012.; Smith, David (1975). "Pygmalion: A Creative Programming Environment". (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The first GUIs; Xerox Star user interface demonstration, 1982 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Friedman, "Apple's 1984: The Introduction of the Macintosh in the Cultural History of Personal Computers", October 1997 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Washington Post, "With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype", Washington Post, August 24, 1995; "Computers Timeline of Computer History Computer History Museum", www.computerhistory.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Graphical user interface" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Mather, John. iMania, Ryerson Review of Journalism, (February 19, 2007) Retrieved February 19, 2007; "the iPad could finally spark demand for the hitherto unsuccessful tablet PC" --Eaton, Nick The iPad/tablet PC market defined? , Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 201; Bright, Peter Ballmer (and Microsoft) still doesn't get the iPad, Ars Technica, 2010; "The iPad's victory in defining the tablet: What it means", 2011-07-05 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Magic Desk I for Commodore 64". facts only, no text reused. toastytech.com
- The first GUIs. facts only, no text reused. catb.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Graphical user interface (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Graphical user interface (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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