Still, the term is so integral to computing that it merits some explanation and context.
So, what is a GUI?
What Does GUI Stand for?
For example, instantaneous remote messaging was first achieved with the telegraph in 1844.
Alan Turing’s “a-machine” was devised in 1936 and was essentially an early calculator.
However, neither of these seem much like computers today, largely because they lack a GUI.
GUI stands for “graphic user interface” or “graphical user interface.”
That is one question out of the way, but what is a graphical user interface?
To understand that, we must understand the larger term “user interface.”
Related:What Are Desktop Shortcuts?
This part of the machine is the “user interface” or “UI.”
The last few decades have seen more and more of these devices we use every day incorporate a GUI.
What Is GUI in Computer History?
IBM’s SAGE computer system was navigated with a “light gun” pointed at a displayed map.
In use until 1983, it is possible that Engelbart didn’t know or couldn’t talk about SAGE.
The Mother of All Demos primarily introduced word processing, including remote collaboration.
While text-based navigation is typically excluded from definitions of GUI, the demo also included links and files.
Both of these are early examples of more creative computer architecture incorporating structures like windows and tabs.
To say that SAGE beat Engelbart by a few years isn’t to take away credit.
Engelbart was still well ahead of his time.IBM’s experimentsin the first personal computers created the SCAMP in 1973.
That same year, theXerox Altobecame the first widely available computer to integrate modern GUI schemes.
From there, you could write a book tracking GUI developments from operating system to operating system.
The same kind of evolution has taken place in phones as well.
However, they didn’t allow interaction or feature graphic elements like the app icons in use today.
In 1999, the Blackberry 850 became one of the first internet-connected mobile devices.
The first touch screen smartphone, the iPhone, was announced in 2007.
The iPhone’s breakthrough made the GUI almost the entire screen surface a graphical user interface for the gadget.
It makes up its own category in software and usability testing.
For a GUI to be effective, the icons displayed must effectively convey the actions they complete.
Sometimes, GUI developers and usability designers solve this problem in almost comically antiquated ways.
Furthermore, GUIs are more demanding in terms of computation and power than simpler interface models.
One great example of this is the no-GUI boot.
The no-GUI boot eliminates the loading bar on program start-ups.
What’s Your Favorite GUI?
The graphic user interface has gradually been changing our lives for decades.
The format replaces text or number menu navigation with selecting illustrative icons, making devices more customizable and user-friendly.
