History of Xerox : The Two Thieves of Xerox
In the late 1950's Computer technology was one of the greatest inventions.But unfortunately there was no company interested in developing a personal computer like Xerox private limited.
To make it clear, Xerox was the first company to create copying technology and one of the leading company in 1950's for the production of copy machine (like we called it today 'Xerox Machine').But lately many japan company had evolved in the production of copying machine with affordable price. So Xerox made a choice to innovate new technologies to keep company at top position.
Xerox management gave their chief scientist, Jack Goldman, a blank check to develop any new technologies that could keep Xerox on top. Thus, in 1970 Jack created the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and set about assembling the brightest minds in the world of computer science.
Also, PARC is a birthplace of many technologies, including laser printing, computer mouse, Ethernet networking and the graphical user interface (GUI).It constitutes keyboard and mouse interface we still use today .Also it offers access to email, word processing, and event reminders.
But The only thing Xerox managers were interested in were printer and copier innovations.Xerox was not interested in anything else.PARC members saw that all of their breakthroughs had gone to waste. Later many of them left from PARC research center. Most of them started their own Companies and others joined in the rising tech companies.
After Steve Jobs and Bill Gates comes into the role.At the time,Apple was one of the first to arrive with a usable GUI on the Lisa (1983) and then the first Macintosh (1984).Steve Jobs was busy with projects at Apple.Many of its employees had visited the PARC and wondered about the technology they made.But Steve Jobs was suspicious of Xerox and refuse to visit PARC.Later several of his employees wish, he agreed to join them.Steve Jobs visited PARC in late 1979.
After reaching out PARC, the members of PARC showed the innovation they have made. At ver first they depicted out the Graphical User Interface. After that they showed object-oriented programming and network computer system. They had over a hundred Alto computers, all network using email, etc.. But Steve Jobs was interested in the very first technology they showed to him. Infact Steve Jobs proclaimed that "I was so blinded by the first thing they showed me, which was the graphical user interface. I thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life" .
Steve Jobs knew that this technology would take the personal computer to the next level.After the initial meeting, Jobs arranged for his entire programming team to be given full technical demos.In exchange, he sold 100,000 shares of Apple to Xerox. One of the PARC researchers giving the demos proclaimed that after an hour looking at demos, they understood our technology , but till any of the Xerox executive couldn't understood after years of showing it to them.
Also in that period, Microsoft was working with Apple as the first third-party software developer for the upcoming Macintosh. Also,Microsoft had sent a lot of former technicians to PARC and snatched PARC employees.Much like Jobs,Bill Gates was well aware of the Xerox Alto and its innovations.
Steve Jobs made Microsoft sign an agreement as part of their deal in 1981 stated that "Microsoft couldn’t release mouse-based software until a year after Mac". The contract is valid till 1983.
However due to project delays the Mac’s release date got pushed back, but the contract date stayed the same.In November 1983 Microsoft made a surprise announcement at COMDEX, the industry’s premier trade show. In that show,Bill Gates reveiled a new graphical user interface environment called Windows. Also a mouse-based word processor called Microsoft Word.But The Macintosh wouldn’t released until 1984,
Steve Jobs filed a monumental copyright lawsuit Microsoft, but actually, the courts cleared Gates of any wrongdoing. When Steve confronted Gates and accused him of theft, Gates made a statement that "I think it’s more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it" .
In real,Both of them had been inspired by the ideas at Xerox PARC. So, while people like to smear Apple or both companies as “stealing,” Xerox’ technology, it’s untrue. They both paid for a license.
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