Amazing 'GRaphical Input Language' from ~1968 !!

[va!n]

I found an very impressive video about a GRail (graphical input language) done by the computer pionier named 'Alan Kay' who seems to be the father of OOP too! His work is very interesting and its really hard to believe, that we had such an impressive technology end of the 60th! But just take yourself a look to the video and his project around 1968:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQhVQ1UG6aM

Another very interesting video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQg4LquY0uU&feature=related

[Shockwave]

I'd have trouble programming a drawing tool like that now!
Recognising handwriting like that is really cool!

[LittleWhite]

I have seen the first video which is amazing ... in 60th you said ? O_o incredible.

THe second one is too long for me .... can you resume it a bit, please ?

[va!n]

Recognising handwriting like that is really cool!

@Shockwave:
I dont have really an idea how such a handwriting recognising works and even in such a fast speed at a few Mhz they had at that time!

@LittleWhite:
I havent watched the full second video too. Just jumped around and watched parts of it, like the webcam thing and some other very interesting technologies they did/tried!

@all:
Just check out some of the amazing stuff in the second video and the CPU Mhz the stuff worked at - i really cant believe how they did it with only a few KB memory and only a few Mhz CPU. (seems we are living in a wrong world where is no real innovation in todays PC technology - just only more RAM and fast CPU/GPUs - its a shame in comparision to what this gusy did with the hardware about 40 years ago!)


I have added a timeline for the second video:

~ 0:13:00  == start with Alan Kay
~ 0:16:25 == The 50s
~ 0:17:20 == Semi Automated Ground Env Air Defence System (early 50s into 60)
~ 0:24:30 == The 60s
~ 0:29:05 == Early 60s - JOSS - First great end-user system
~ 0:30:19 == 1961-62: The B5000 - First great higher-level computer
~ 0:31:05 == 1962 (vain: amazing)
~ 0:33:25 == 1962 - LINC - The first true personal computer
~ 0:35:47  == 1962-1969 a research center for augmenting human intellect (vain: amazing == @ 1 Mhz and 192k Ram?)
...
~ 0:48:30  == ca 1968 - Flat Screen Displays (vain: in 1968? wtf?)
...


i will stop here, becaus i think its really worth to check out the video and the shown technologies!

[Rbz]

i really cant believe how they did it with only a few KB memory and only a few Mhz CPU. (seems we are living in a wrong world where is no real innovation in todays PC technology - just only more RAM and fast CPU/GPUs - its a shame in comparision to what this gusy did with the hardware about 40 years ago!)

I think there's one (big) difference, those people behind this were all great scientists for it's time, they know everything what they need to use this hardware and they are able create the base for the next generations.

Today we have those fast computers because those guys, and even non scientist (like me) can use it, the demoscene is one example, see how much nice things a kid can do on his home pc.

Look at your machine, you can do wonders with it, and you don't need to be a scientist!

[rain_storm]

And after 40 years this is about as far as the human computer interaction has gone...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fcKwelEayw&feature=related

[Shockwave]

Mobile phones have made good use of that touch screen technology.