[vcf-midatlantic] Xerox Wildflowers - Dandelions and Daybreaks

[Bill Degnan]

When I was working at IBM and DuPont in the late 80's one of the first
things I was tasked to do was compare and contrast the Xerox system
PageMaker program vs. the new IBM OS/2 version of the same program for
sales demos etc.  I also worked with an Mac II system.  I thought the OS/2
verson was easier to use.  One of the things about Xerox back then was that
there was nothing simple about the GUI, especially setting things up.
 Later at ICI I used a Xerox i386 system that we used to use to compile
DOS-based applications (why my company did that I don't know).  Soon after
that Xerox was completely gone from the office environment.  OS/2 never
took off as an OS for desktop publishing but IBM did try.  MAC was left
alone by 1994.  I was 24 years old and I had already worked at IBM, DuPont,
ICI, Blue Cross and saw a huge raft of changes 1987-1994 was a huge
transition time.  I also worked with some XWindows DEC systems.

On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 10:40 AM Andrew Diller via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

> As I learn more about these systems and start to see them working, it's
> hard not to realize the folly Xerox engaged in here. They had not 1, not 2,
> but 3 entire hardware generations of systems (Alto->Dandelion->Daybreak) to
> refine the desktop and GUI application suite concept.
>
> They controlled both the hardware and the software for these systems.
>
> The _owned_ the copier / laser printer market- and could do anything they
> wanted in terms of output for these devices to paper.
>
> They invented ethernet and had the whole interconnected network/office lan
> designed and done.
>
>
> And then they let Apple come in... and with later help from Canon
> (LaserWriter) define and dominate the Desktop publishing market.. which
> Xerox had completely invented, refined deployed and had working (eating
> their own dog food) for years.
>
> It's just astonishing when you consider the possibilities that Xerox had
> in 1983-86 and just completely punted on.
>
>
> -andy
>
>
> > On Aug 17, 2020, at 10:26 AM, Dean Notarnicola <
> dean.notarnicola at vcfed.org> wrote:
> >
> > Legend says Star, but Corey or Tony May have better info
> >
> > On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 10:13 AM Andrew Diller via vcf-midatlantic <
> vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org <mailto:vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org>>
> wrote:
> > I know DavidG has done some amazing work (along with other members) on
> VCF's 8010 (Dandelion)... And strangely enough the same day (yesterday)
> someone on the SGI Discord I frequent posted this amazing video, which I
> thought I'd share to interested people here:
> >
> >
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Dlr5rY9SI <
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Dlr5rY9SI> <
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Dlr5rY9SI <
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Dlr5rY9SI>>
> >
> >
> >
> > Of a Daybreak (Xerox 6085) booting up into ViewPoint 2.0 and using the
> apps. VCF also has a Daybreak which would be great to get fully functional
> again as well.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Daybreak <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Daybreak> <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Daybreak <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Daybreak>>
> >
> >
> >
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Star <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Star> <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Star <
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Star>>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm not sure of the dates, but do people know if the Xerox Star would
> have been the system that Jobs and the Apple team viewed at Xerox back when
> they had their infamous visits? Or were those Altos?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -andy
> >
> >
> >
>
>