Alto II computer components, 1970-1979

Alto II computer, made by Xerox PARC, Palo Alto, California, United States, 1970-1979. Consists of 5-key chording keyset, keyboard, monitor and three-button mouse.

The Xerox Alto computer, developed in 1973, was one of the earliest experiments in personal computing. It used a mouse to allow users to navigate around a rich user interface with desktop icons and moveable windows. Although it was never released commercially, it was used by staff at the Xerox PARC research centre in Paulo Alto for many years.

Details

Category:
Computing & Data Processing
Object Number:
L2014-4175
Materials:
metal (unknown) and plastic (unidentified)
Measurements:
overall: 495 mm x 470 mm x 432 mm, 22 kg
type:
computer component
credit:
Courtesy of the Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California