Difference between revisions of "Xerox Alto"
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The '''Alto''', built by [[Xerox]]' [[Xerox PARC]] laboratory, was a ground-breaking and extremely influential [[personal computer]] - in fact, all contemporary personal computers are descendants of the Alto. | The '''Alto''', built by [[Xerox]]' [[Xerox PARC]] laboratory, was a ground-breaking and extremely influential [[personal computer]] - in fact, all contemporary personal computers are descendants of the Alto. | ||
| − | The Alto was novel in that each machine had a [[bit-mapped display]], allowing the creation of a [[graphical user interface]], and was also attached to a high-speed network, the [[Ethernet]], also invented at PARC. | + | The Alto was novel in that each machine had a [[bit-mapped display]], allowing the creation of a [[graphical user interface]], and was also attached to a high-speed network, the [[Ethernet]], also invented at PARC. In addition to the [[keyboard]], users could use a [[mouse]] to interact with applications. |
The [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] was [[microcode]]d, built out of [[Transistor-transistor logic|TTL]], and could emulate several different CPUs - the basic [[Read-only memory|ROM]] more or less emulated a [[Data General]] [[Nova]]. The CPU did not support [[Direct Memory Access|DMA]]; rather, it had provision for up to 16 micro-[[task]]s, which did all bulk [[input/output]]. | The [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] was [[microcode]]d, built out of [[Transistor-transistor logic|TTL]], and could emulate several different CPUs - the basic [[Read-only memory|ROM]] more or less emulated a [[Data General]] [[Nova]]. The CPU did not support [[Direct Memory Access|DMA]]; rather, it had provision for up to 16 micro-[[task]]s, which did all bulk [[input/output]]. | ||
Revision as of 03:11, 28 April 2018
The Alto, built by Xerox' Xerox PARC laboratory, was a ground-breaking and extremely influential personal computer - in fact, all contemporary personal computers are descendants of the Alto.
The Alto was novel in that each machine had a bit-mapped display, allowing the creation of a graphical user interface, and was also attached to a high-speed network, the Ethernet, also invented at PARC. In addition to the keyboard, users could use a mouse to interact with applications.
The CPU was microcoded, built out of TTL, and could emulate several different CPUs - the basic ROM more or less emulated a Data General Nova. The CPU did not support DMA; rather, it had provision for up to 16 micro-tasks, which did all bulk input/output.
Altos all had a 1.25Mbyte disk drive from Diablo Systems (the same drive as in the RK02 disk drive); Alto-based file servers used Trident disk drives.
Xerox attempted to commercialize the lessons of the Alto, in the Xerox Star, but it was not a commercial success. Other companies, including IBM (hardware), Microsoft (software) and Apple (both) did manage to produce succesful products along the lines pioneered by the Alto.
