The Xerox Star was a groundbreaking computer system introduced in 1981. While it didn’t achieve major commercial success at the time, but I believe it completely changed the future of computing.”
Before the Star, computers were mostly text-based, requiring users to memorize and type commands. Then the Star came out, it introduced something completely new—icons, windows, folders, and a desktop that looked and felt like a real workspace. Instead of working with lines of code, people could click, drag, and drop, making computers feel way more natural to use.
What made the Star so groundbreaking was its office metaphor. Files were stored in folders, documents looked like actual pieces of paper, and the whole experience felt familiar, especially for office workers. From my perspective, this was a game-changer because it made computers something that anyone could use, not just programmers.
Even though the Xerox Star itself didn’t take off, its ideas lived on. Apple’s Macintosh, Microsoft Windows—basically every modern operating system—borrowed from it. I feel like every time we open a folder, resize a window, or move an icon, we’re still using the concepts the Star introduced. It proved that computers weren’t just for tech experts—they could be designed for everyone, and that’s what shaped the digital world we live in today.