Lisa (computer)

Lisa (computer) was a revolutionary personal computer developed by Apple Inc. in the early 1980s, led by John Sculley and Steve Jobs. The Lisa project was initiated in 1978, with the goal of creating a user-friendly computer that could be used by IBM and Xerox employees, as well as those at Microsoft and Intel. The computer was named after Steve Jobs' daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, and was designed to be a more affordable alternative to the Xerox Alto and Apple III. The Lisa computer was also influenced by the work of Douglas Engelbart and his team at SRI International, who developed the oN-Line System.

● Introduction

The Lisa computer was announced in 1983, with a price tag of $9,995, making it a premium product aimed at the business market and educational institutions such as Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The computer was designed to be used by NASA, General Motors, and other large organizations, including IBM and Hewlett-Packard. The Lisa computer was also promoted as a tool for graphic design and desktop publishing, with the help of Aldus Corporation and Adobe Systems. The computer's user interface was influenced by the work of Alan Kay and his team at Xerox PARC, who developed the Smalltalk programming language.

● History

The development of the Lisa computer began in 1978, with a team led by John Couch and Trip Hawkins, who later founded Electronic Arts. The project was initially called "Annie" and was later renamed to Lisa, after Steve Jobs' daughter. The computer was designed to be a more user-friendly alternative to the Apple II and Apple III, with a focus on graphical user interface and mouse navigation, similar to the Xerox Star. The Lisa computer was also influenced by the work of Jef Raskin, who developed the Swyft word processor and later worked on the Macintosh computer. The computer's development was also influenced by the work of Larry Tesler and his team at Xerox PARC, who developed the Gypsy word processor.

● Hardware

The Lisa computer was based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor, with 512 KB of RAM and a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, similar to the Apple Macintosh. The computer also featured a monochrome display with a resolution of 512x342 pixels, similar to the IBM PC. The Lisa computer's hardware was designed to be compatible with the Apple II and Apple III, with the ability to run CP/M and MS-DOS operating systems, as well as UCSD Pascal. The computer's hardware was also influenced by the work of Chuck Peddles and his team at Commodore International, who developed the Commodore 64.

● Software

The Lisa computer ran on the Lisa OS operating system, which was developed by Apple Inc. and featured a graphical user interface and mouse navigation, similar to the Xerox Star. The computer also came with a range of software applications, including LisaWrite and LisaDraw, which were developed by Apple Inc. and Aldus Corporation. The computer's software was also influenced by the work of Bill Atkinson and his team at Apple Inc., who developed the MacPaint and MacWrite applications. The Lisa computer's software was also compatible with the Apple II and Apple III, with the ability to run VisiCalc and Multiplan spreadsheet applications, as well as dBase and Lotus 1-2-3.

● Impact

The Lisa computer had a significant impact on the development of the personal computer industry, with its innovative graphical user interface and mouse navigation, similar to the Xerox Alto. The computer's influence can be seen in the development of the Macintosh computer, which was released in 1984 and was designed by Steve Jobs and Burrell Smith. The Lisa computer also influenced the development of the IBM PC and Compaq Portable, which were released in the mid-1980s and were designed by IBM and Compaq. The computer's impact was also felt in the educational market, with the development of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing software, such as AutoCAD and CATIA.

● Discontinuation

The Lisa computer was discontinued in 1986, due to poor sales and high production costs, similar to the Apple III. The computer's failure was attributed to its high price and limited software availability, as well as the success of the IBM PC and Compaq Portable. The Lisa computer's discontinuation marked the end of an era for Apple Inc., which had invested heavily in the project, with the help of Microsoft and Intel. The company's focus shifted to the Macintosh computer, which went on to become a huge success and established Apple Inc. as a major player in the personal computer industry, alongside IBM and Hewlett-Packard. The Lisa computer's legacy can be seen in the development of modern personal computers, including the Apple MacBook and Microsoft Surface, which feature graphical user interfaces and mouse navigation, similar to the Xerox Star. Category:Computer hardware