April 26, 1985: The Lisa Becomes a Knock Knock Joke
What do you call a $10,000 computer that sported a hard drive, a megabyte of memory and the first mass produced graphical user interface? If you're Apple you call it a miserable failure, which (again if you're Apple) is synonymous with the Lisa.
The Lisa was the first product to market after Apple's famous visit to Xerox PARC. While the computer did feature plenty of firsts in the technological realm, it also featured plenty of firsts in the marketing realm. For example, the Lisa featured the commercially available bit mapped display and it was the first computer where something better and faster was rumored to be just around the corner.
The Lisa also lacked third party developer support, which isn't surprising because Apple had already developed versions of most "must have" programs. Developers didn't see a reason to develop for the Lisa and customers didn't see a need to purchase one. A bad combination. After 2 years on the market with only 60,000 units sold, the Lisa was finally discontinued this week in 1985.
By the way, the answer to the knock knock joke in the title is "Lisa." The joke was that the Lisa was so slow that it would take, roughly, the time it took you to read this before the machine would actually do anything useful.
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I am a long time Macintosh user and, besides a user of many different application, also a programmer building apps for both MacOS and Windows as well for the web.
Personally, I don’t understand the comment about the control-key for context menu’s. If you are trying to work fast, you need command-click and option-click almost as often as control-click, but your left hand will be conveniently placed as well for undo, cut, copy, paste, close, save, switch-apps and quit, to name just a few.
There are many other key commands: space and shift-space to advance or reverse in readers like Safari or Preview or tab to jump from field to field in a dialog or web form. Using space or tab is something I need regularely in PhotoShop and other Adobe applications.
Even on Windows, there are many commands that your left hand will be performing while your right hand uses a mouse. And the second button isn’t that obvious. As I work with many who have Windows, they often ask me how I performed a certain thing they saw going on on screen.
And since I also use VirtualPC (besides “real” pc’s) and VPC simulates control-click for the right-button, I only need to be aware that the control-key is pressed with a different finger then the command-key.
So a mouse with an extra button would take away just one of the many functions I am performing with my other hand. Big deal.
I don’t understand the comment about wrist problems, either. Obviously, it is a major concern, since a lot of people are having problems. But after more then fifteen years of mousing around, I have never had any problem myself. And I am making longer hours then regular users.
I am not denying the problem. Just commenting that I don’t see a relationship between the number of buttons a mouse has and any physical injury people could suffer.
I don’t even see a good reason to have a scroll-wheel.
Personally, I find that the mice Apple builds are durable, at least those that come with their Pro line of computers. They endure day-in day-out use for many years.
To get on the topic: as a programmer, I already was aware that HIG was indeed a brain-child from Apple. Refering to those guidelines would be more like: if you want to understand what Apple is thinking, read the HIG. And if you want to be in any position that Apple will acknowlegde your app, you need to follow them closely.
One-button mice rule!
Hm, redirect after log-on got me to the wrong topic. Probably due to the use of different tabs. Bummer.
Appologies.
Er, I’m wondering what your definition is of “knock knock joke”. The question “What do you call a $10,000 computer…” isn’t one. Did I miss something?
Ah, mac activist, the title on this one was changed from from “Knock Knock, Very Long Pause”
The titles weren’t descriptive enough so, in changing them, I messed this one up.
Got it!
Raycon,
The joke about the time is about the Apple ///.The clock chip didn’t work so it was a computer that couldn’t tell time. I’m sure
i’m sure made some terrible joke about it in the history thing.
the Lisa featured the commercially available bit mapped display and it was the first computer where something better and faster was rumored to be just around the corner. free ads|carpet manufacturers
I’m not so interested to learn this. I’m finding out about the programming language in this case the Java language. Escorts Sloane street